OT: Rental Trucks and Weigh Stations

Question Boy · Aug 9, 2006

I'm planning to rent a 24' or 26' U-haul type truck when I move across country, and I'm wondering if I have to stop at weigh stations. I'm also wondering what happens if I'm overweight... Is it a fine, or will I have to rectify the situation before proceeding?

The truck has a capacity of only 8000 lbs, and I figure my shop (small equipment and tooling) weighs 2500 lbs to 3500 lbs, which doesn't leave much capacity for my household stuff.

Anybody know what the laws are, and better yet if the laws are strictly enforced on Moving trucks?

matt_isserstedt · Aug 9, 2006

No, all chain-rental moving trucks all squeak under the 26k GVW. Just fly right by. The semis get their revenge later as they have hundreds of horsepower more than your rental and don't have the dreaded governor like you will.

Good luck with the move, I thought a 24' van had about 12k of "payload"...but this was from studying a Ryder.

I had the slowest move from Mich to AZ in a Cat diesel GMC rental Ryder 24', at one point going 12mph up a hill on I-17 headed from Flagstaff to Phoenix metro with my kneecap nearly popping off I was smashing the gas pedal so hard. Semis were passing me on the same hills going 70+ uphill around twisting blind corners and I thought my goose might be cooked.

Next move to GA used 2- Ford V8 gasoline 24footers. These were much more pleasant, except for the construction zone sporting 10 foot wide lanes walled in on both sides by concrete in Texas.

Gary E · Aug 9, 2006

Why dont you ask those who KNOW? UHaul

steelhead · Aug 9, 2006

The 26k is for a cdl. If the truck has a dot # on it you are supposed to stop regardless of the gvw. I have a truck that is 14500 gvw and I am required to stop

Greg Menke · Aug 9, 2006

The word I got from Penske was that if the weigh station was open I should stop. They might let you run past without stopping or might not... I guess it depends on how the local fuzz is feeling that day.

Greg

Question Boy · Aug 9, 2006

Why dont you ask those who KNOW? UHaul

I have asked, trouble is I'm getting dubious responses. I'm looking for 'real world' experiences here. Matt Isserstedt's reply is the kind of info I am hoping to hear repeated.

Budget says: We advise our customers to stop at highway weigh stations. The majority of the time, customers are waved through since they are moving their personal belongings. However, there are some locations that will make the customer stop and weigh the truck.

U-haul says: Requirements may vary from state to state and throughout Canada. Each weigh station has a sign that says what you are required to do; just obey the signs. Normally U-Haul customers moving their own household goods are not required to stop, because this is not a commercial move. However, if a truck is over a certain weight it may be required to stop regardless of what is being carried.

Penske says: Remember to pay attention to road signs pertaining to trucks. This means stopping at weigh stations...

chadillac · Aug 9, 2006

Why dont you ask those who KNOW? UHaul

Did you see the response from Matt (i.e. Mr UHaul, until his recent trailer purchase)??

Chad

richardny · Aug 9, 2006

why not stop at the first weight station and ask

if you don't understand what they say on the speaker, drive to their parking place and go into the building to talk to them in person

this is not the time to brave or stupid

matt_isserstedt · Aug 9, 2006

We can address this another way....has *anybody* *ever* seen a Uhaul/Ryder/Penske rental van pulled over by the Motor Carrier/DOT police before???

Cyclotronguy · Aug 9, 2006

ALL RENTAL TRUCKS and all flat beds must go through the scales in the western states. Here in CA the CHP, has no sense of humor about these things.

I missed a scale on I-80 Westbound, just on the CA side of the CA/NV border with my personal Chevy K3500 flatbed.... they sent 3 units, 4 officers to correct my disreguard for decorum.

Truck was empty and looked clean enough for a night on the town. Trust me they saw it as a very big deal. We spent several hours trying to find something wrong with that truck and it's operator.

Cyclotronguy

Mud · Aug 9, 2006

Theoretically and technically, most states require any truck over 10,000 lbs GVW to cross the scale, and have signs posted stating so. As Matt said, usually rental trucks don't stop. If you don't, you run the risk of being chased down by an officer, who will then throw the book at you for whatever he can find. My own strategy would be to be legal weight, then blow past the scales. (on edit after reading Cyclotronguy's post -)at least here in the east.

If you are found overweight on one axle, you are given a short period of time (a few hours) to redistribute your weight and reweigh. ( this probably won't happen with a rental truck under 26K). If you are over gross, it's the officer's discretion whether he fines you and lets you go, or fines you and forces you to park it until you can unload. I don't know which is more common in what circumstance - never had it happen to me. The fine is usually twice the difference between the cost of the registration on the truck and the cost of the proper registration.

