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Iron hauling - Avoiding weigh station- does the alternate route trick work ?

Milacron

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Staff member
Joined
Dec 15, 2000
Location
SC, USA
Need to pick up some machines in Gainesville, GA. There is only one weigh station on the trip (well, two really, on both sides of the super slab)....about 20 miles west of Augusta on I20. If I were to take the smaller road just south and parallel to I20, I wonder what the chances are I'd be stopped on that road ? (In a small cab over box truck)

I've heard tales of patrol hanging out in roads near the weigh stations but didn't know if this was true. And might they stop you even if you obviously were not overloaded or speeding or anything else ? In this case I'd be way under my weight limits (both from liscense and truck capability standpoint) but I'll be damned if I'm going thru the hassel of getting a DOT number and keeping a log for one pidley trip. Come to think of it I guess the lack of DOT number would be a pretty good excuse for them to stop me huh ? :angry:
 
Sorry Milacron. I drive the rural highways often here in SD and the combiners regularly run way overloaded and the highways show it big time..
 
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@simpleminded, read the post more carefully. " In this case I'd be way under my weight limits (both from liscense and truck capability standpoint) "
 
I'm surprised you have gotten away with no DOT for so long. Usually any class 6 and higher truck is required to have on even if its not hauling for hire.
 
There are books available, at truck stops I guess, that show scale locations, hours of operation, alternate routes, and all kind of similar handy info. Probably not cheap tho.
 
Log and DOT number for starters, then...

A few other things they'll get you for

Medical exam certificate for driver
Fire extinguisher
Reflective triangles
Annual mechanical inspection of vehicle


If you're picking up "smalls" probably cheaper to rent a pickup under 10,000 GVWR.

t2r
 
Frankly I would rather you didn't tear up the hard working taxpayers highway with an overloaded truck, wtf is wrong with you?
Hmmm..."simpleminded" sure fits the bill.... if you had read more carefully you'd know I wouldn't be remotely overloaded...probably 3,100 lbs in the box. Heck, I could haul twice that much weight in the bed of my pickup truck...but the stuff wouldn't fit from a dimension standpoint. Arthur...I see you "like" his sentiment....you also have reading comprehension problems ?

I'd like to use the box truck as it would be ideal to load the stuff (liftgate) plus has E track for securing the stuff....both of which rental trucks rarely have. (or if they have a liftgate it's one of those crappy types that are too small and fixed angle)
 
If it were me I'd pick the machine up and park the truck until the sun has gone down and the guys at the weigh station have gone home for the day. YMMV.
 
A few other things they'll get you for

Medical exam certificate for driver
Fire extinguisher
Reflective triangles
Annual mechanical inspection of vehicle


If you're picking up "smalls" probably cheaper to rent a pickup under 10,000 GVWR.
Re the other stuff...yeah I know, just didn't mention it. Not smalls...mill and small surface grinder but pristine stuff I'd rather not worry about getting rained on, plus I need the lift gate to load the stuff (i.e. why I'd rather not use a trailer)
 
If it were me I'd pick the machine up and park the truck until the sun has gone down and the guys at the weigh station have gone home for the day. YMMV.
That doesn't work in SC and GA....stations are open late at night. Only time they close is Sundays and holidays.
 
Go down to dmv and get a one day moving permit for the truck, then roll over the scales. Make sure "Not for Hire" is visible on the door, and the permit is in the window.
Yes, the DOT guys know the back roads, and if one of them sees you back there, you will most likely be pulled over. There would be no talking your way out of the ticket either.
 
You are lucky you are not in Massachusetts. They even have fines for things like faded labels on fuel tanks. Special State Police unit in unmarked SUVs. See them doing revenue enhancement on trucks all the time. Someone I know in construction had two of his trucks "done" the same day. Thousands in fines for mostly chicken shit stuff.

Of course this is the state where I once watched a televised budget debate at the State House and the Representative responded to a question about where the funding for a bill item would come from.

"Next years traffic fines".
 
