Weigh Stations

[tyeeman]

Hey Everybody,

This might be a dumb question but here goes. We were coming back from a sled trip and upon entering Minnesota on interstate 94 we approached a weigh station, and on the sign it said something to the effect of "all trucks weighing over 10,000 lbs must enter" or stop or something to that effect. Does that mean just commercial trucks or does it literally mean every truck, commercial and non-commercial? Cuz the combination of my truck and enclosed trailer loaded with sleds was over 10,000 lbs.
What triggered the question was that I saw a pick up and a 4 place enclosed trailer going the opposite direction enter a weigh station.
Oh, and if I have to pull into a weigh station what happens, what are they looking for?

I guess I never paid it much mind because up until a couple of years ago I never towed that heavy or never ran into a weigh station calling out that wieght.

Any info would be appreciated, thanks everybody.

 

[renegade]

If the license plate on your truck is more than what the sign says you need to pull in. Not every state is the same weight, so if it says 10,000 pounds and your licensed for 12,000 you need to pull in. For you they are just checking for weight I would guess. If you are a commercial vehicle it becomes much more complex and bureaucratic.(spl.) I dont know if it includes your trailer so if your truck was 6000 and trailer was 6000 you would be required to pull in on a 10,000 lb scale. I would guess yes as that would be your gross weight.

 

[tyeeman]

Thanks renegade. My license plate does not call out a weight though. I know what you mean though as I've see 3/4 tons and 1 tons that have a little sticker on the plate saying something like 10,000 lbs on it.
My truck is 1500 HD, basically a 3/4 ton and my plate looks like any other plate on your average PU. So I might be a bit confused yet....

 

[doomsman]

Drive on by and don't look back. You may catch the eye of the trooper who just got reamed for not bringing in enough revenue, and he decides to make a big deal.

 

[dvision]

Skip it

I always drive by. No sense giving them the oppurtunity to look at you. if they need to talk to you, they will come get you. Then play dumb. They are really looking for commercial trucks. We have a semi that we haul a pulling tractor in and avoid the scales, but it is a semi. Most DOT are not looking at pickups.

 

[cperson]

Wisconsin D.O.T. says:

(3) “Truck” includes any motor truck, road tractor or truck
tractor including any vehicle being towed thereby.

Trans 312.04 Stopping requirements. (1) TRUCKS
OVER 8,000 POUNDS. Whenever the operator of a truck having a
gross weight in excess of 8,000 pounds approaches an open weigh
station, the operator shall stop the truck at the open weigh station
and shall permit the truck and its load to be weighed, measured or
inspected.
(2) TRUCKS OF 8,000 POUNDS OR LESS. The department may not
require the operator of a truck having a gross weight of 8,000
pounds or less to stop at open weigh stations as a matter of regular
course. A truck having a gross weight of 8,000 pounds or less shall
be subject, however, to all the applicable size, weight and load
limitations of ch. 348, Stats.; and the operator of a truck having a
gross weight of 8,000 pounds or less shall obey all requests of any
traffic officer requesting the operator to stop and to submit the
truck or the truck load to weighing, measuring or inspecting.
(3) PENALTIES. Any operator of a truck violating this section
shall be subject to the penalty provisions of s. 348.21 (2) (a), Stats.
History: Emerg. cr. eff. 11–22–82; cr. Register, April, 1983, No. 328, eff. 5–1–83.

 

[fcat700]

The truck would weigh then the trailer would weigh. The truck it's self with the trailer hooked up (so truck plus tongue weigh of trailer) would have to be over 10,000 pounds to be rquired to stop not the two combined. My camper is around 10,000 pounds it's self, plus the truck. I've passed hundreds of weigh stations and have never stopped, thought about stopping or been stopped. Now if you were stopped for a traffic violation or looked over loaded and the Trooper felt as though you were unsafe he my want to scale ya but other wise I don't think you'll ever have a problem. my02

 

[doomsman]

Again drive on by,
Why would you kick a
sleeping bear in the sac?

 

[xcswitch]

As I'm out here driving semi i took a break to catch up on snowmobile reports. I found this post to be interesting. Every state has a different law. It doesn't seem any of them can agree on anything including all weight limits. One way to get away with driving by is putting 2" stickers on your trailer that says "RV USE ONLY NOT FOR HIRE". This way if you drive by you should be pretty protected if they chase you down for inspection. That covers your license plate issue however in most states your still a person of interest for a vehicle inspection because of pulling a trailer. I have a neighbor that pulls 48' gooseneck trailer with full size semi having the rv sign on his trailer with county plates on truck and never stops at any scales, and never has a problem. Most scales can read your plate number before you get to the scale and know everything about you before exiting into one. Trust me, your not of any interest to them for pulling your enclosed snowmobile trailer around unless they are really bored that day. I could talk all day about DOT regulations but don't have enough room to type. If you have any more questions about this send me a message and I'll try to help you out. For now keep on trucking and get to the snow as fast as you can.

 

[Firecatguy]

I thought it was just Commercial vehicles!!we used to deliver campers and if we ran the company name and logo on the truck we had to stop!!!!

