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Shut down at Truckee CA
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Truck being weighed
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The Readout
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Damn its open
As a driver of quite a few years in UK i am not ashamed to say that i knew little or nothing about axle weights or dimensions. Okay i knew how high my trailer was but hat was about it and i think i can safely say that is fairly typical, i have never been pulled over by VOSA and i ve never run into any problems.
In North America however it is very important, the 2 countries are littered with government weigh scales (chicken coups in CB slang)
There are 2 types of scale, one is permenantly open so you always have to go in, and the other type opens when they feel like it.
The coups are manned by DOTs (Department of Transport) officials and have slightly different names which ever State or Province you are in. There job however is always the same, to catch you out, shut you down and to take money off you in the form of a fine.
They check your axle weights as you drive over the scale one axle at a time, thats steers, drives then trailers. When ever you pick up a load or a loaded trailer you should go to a public scale and check the 4 weights, steers, drives, trailers and total so you can be sure you are okay when you pass a govt scale. Maximum axle weights also vary depending on where you are so you need to make sure you are legal for all of your journey. In North America the 5th wheels slide as do the trailer axles so you can juggle them around to make sure they are all okay.
The DOTs can also check you axle spacing, this also varies depending on the State or even where in the State you are, some roads have special conditions and permits.
A DOT can also ask to look at your drivers log book o see if you are cheating and if you are really unlucky they can do a full inspection on your truck & trailer.
Check out the post on my mentor trip to California, we had a full inspection at Truckee scale and got shut down for an air leak.
I could go on all day but iam no expert, in the rigt hand bar of the blog, scroll down to the links and check out
thecoopsareopen.com.... it tells you all about them.
In North America however it is very important, the 2 countries are littered with government weigh scales (chicken coups in CB slang)
There are 2 types of scale, one is permenantly open so you always have to go in, and the other type opens when they feel like it.
The coups are manned by DOTs (Department of Transport) officials and have slightly different names which ever State or Province you are in. There job however is always the same, to catch you out, shut you down and to take money off you in the form of a fine.
They check your axle weights as you drive over the scale one axle at a time, thats steers, drives then trailers. When ever you pick up a load or a loaded trailer you should go to a public scale and check the 4 weights, steers, drives, trailers and total so you can be sure you are okay when you pass a govt scale. Maximum axle weights also vary depending on where you are so you need to make sure you are legal for all of your journey. In North America the 5th wheels slide as do the trailer axles so you can juggle them around to make sure they are all okay.
The DOTs can also check you axle spacing, this also varies depending on the State or even where in the State you are, some roads have special conditions and permits.
A DOT can also ask to look at your drivers log book o see if you are cheating and if you are really unlucky they can do a full inspection on your truck & trailer.
Check out the post on my mentor trip to California, we had a full inspection at Truckee scale and got shut down for an air leak.
I could go on all day but iam no expert, in the rigt hand bar of the blog, scroll down to the links and check out
thecoopsareopen.com.... it tells you all about them.
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