Weigh Station Info That Matters

In 2005, DOT officers around the country performed more than 3 million roadside inspections. Those inspections resulted in nearly 200,000 out-of-service violations for the driver (Hours-of-service violations etc) and more than 700,000 out-of-service violations for the vehicle. Sure, many of those out-of-service orders were deserved and necessary, but we all know that sometimes, DOT is hunting for any violation they can find- no matter how minor. And we all know that even inspections that don't result in an out-of-service order may still result in a ticket. Or even just a collosal waste of time. It's always a good idea to keep your equipment in good shape and to stay within the hours of service- but wasting time going through a DOT inspection is no fun for anyone. Exept maybe the DOT officer.

1. Drive at night. Many long-time truckers choose to drive at night- though for some, the dark can cause drowsiness. If you can train yourself to drive at night you'll find fewer officers out, fewer inspections being performed and fewer weigh stations open.

2. Drive weekends. Many drivers look forward to having the weekends off but if you take your days off during the week instead you'll find that a lot of weigh stations will close over the weekend or have limited hours. Same principles apply to weekend driving that apply to night driving.

3. Neat paperwork. When it is your turn to show the man your paperwork, you make a better impression if you appear organized. Have your log neat and easy to read (try not to scribble and scratch things out). Have your bills neatly clipped and your permits together in a binder or folder. The less confused you look, the less likely you are to be scrutinized.

If you have a reason to avoid the weigh stations or if you simply don't want the hassle, here's a tip on getting from Charlotte to Jersey.

Head up I 85 from Charlotte until you get to Greensboro. In Greensboro, take Business 85 (instead of I 85). It's a freeway. When you're in the downtown Greensboro area, take the exit for route 29 north. Go north up into Virginia to Danville. When you're on the Danville bypass, take route 58 east all the way over to I 85. Don't take I 85! Continue on I 85 to Lawrenceville- you'll have to take the second exit for route 49 north- trucks aren't allowed through town there. Follow the signs for truck 49 north until you come back to I 85. Go north. 85 will take you to 95 north. Take that. You'll take exit 152 A for route 234 south to get around the Dumphries VA scale. Turn left on route 1 and take that to route 784. Turn left and go back to I 95 north. Wait 'till nightfall south of DC. When you get up to the DC area, take 95 around the east side to route 50/301 east/north- there is a scale on 301 but it is usually closed at night vs. the scale on I 95 which may or may not be closed. Follow 301 all the way into Delaware and up to I 95 north. Run up to Jersey and follow signs for the New Jersey Turnpike. It'll cost you toll money- but the New Jersey Turnpike charges per axle, not by weight.