From what I've heard about rental trucks being underpowered, if you overload it, you're gonna hate the trip big time.

richardny · Aug 9, 2006

find a truck stop and weigh your truck there for a fee

i once hauled a truckload of paper rools from the Texarcana paper mill (tractor-trailer) and went to the local truck stop for check, and they had the truck loaded so that the weight distributin on the axels was not as the DOT would like it

so I went back to the paper mill and had them shift the rolls

now these were expereinced people doing this every day, and they still misjudged what they were doing, and had offered to me that I should come back if the load was not properly distributed

you have to make a choice: either do it their way, or don't do it at all

this is not to be taken lightly

they can still get you for something unexpected, so don't push your luck

no point in starting to discuss what the fines are or may be, those that get caught don't like it

slim pickens · Aug 9, 2006

Well this is a case where the best defense is a good offense. Rent the biggest most underpowered uhaul you can get your hands on. Get the package deal with the biggest enclosed trailer they have, a car dolly for your car, and a flat tow bar setup for the little lady's car. Load all those suckers to the gills. Hitch all that metal together into a 120 foot rolling roadblock and make like the "snowbirds" around here with their RVs... a big, shaky, swerving, 30 MPH blockade inching down the interstate. You may catch a few slugs fired in anger from fellow motorists, but the state troopers sure wont bother you. Weigh stations are then the least of your worries.
Seriously, put the pedal down past every one of the weigh stations, in ohio at least.

LD · Aug 9, 2006

If you pull into a weigh station with your rental truck, they might look at your rental papers and be courteous. But you're not paying the commercial road use and fuel taxes so they rarely care. If you want to feel like a big bad trucker, go ahead.

California is different. They stop everybody at the border. They're looking for produce...apparently there are already enough fruits and nuts there, and they don't need any more.

Canyonman · Aug 9, 2006

Hi,

Having hauled explosives {aerial display fireworks for the Magic castle} for 10 years; around the horn to "Rat World" {Disney World} which is about as HAZMAT as you can get. I can tell you when they see those placards, I'm a "pull over and bring in my paper work." INSTANTLY!

The regulations, as I have dealt with them are, if you are NOT hauling a commercial Load, regardless if you rent the CDL/Air brakes truck from Penske or not, there is no requirement for you to stop. You will not have a bill of Lading so the ONLY thing they could gripe about is axle loading.

You must however obey the "All Trucks must weigh" at the state borders, usually.

It also benefits you to correctly axle load your truck, for driveability and safety. Check the trucks placard or inside the drivers door sticker for proper weight distribution.

I fully agree with the suggestion to weigh the truck; empty, full, front axle and rear axle. Check that it meets the weight distribution; and have that with you.

Watch the "stoplight" in your weigh lane, if you just sit there holding things up, they will bring you in for "stupidity" if nothing else. If you do come in at the borders and the light stays green, roll SLOWLY thru the scales, they may or may not throw the red on you, if not be on your way.

Drive Safe, Ken

solomon63 · Aug 9, 2006

A pickup that weighs 3200 pounds in Calif. is registerd comercial or they use to be. Best one I had was a fellow from Texas on I405 in Calif. I was sitting on a ramp I heard something that sounded like an old WWII airplane crash. I was looking for an airplane when a 3/4 ton pickup with a cabover camper went by doing 110 mph. he said he though he could drive as fast as he could.
I always stop at the first scales I come to in any state that way I know if I have to stop. The rule change all the time.

BREWSKI · Aug 9, 2006

I moved to RENO from SW ohio and used RYDER,PENSKE and U-haul,go with PENSKE;best rates!. As far as weigh stations,like Larry said they are strictly for commercial trucks. I made 5 trips across country and never thought about stopping at a weigh statio;no problems. BREWSKI

BREWSKI · Aug 9, 2006

I moved to RENO from SW ohio and used RYDER,PENSKE and U-haul,go with PENSKE;best rates!. As far as weigh stations,like Larry said they are strictly for commercial trucks. I made 5 trips across country and never thought about stopping at a weigh statio;no problems. BREWSKI

John Garner · Aug 9, 2006

Cyclotronguy hits the California nail on the head. Pickup trucks don't need to stop, but every other type of truck either stops or is chased down even if obviously empty.

Dave Haven · Aug 9, 2006

We can address this another way....has *anybody* *ever* seen a Uhaul/Ryder/Penske rental van pulled over by the Motor Carrier/DOT police before???

Not quite. I did see a UHaul rental van pulled over by CHP once. The guy had passed me about 20 miles earlier at about 75 MPH. Truck speed limit on CA interstates is 55.

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