cargo weight question

Certain shippers have a reputation for overloading, or loading too heavy in the rear for California bound loads. (you will learn about weight regulations for each state later)

At a CAT scale it is currently $10 for the first weigh and $2 for each reweigh.

Never trust the weight on the bill of lading. Some places are accurate, some are not, and either can make a mistake at any time.

It gets easier.

Mikeeee

 

You buy a car in Georgia. You decide to take a road trip to Florida in July. Your left steer is only at 10psi. You go ripping down the road at the speed limit and your steer blows and you flip your car. Who is responsible, the tyre manufacturer, the automaker, the dealership, or you?

Or even better, you buy a half ton truck. You put a hitch on it and pull an 11000 travel trailer with electric brakes on it. You go through the mountains and on a steep downgrade, you cook your brakes and wipe out. Whose responsible?

Was out in Pueblo. Planned to bounce back to Texas for a July holiday. Dispatcher wanted me to pull a load to Dallas. Cheap. She begged and begged. Okay, I'll do it. Go to this place to load, they take my empty weight ( it's a bad sign when they take your empty weight...you know it's going to be heavy). They put what looked like 11 big slinky coils on my wagon. I weigh again. Lady in the office runs out and starts shouting, "You need to call your dispatcher! You need to call your dispatcher!" I start laughing, "Why do I need to call my dispatcher?" She says, "Because your 500 lbs over gross!" Right as I am about to respond, my dispatcher starts blowing up the phone and starts asking stupid question, "What is your empty weight? How much can you scale? How much fuel do you have on you?"

"Sweetheart, this load doesn't pay enough money worry about what I can scale and how much fuel I have on it..."

And the lady outside is yelling at me, " WE ARE NOT GOING TO CUT THE ORDER! WE ARE NOT GOING TO CUT THE ORDER!"

I say really quietly to my dispatcher, "Hold on dear, I have someone yelling something at me" Dispatcher is yelling into the phone as I put the phone down for a moment, "Wait, don't do it. Waitaminute!"

I ended two conversations with two women with 6 words.

Six: Dispatch, you still there?

Dispatcher: I can't believe you.

We are responsible for everything. Don't think that just because you're a company driver that you have to just sit back and go with the flow. If you are responsible for it, YOU MAKE THE CALL. not some shipper, not dispatch. Will you get fired? No. Bullying only works if you allow it.

 

Funny, but your numbers add up to 80,500.

It's 12,000 on the steers unless your truck and tires are rated higher.

 

I'm kinda curious about which particular six words those were.

 

your company will more than likely reimburse you for scale tickets, so weigh as many times as you need to get it legal. And yes, it does get easier with experience. I know it seems overwhelming now, but after a couple of months, you'll barely even have to think about it anymore.

 

You are.. and you can't scale out a load ever gross (80,000). Moving the tandem back puts more weight on the tractor drives and steers. Forward puts more weight on. The trailer t andems. 5th wheel slide does the same but only between steers and drives generally

 

Generally, most shippers know what they can put on the various trucks. Also, most of the dock loading folks ( that I've met ) have a good idea of how to load the product. However...the final call is ALWAYS the drivers. Depending on how your truck & trailer is set up, you can usually get the axles legal. My particular tractor doesn't have a sliding 5th wheel, so I'm limited to the trailer axles sliding only...and it's been fine except for one load that no matter what, was 180-200# over on the drivers, or tandems. Luck of the draw.

Trailer axles go back; more weight on the drivers...& vice-versa. IMHO,it's always a good idea where practical, to load w/full fuel, that way you'll know the "worst case" scenario. You can always burn off fuel, & I've had to do that like in the above situation. I never trust the shippers scales either. If you have air bag suspension, & a dash load gauge, you can pretty much tell about the driver axle weight. Someone suggested a piece of tape at the pressure you know is at gross legal. 60psi works on my truck. That tells you nothing about the trailer. One of our big accounts is 200-300 light. Another one is closer...but if you just go to CAT & weigh...no heart burn @ the scales. Cheap $10 insurance policy. Remember also, if you have an APU..you generally are allowed an extra 400# ON THE TRUCK AXLE WEIGHTS ONLY. Not gross, or trailer. And..I think you've got to have proof/certification documents to show the scale meisters.

We have enough to worry about w/o weights.

For reference, spend $6-$8 @ the truck stop and buy the book w/weights, lengths, and other info for difference states. Just because I can scale 36.5K in Colorado ( something like that ) the second I'm in NM or other states, I'm most likely back to 34K per tandem set.

Unless you're hauling some weird oversize cargo, you'll be fine. If you have time at a place that has scales...play around moving things and you'll see. This is me only; when I slide the tandems, I lock in the power divider so both axles drive, ( and you effectively shorten the driveline torque factor ). Use lowest gear @ idle...no throttle. If it won't move @ idle, you've got a problem somewhere. I've read differing opinions...but with a quick shot of WD-40 on the trailer tandem rails & pins...I can ###### near save the world.

Finally, ( not from me other drivers suggest ) in snow etc, make sure you have lots of weight on the drivers. heavy rear trailer axle weight doesn't even sound fun.

Good luck