If I were in your shoes...I think I would run 11, 129, 78 over to Thomson, then 278 to wherever I wanted to get to. You will run into PSC/DOT somewhere. No matter what you do, there are some things you can't avoid, such as rolling scales (portables). Do yourself a favor and carry a log book, just in case, make sure if stopped that you are hauling it for personal use, that you aren't trying to avoid any scales (there is a big fine for that) and that the reason your on the back roads is something as simple as... you hate running fast (won't work if you get pulled over for speeding), or you have a relative that lives on your current route (better have one in case they check), or going by a machinery buddy's house to show your latest purchase (easy for you since you know where all of us are at, lol). ! At each leg of your journey, consider having a destination in mind somewhere up the road (the road you are actually on) that gives you a GOOD reason for being on the back road, as opposed to taking the Interstates with the scale house. (world renowned resturaunt, or any tourist trap will work. Most of the PSC/DOT Officers have heard any "story" you can imagine, so don't over-do it, they can figure out a B...S..... story a long way off!
I guess you know if you get stopped, have your drivers license, vehicle registration and insurance card out when he reaches the door, but don't be fumbling for it while he is walking up to the vehicle. (I keep my wallet on the dash in easy reach). I guess what I am saying is... before you make the trip, get all the documents together that are typically asked for during a roadside stop, and have them within easy reach of the driver. Worse thing is to have to hunt or search for anything while they are standing at your window. Plus it makes it appear that you are on top of your game. COURTEOUS and no BS answers go further than you can ever imagine. If he is looking to fill his quota, your in trouble anyway, but if he just stopped you to ask about why your on that road, or what your hauling (their job is boring, they do this!) Last time I was stopped in my F350 I was hauling 4 Allis Chalmers tractors, and all the Officer wanted to know, was if I restored them as a living (could have gotten me into trouble, since that would be hauling commercially). I told him I didn't, just collected them. Turned out, he had a Farmall Cub that belonged to his Dad and he was considering having it restored. He was looking for contacts to check with for pricing. Have you ever considered hauling a piece of farm equipment on trips that you have space available? Yesterdaystractors dot com has a "hauling" tab that is a good resource for hauls, but make sure your not doing it for $ as far as the DOT is concerned, not even fuel money. Farm equipment seems to get you a free pass on a lot of things, because there are too many loopholes for needing transport of them, and most Officers tend to shy away because it is just too much work to do the research to make sure your not legally hauling it. Just a thought....
Another rule, harped on us by our employers, NEVER argue with an officer on the side of the road..You can't win, and putting him on the defensive tends to never end up good for you. I have been stopped, been given "bad tickets" and now realize that if I argued, it would have been that much worse.
Good luck on your trip, and Merry Christmas!
David from jax
 
and that the reason your on the back roads is something as simple as... you hate running fast (won't work if you get pulled over for speeding),
I actually have an excellent reason for avoiding the interstate....the truck won't go over 65 mph, and even that is on the flat or downhill with no extra headwind.... and it is a bit annoying driving for hours with the pedal on the floor and still getting constantly passed.
 
You are lucky you are not in Massachusetts. They even have fines for things like faded labels on fuel tanks. Special State Police unit in unmarked SUVs. See them doing revenue enhancement on trucks all the time. Someone I know in construction had two of his trucks "done" the same day. Thousands in fines for mostly chicken shit stuff.

Of course this is the state where I once watched a televised budget debate at the State House and the Representative responded to a question about where the funding for a bill item would come from.

"Next years traffic fines".

Yeah, a small town/MAJOR speed trap just south of here had a $1,000,000.00 (*one million dollars!!) budget for their police department. Funded by the required 12 tickets per 12 hour shift of the officers. After more years than I can remember, the officers balked, saying mandatory tickets weren't fair to them to have to fill, then the news got involved, the chief of police resigned, then the whole police force was disbanded due to not being able to fund it. Now that little town has to rely on county sheriffs to patrol their streets. Went through there yesterday, didn't see a single police car! Now that was DIFFERENT!
David from jax
 
I actually have an excellent reason for avoiding the interstate....the truck won't go over 65 mph, and even that is on the flat or downhill with no extra headwind.... and it is a bit annoying driving for hours with the pedal on the floor and still getting constantly passed.
All of our trucks are set at 64.6 miles per hour, so I feel your pain! However with the company's choice of EOBR it also warns us with an aucible "speed warning" anytime we are going 3 mph over the posted speed limit, no matter what speed zone we are in. I wear out a cruise control to save my knees from the constant pressure of holding the pedal on the floor. Used to think a brick on the pedal would be better!!!
EOBR requirements coming up in the near future should pretty much do away with the small guy in the trucking business, is my thoughts!
Make sure you use plenty of tie-downs and that they appear neat and orderly, as that also gives the appearance that you know what your doing!
David from jax
 








 
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