Weigh Station Protocol

[GrouchyOldMan]

Not sure where to post this,

We purchased a nice Class C last August and are still figgering things out. One big item on my list is getting tire pressure correct. I've read the info on the cab door panel and my best guess from that was 80 PSI cold. The guessing part is not knowing the fully loaded weight of the RV.

Hence, Weigh Station Protocol questions:

- Can any vehicle use the scales?

- They often seem to be closed, does that mean you can't weigh or just that they won't record/report on commercial traffic?

- If they are open, do you just drive up and get in line?

- Does it cost to weigh?

And, finally, do the truckers get pissed at sharing the line with a silly little RV?

Perhaps I'm not the only Newbie who is wondering about this so, thanks in advance,

-Grouchy

[free_radical]

To add my two bits on truck weighting experience,,this is in Ontario Canada,,
Moved here from Alberta and to register the vehicle,get new plates had to take my truck to scales at truck stop,,aparently the sticker on the door means f all to the DMV people,,
No biggie,cost me about 10$ I think..
Never knew that any trafic law enforcement might be concerned about weight of simple half ton pickup truck,,even with Camper on the back,,never been stoped anywhere yet..

[steveksfc]

Another scale that may be available if they don't have a line of trucks waiting would be the local quarry. I asked the last time I got gravel for drive about weighing the truck and trailer and they said they would do it. Anyway, I got all the weights I needed and they did it for free. Had used a grain elevator before for $10.00 on a different 5th wheel.

[tatest]

What you can do at a closed weigh station varies quite a bit state by state. In many of the places I travel, Texas and Oklahoma into the Midwest and northern Great Plains, when weigh stations are closed barriers come down. Sometimes only the scales are blocked, parking areas still open. In other cases, the entrance to the whole facility is blocked.

When open, if you are not in a vehicle class required to weigh, you will likely annoy someone by driving through, but unlikely to score a traffic violation. The stations are not always useful for getting RV axle weights, particularly where the operation is roll-through, sometimes as fast as 10 mph.

[Matt_Colie]

GOM, Here are some answers in a possibly easier to understand form:

GrouchyOldMan wrote: Not sure where to post this,
=>This will work.

We purchased a nice Class C last August and are still figgering things out. One big item on my list is getting tire pressure correct. I've read the info on the cab door panel and my best guess from that was 80 PSI cold. The guessing part is not knowing the fully loaded weight of the RV.
Congratulations

Hence, Weigh Station Protocol questions:

- Can any vehicle use the scales?
=>Yes, but if you do you will annoy both truckers and weighmasters if it is at all busy.

- They often seem to be closed, does that mean you can't weigh or just that they won't record/report on commercial traffic?
=> Said in a prior post, there may be no weighmaster there, but they often leave the scale live and you can drive through. We have been known to pull into a closed weigh station because the dog says she needs a "grass stop".

- If they are open, do you just drive up and get in line?
=> With the above provisions - Yes.

- Does it cost to weigh?
At a highway/state scale no, but a CAT Scale will cost 10~12$.

And, finally, do the truckers get pissed at sharing the line with a silly little RV?
=> OH MY - YES

Perhaps I'm not the only Newbie who is wondering about this so, thanks in advance,

-Grouchy

Grouch,
A CAT scale is a NIST-traceable certified scale, but there many other choices. They are all maintained by the CAT company at some cost to the truck stop. A fast and easy one is either scarp yard or grain/feed places. At the right times of the year, you could tie up their scale all day and they would not care at all. Some are even wide enough that you can come on sideways and get individual wheel weights. Then as others have said, get out the inflation table for that tire size. As far as I have seen, the required pressure it pretty much independent of manufacturer.

Matt

[valhalla360]

Wadcutter wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
If you go thru the state scales and are overweight, you get a ticket...typically a very expensive ticket and they may detain you until you can get another truck in to offload the excess weight.

Legal axle weights are generally 20,000 on a single axle, 34,000 on a tandem axle, and 80,000 lbs on 5 axles. Do you really think you exceed any of those weights? Seriously? All those 'big numbers' confuse people..........You're not going to jail.

Go back and read the question.

