Do “Right Weigh” Scales Really Work?

You can get the same info a lot cheaper with regular old air pressure gauges plumbed into the suspension air lines. Either way, you've got to calibrate it. "Right Weigh" requires scaling the load and adjusting the gauge to read accurately. It's just an air gauge with the dial reading pounds on the axle group. With plain old generic air pressure gauges, you scale the load and note the psi at the weight. Once you figure out where the needle needs to be for a "legal" load, you're good to go.

 

...and as for the steers, set your 5th wheel where it needs to be to put 12K on the steers when the drives are at 34K and forget about it. If you aren't over on your drives, you won't be over on your steers. Unless you need the 5th wheel farther back for clearance issues, there really isn't any reason to constantly mess with its position.

 

I built my truck and trailer with the digital scale on both. It was very helpful at first as I learned my rig and the loads it can haul and how loading it differently effects the weight distribution. The 389 Pete tractor gauge package came with dual suspension wt gauges and these are always right on the money as well. If I had it to do over I would just use the suspension wt gauges that came with the tractor as it usually is close enough for my needs. The digital gauge needs to be on perfectly flat ground to be accurate. I pull on the cat scale platform if I want an exact reading. You also need to calibrate it occasionally using a scale ticket and I pull back on the scale to be on perfectly flat ground when calibrating. They make a sensor for spring axles but I am not sure of the cost.

 

I had the digital Right Weigh system installed on my new truck. Love it so far. I calibrated it with a load and empty, and now there is no guessing. I had the external Right Weigh system at a previous job, and they were great as well.

 

I have a pressure gauge on my truck. Around 60 lbs, I'm close, but under 34. Because I have a spread and haul coils, I've got a lot of room to play with.

 

I usually run 32,000lbs on my drives and mine sits dead on 50. I run a 14,600 steer axle and usually carry extra weight there and occasionally some on the trailer. I think either the pressure gauge or the digital scales would be helpful for anyone.

 

They work well. Now I understand why some guys don't see the need. But for the guys hauling multiple coils it gets a bit different than knowing where to place a single coil. Plus they almost never weight the same. 6 inches can make a big difference. You know like one in front, one in rear. Or three, front, middle, and rear. Plus they don't really care once you leave a steel mill. Not gonna be the favorite if you come back and have them move it 6 inches. Plus you don't have to pay for a CAT scales. Yes a air psi load gauge will do a decent job too.

 

Yes, all you need is a $10 pressure gauge. On the truck I normally drive, 60 psi on the drives is right at 34K, 70 psi on the trailer is right at 34k. You keep the drives 60 or below and the trailer 70 or below, and you'll never get a weight ticket.