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Would you stop at interstate weigh station if you had this truck ?

Milacron

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Staff member
Joined
Dec 15, 2000
Location
SC, USA
1. Van body (typically Chevy or Ford) 14' box truck

2. Isuzu NPR 14' box truck

Both 14 GVWR for discussion sake.

Just wondering how much the "optics" might matter in the case of avoiding truck weigh stations.... where the van body truck "seems" less "commercial" than the cab over style. I know literally/legally both should stop at the WS* but would the van body style tend to "get away with" passing on by....


*literally/legally an F350 pickup truck with GVWR of 10,500 lbs should stop at WS.... but practically none of them actually do.
 
1. Van body (typically Chevy or Ford) 14' box truck

2. Isuzu NPR 14' box truck

Both 14 GVRW for discussion sake.

Just wondering how much the "optics" might matter in the case of avoiding truck weigh stations.... where the van body truck "seems" less "commercial" than the cab over style. I know literally/legally both should stop at the WS* but would the van body style tend to "get away with" passing on by....


*literally/legally an F350 pickup truck with GVRW of 10,500 lbs should stop at WS.... but practically none of them actually do.

Rentals here. MANY over about 45 years. Ony a few that "really have to" and always WELL under. You remember that "French Gal" loadout into 26-foot Penske box? Mostly air.

But I just stop. Always. Sometimes even get an annoyed look.
Always get waved through.

It's just easier that way than the alternative.
 
I think it depends a lot on the mood of the enforcement officers at the moment. Anecdata: I was told by the rental agent that the smaller box truck I had gotten to move a lathe didn't have to stop at the area weight station. Turns out (after being stopped), that no, they wanted me to run through that day.

Fortunately that cop was reasonable and let me go after showing him the properly secured and within weight limit machine. Other days I've been waved through, or just zoomed by without consequence.
 
When we were deciding how to move our shop, I called the Hyw Patrol for California, Nevada, and Idaho and they all told me that they didn't want pickups in the scale period no matter the load, or how long the trailer, all 3 told me that if the load looked to be tied on well and to be my stuff that the chances of getting stopped was slim to none. However, if you put some bed other than a pickup bed on it you need special license, numbers on the side and to stop at the scales. Other states may differ.
 
"Most states" have exemptions for pick ups AND rental trucks. Scales generally want anything that has a second stage body 1/2 ton and up to weigh. So a service body 3/4 ton truck stops, an F450 with a bed gets a pass. Many states also just want trucks in commerce, there are some scales that say commercial vehicles only. Very few chase small trucks.

This is such a gray area for little trucks, personally I would avoid them and take my chances. They don't chase me when I drive my RV semi with no signage or numbers.

Steve
 
When we were deciding how to move our shop, I called the Hyw Patrol for California, Nevada, and Idaho and they all told me that they didn't want pickups in the scale period no matter the load, or how long the trailer, all 3 told me that if the load looked to be tied on well and to be my stuff that the chances of getting stopped was slim to none. However, if you put some bed other than a pickup bed on it you need special license, numbers on the side and to stop at the scales. Other states may differ.

Virginia is notoriously disliked by commercial 18-wheeler operators. "Overdrive" sez some others are stricter, though.

Put a four-horse box back of a mud-splattered pickup ... or an enclosed "Fredo's lawn Care" box trailer back of a krew cab with a coupla wheelbarrows on the lid, shovels and rakes racked?

Prolly slide right by with whatever don't throw sparks or sink d'rectly into the roadbed.

Gots to tarp a heavy machine, open flatbed trailer?

Hear-tell it don't hurt to strap a coupla 'loominum lawn chairs and a plastic kiddie wading pool onto the outside of it.

Haven't a klew why..

:popcorn:
 
I have an f350 crewcab /flatbed with 25499#gvcw tags and tow a 20'flatbed or camper. I usually stop at the scales, if it says commercial trucks must stop, I pass by. If it says all trucks I stop. I was told by a Va state trooper that my looks like a truck, set up to haul, my gvcw weight is a truck weight. I have a set of magnetic "NOT FOR HIRE" signs I put on when I go on a trip. I haven't been stopped yet. I went in the scales in Tn with the camper and my wife said I don't think we really need to stop. A little 6wheeler box truck passed the scales and a trooper that was sitting in the crossover, was soon sitting with him on the side of the road when I went by. I would rather take the time to pull in than sit on the side of the road trying explain why I didn't stop.
Ben
 
I was commenting on scales and ports of entry on the big roads with trucks queued up for a mile. I have pulled through a few scale houses in the middle O nowhere just for grins. I don't have a problem doing a drive through at the coop, when they truly drive through. When they are busy the lil trucks are more a nuisance so I've been told.

Steve
 
I have a 16k gvw f450 and a 10k gvw e350 with 14 ft box. Ive never stopped at a weigh station on either vehicles.

Yah, well.. "it's 2021". For nearly two years, Law Enforcement all over the place have seen a once indifferent if not supportive and cooperative society turned on its head.

Nut-jobs, probably no more "political" themselves than the average poison-ivy plant but emboldened by political moves to dismantle the police have been ambushing or raging-on police with increasingly deadly effect.

It has become a VERY bad time of the century to risk putting already wary folks under ANY further stress or suspicion of threat of defiance.
 
I have an f350 crewcab /flatbed with 25499#gvcw tags and tow a 20'flatbed or camper. I usually stop at the scales, if it says commercial trucks must stop, I pass by. If it says all trucks I stop. I was told by a Va state trooper that my looks like a truck, set up to haul, my gvcw weight is a truck weight. I have a set of magnetic "NOT FOR HIRE" signs I put on when I go on a trip. I haven't been stopped yet. I went in the scales in Tn with the camper and my wife said I don't think we really need to stop. A little 6wheeler box truck passed the scales and a trooper that was sitting in the crossover, was soon sitting with him on the side of the road when I went by. I would rather take the time to pull in than sit on the side of the road trying explain why I didn't stop.
Ben

Yup, or get shot at these days.....
 
1. Van body (typically Chevy or Ford) 14' box truck

2. Isuzu NPR 14' box truck

Both 14 GVWR for discussion sake.

Just wondering how much the "optics" might matter in the case of avoiding truck weigh stations.... where the van body truck "seems" less "commercial" than the cab over style. I know literally/legally both should stop at the WS* but would the van body style tend to "get away with" passing on by....


*literally/legally an F350 pickup truck with GVWR of 10,500 lbs should stop at WS.... but practically none of them actually do.

I recently drove a 17 or 18 ft U-Haul (one size up from the 14') from WV to SC and back to OH and did not stop at any weigh stations and was not chased down. It may be different when it's a U-Haul?
 
Yah, well.. "it's 2021". For nearly two years, Law Enforcement all over the place have seen a once indifferent if not supportive and cooperative society turned on its head.

Nut-jobs, probably no more "political" themselves than the average poison-ivy plant but emboldened by political moves to dismantle the police have been ambushing or raging-on police with increasingly deadly effect.

It has become a VERY bad time of the century to risk putting already wary folks under ANY further stress or suspicion of threat of defiance.

Yep..The way I put it to my kids. Never make a cop have to decipher your motives. If they have to decide whether they are going home at the end of the shift or you are.....you probably arent gonna be happy.
 








 
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