The OP asked why trucks use CAT scales. Yes, trucks do exceed those very large numbers and they do get very big tickets if caught.

[wa8yxm]

Some weight stations leave the scales on even when the station is closed. if this is the case No charge..

HOWEVER at best you can only do axle weights by driving SLOWLY over the scale and noting the first weight (When front axle mounts the scale (Total (Gboth axles) and last Rear only.

YOu really neeed to know the "Wheel weights" and on most Weith stations you can not do that

To do that you neeed a rlat5 scale. or segmented is nice. park so the full axle is on one setment (Each axle a difrerent setment.

Get total axle and vehicle weights

Re-park so only one side is on the scale (Get weight on that side)

Do the math for the other side.

YES. usually that type or scale costs.

Optional www.rvsafety.com (I think its comn) has a link to a serfice that ror a reasonable ree will call you and interfiew (What tires do you hafe. have that info handy) and come out and do all the work safe for driving the RV for you.

[Wadcutter]

valhalla360 wrote:
If you go thru the state scales and are overweight, you get a ticket...typically a very expensive ticket and they may detain you until you can get another truck in to offload the excess weight.

Legal axle weights are generally 20,000 on a single axle, 34,000 on a tandem axle, and 80,000 lbs on 5 axles. Do you really think you exceed any of those weights? Seriously? All those 'big numbers' confuse people. Let's put this in perspective since people apparently have a real difficultly comprehending weights.
Look at that truck tractor semi trailer running down the road. Empty weight on that rig is going to be about 23,000 lbs.
Now look at that ton pickup with a 40 ft 5er for example. The pickup will weigh about 8000 lbs. The 5er loaded may weigh 14,000 lbs. Total weight, loaded, 22,000 lbs.
So you're loaded 5th weighs less than that empty semi truck you see on the road. That empty semi will weigh more on 1 axle than your entire ton pickup.
You think you're overloaded with E rated tires on your pickup and maybe G rated tires on your 5er? You're not even close. Your tires would never support the weight to be overweight.
Overweight? Let's be realistic folks. You're not even close.
I weighed trucks for a lot of years. I taught weight laws for a lot of years. The courts recognized my training and experience as an expert in weight laws.
You're not going to be overweight so quit worrying about it. You're not going to have to unload your wife's rock collection. No one is going to get a ticket. You're not going to jail.

[valhalla360]

GrouchyOldMan wrote:
Someone please explain the whole CAT scale thing? Why do the truck stops have them?

If you go thru the state scales and are overweight, you get a ticket...typically a very expensive ticket and they may detain you until you can get another truck in to offload the excess weight.

If you go to the CAT scale and are overweight, you can drive back to the warehouse and offload the excess weight.

[Mr_Mark1]

DSteiner51, yes, I was a little over weight about 500 lbs. weighing 56K.

MM.

[DSteiner51]

Mr.Mark wrote:
Mr. G. O. M.,

Our max. axle weights are:
Front: 19,000 lbs.
Drive: 22,500 lbs.
Tag: 14,000 lbs.
Total--55,500 lbs.

I was a little over when I had a full tank of fuel (230 gallons) and full fresh water (189 gallons), so I adjusted on how much water I carry. I quickly become under weight once I burn some fuel.

A “little” overweight?

[The_ugly_duckli]

If you want to get weighed, just go to your local county dump. They have weight scales, are not busy week days and it will only cost you a few bucks.

[troubledwaters]

ThomBoles wrote:
We took a driving course. They said DO NOT GO THROUGH STATE WEIGH STATIONS. I'm just going from what we were told but if you are overweight through a station they can treat you just like one of the trucks and park you until you are legal. Not an experience that I want to have.

You'd have to have more than 20,000 lbs on one axle to be overweight. That would have to be one hell of an RV.

[Ivylog]

Trucks use the Cat scales as $10 is cheaper than finding out you are overweight on the road.

[ThomBoles]

We took a driving course. They said DO NOT GO THROUGH STATE WEIGH STATIONS. I'm just going from what we were told but if you are overweight through a station they can treat you just like one of the trucks and park you until you are legal. Not an experience that I want to have.