Weighing In

[mobileray381]

Why do some people pull there rigs in to weigh stations and some just drive right by?

My rig is a 99 F250 Powerstroke with 5th wheel.

I noticed a Cummins with a travel trailer (maybe 30 foot) sitting in line with the Semi's at a Virginia weigh station.

[enblethen]

You need to read the advance signs. I have had to stop at weigh stations, not for weigh but there was a temporary sign saying "RVs stop at weigh station".
No reason given but the Dog was present.

[Old-Biscuit]

If you are 'commercial rig'------pull in

If you are an 'rv rig'.........drive on by

Made the mistake one time of pulling in. Attendant looked at me like a tree full of owls, snarled 'Git'

Unless EVERYBODY HAS TO I don't even think about it.

[enblethen]

It is call weigh in motion and utilizes flex plates in the roadway
Weigh in motion

[BenK]

Some places have the weighing done on the fly, out on the highway

You can tell by the overhead compartments. The road bed has the complimentary
weighing mechanism.

Don't know, yet, how they do that.

Also don't know how they 'get you' if you are over

Been around for a few years and just haven't remembered to look it up and read up on it

[carringb]

All trailer transporters have to weigh, as they are commercial vehicles, if they are over a designated weight. 20k is common, but some states are 10k or 16k. I'm sure there's others too.

Also some guys have commercial plates on their pickups for work reasons. If I did, I would probably pull in and for the green light, as opposed to blasting by and getting pulled over or getting a photo citation (which is now used in Oregon).

[W4RLR]

Interstate 10 weigh stations in North Florida frequently have portable signs displaying the message:
"ALL TRUCKS, ALL TRAILERS, ALL RENTAL TRUCKS, ALL RENTAL TRAILERS, ALL PICKUPS MUST ENTER WEIGH STATION". Not so much for weight as for other issues such as immigration and untaxed fuel use if you have a diesel engine.
If you are transporting a rig for hire from the factory to the dealer, you must keep log books, have a commercial drivers license and medical certificate, and stop at all weigh stations.

[mobileray381]

Crazyness!!

[gijoecam]

Big Bruce wrote:


Only wording was make of trailer.

Exactly my point... It's a flimsy excuse to stop and look for bigger things... No different than a 'suspicious behavior' or 'the vehicle matched a description of a stolen one...' It's a fishing expedition.

But words on the side aren't evidence that you ARE operating it commercially.

[Big_Bruce]

gijoecam wrote:

pitch wrote:
If your enclosed motorcycle trailer had any advertising at all on it,it couldbe considered a commercial vehicle!

FIFY 🙂

It would be justified for the cops to chase you down if they thought it was a commercial trailer, but it would be on them to prove that you were operating it for commercial purposes. I'd be surprised if a judge in most states would side with them in the absence of some other evidence...

Only wording was make of trailer.

[Big_Bruce]

mobileray381 wrote:
Holy crap!!! Were you running I-95 Southbound?

They chased you down...wow!

Big Bruce wrote:
We were entering Fl. from Ga. with our Ram 3500 pulling our 14' enclosed motorcycle trailer and did not stop at the weigh station. They ran us down and after inspecting the trailer gave us a written warning.

He was more concerned with what we might have been hauling than what we weighed.

[gijoecam]

pitch wrote:
If your enclosed motorcycle trailer had any advertising at all on it,it couldbe considered a commercial vehicle!

FIFY 🙂

It would be justified for the cops to chase you down if they thought it was a commercial trailer, but it would be on them to prove that you were operating it for commercial purposes. I'd be surprised if a judge in most states would side with them in the absence of some other evidence...

[pitch]

If your enclosed motorcycle trailer had any advertising at all on it,it would be considered a commercial vehicle!

[stickdog]

Coast to coast border to border never stopped at a weight station except in Oregon to self weigh.

[DownTheAvenue]

Big Bruce wrote:
We were entering Fl. from Ga. with our Ram 3500 pulling our 14' enclosed motorcycle trailer and did not stop at the weigh station. They ran us down and after inspecting the trailer gave us a written warning.

That is because there are before you get to the inspection station two signs, about 10 feet wide and 20 feet tall each, stating that all rental trucks and trailers, all vehicles towing a trailer, and all vehicles transporting horticulture, aquaculture, and agriculture must stop at the inspection station which is just past the weigh station but on the same turn off.