Every driver of a commercial vehicle shall stop and submit the vehicle to an inspection

 

[oldguy]

Technically if your combined weight of your truck and trailer exceeds 10,000 pounds and you are not driving a RV, you are supposed to stop. If you are not driving a commercial vehicle, you are not subject to log books or any other DOT regulations, EXCEPT equipment violations such as brakes and lights. I never stop with my non commercial enclosed truck and trailer that does exceeds 10,000 pounds and I am in the trucking business.

 

[tyeeman]

Hey thanks for all the input guys. From what I read I think I'd be pretty safe just driving by and as xcswitch says "getting to the snow as fast as I can".

Happy sledding!

 

[G]

A truck is something that has more than four wheels. A pick-up is not a truck. That is what I would tell anybody that stopped me.(The 'dumb' approach) Never pull into a weigh station unless you are commercial. If they are in the mood they will find a non-working light or a tire that needs replacing. I have not seen an open weigh scale in either Mn or Wisc for awhile anyway. One of the first things to get chopped in times of budget crisis.

 

[mrfirecat]

My understanding is that you have to be a commercial vehicle running DOT and exceeding a certain weight.

 

[dab102999]

I have been waiting to see what was said before I post my opionon. I belong to an antique tractor club. Sometimes loading (overloading) my truck and 35 foot goosneck by upwards of 20,000 lbs. This is a subject that has been talked about a lot within our club and at tractor shows. So we had both a senoir michigan d.o.t. officer and a d.o.t. officer who is supposed to be country wide. After a few hours of leanthy and somewhat heated discussion basically it comes down to if you are not recieving financial gain and doing what you are doing as a hobbie then you need no special license, do not need d.o.t. numbers and do not need to pull into weight stations. Even with a semi. (think about this, do you need a special license or have to pull into a weight station when you rent a u-haul and overload it) The sticky part here is financial gain, if you get pulled over and the officer is nice and b.s.'s with you for a while and you and your four buddys are in the truck and he ask you " so you buying all the gas for this trip" and you answer "no we are splitting it" then you just got financial gain. When ever you go, you pay the whole way, you sell nothing. I don't care if you are going to an auction to sell everything you have. It is all on you and the rest of the guys are just riding along.

 

[dab102999]

As far as being comercial and exceed a certian weight yes and no. Comercial yes, farmers yes, exceding a certian weight, only the weight of your truck and or trailer, and also tie down points. The officer said his biggest bust point and esiest money is all the "lawn mower" guys out there. Who go buy a tailer that is rated for 2000 lbs and they have 2-1500 lbs mowers on it and don't tie them down. Just put the gate up and go. They wait for them to go past the weight station and then fine the heck out of them.

 

[frnash]

… "splitting it" [represents] financial gain[?] …

I don't buy that! There is no "gain" unless your reimbursement exceeds your expenses
<hr size="2" width="75%">On the other hand, if the objective of your trip is to sell something, that could be construed as a commercial venture, and as such you may not be able to share expenses!
<hr size="2" width="75%">This would be analogous to the Federal Aviation Regulations, specifically allowing the sharing of operating expenses among a [Private, Sport or Recreational] pilot and passengers, to wit:

FAR 61.113

Private pilot privileges and limitations: Pilot in command.

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) through (g) of this section, no person who holds a private pilot certificate may act as pilot in command of an aircraft that is carrying passengers or property for compensation or hire; nor may that person, for compensation or hire, act as pilot in command of an aircraft.
* * *
(c) A private pilot may not pay less than the pro rata share of the operating expenses of a flight with passengers, provided the expenses involve only fuel, oil, airport expenditures, or rental fees.

[And similarly for Sport Pilots (FAR 61.315) and Recreational Pilots (FAR 61.101).]

 

[crskidoo]

D.o.t.

I have had many visits with the D.O.T from my area and have spent some time in weigh station. From what I have learned if your not sure, stop. They will be much nicer to you if you act like your trying to do things right. All you have to do is ask if you need to ever stop. Secondly like what was said earlier by the toy hauler do not ever give away information. They will ask! The best answer is, I don't know or I'm not for sure officer. I would call the D.O.T from whatever state you plan on traveling through and check. Might save you money and time.

 

[dab102999]

Basically what both officers said is that if any money comes into your hand it is financial gain. If you admit that someone bought you lunch it is gain. That is there loophole to take something from a hobbie to something that you can get fined for. As I said with my tractors could go buy a semi if I wanted to take them to shows and not need a special license or anything. But I also can not recieve any money from anyone, or sell anything or even recieve a ribbon for participating. There is a book from d.o.t. that is over 500 pages with all the laws involved and who alll they applied to but what it really comes down to is a hobbie with no finaincial gain (means as far as the cops know I get nothing) makes none of those rules apply.

 

[frnash]

I … could go buy a semi if I wanted to take them to shows and not need a special license or anything.

Not need a special license?
You may not even need a Commercial Driver's License (CDL), as long as your use of the semi is not "commercial"! Apparently that is the case in Minnesota, but not in all states, see below! {smile}

A Commercial Driver's License (CDL) is required in the United States to operate any type of vehicle which has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 lb (11,793 kg) or over for commercial use. This includes (but is not limited to) tow trucks, tractor trailers, and buses designed to transport 16 or more people including the operator; or a vehicle which is placarded to carry hazardous materials.

But even RV driver's license requirements vary by state; some require a CDL, others may require a higher class of driver license see RV Driver's License Requirements.