Avoiding Overweight Fines

What are overweight fines?

• These are fines given to Drivers of Commercial Vehicles when their vehicle they are operating is over the allowed weight. The reason they have specific weight rules is to protect the road, but also for safety. Heavier loads put pressure on the brakes and can make them not as effective for stopping.

Securing the load:

You should always check your load and secure it before heading out, although you may be underweight. Sometimes the cargo can shift if not secured right which can cause problems with how weight is distributed and ultimately still end up with fines. When cargo shifts it can also damage the truck’s axles and trailer. Securing your load is the first step to ensure you avoid fines. But it also keeps the cargo and truck in a safe condition.

Plan your route:

Planning your route can help you for many reasons including being able to map out gas stations to plan for fuel weight with every scale, it can also help you plan where the scales are and test your weight beforehand in order to ensure you won’t get a fine.

Avoiding the Fine:

First and Foremost, You need to be cautious of your load and also cautious of the way the weight is distributed. You need to know the weight of each axle, not just the gross vehicle weight, and also be aware of the fuel you have on board on top of your load which will affect the weight.

The more prepared you are, and the more knowledge you have about your load the better. This includes the route you are taking, the cargo you are carrying and the stops you need to make because knowing this information will help you plan fuel trips, and also scales to weigh regularly.

Problem Solving:

After you secure the load, drive to the nearest scale and weigh your truck. Some companies and Shippers have scales you can use onsite but most likely you will need to drive to the nearest scale.

If the truck is overweight, you can slide the tandems or the fifth wheel to adjust the weight. If that won’t fix the weight issue, call your company for instructions on what to do next. They will probably send you back to the shipper so they can fix the issue. Re-weigh as many times as needed until the weights are legal.

Responsibility:

Drivers are responsible for paying the overweight fine so “just running with it” is not a good solution. A final alternative is to purchase an overweight permit before heading out. Talk this over with the company before leaving to know their protocols.