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ODFL | scaling at terminals

seabreeze said:
I thought turning people in was Billys job?


Since Billy got fired from Coop, you better keep a tight reign on your job.
If the all time Mastio champ gets a little more experience hauling cars, he may be after your job.
Of course he would start on the bottom of the board hauling "Ying Yangs"
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I'd be an outlaw milk hauler driving the smoothest bore tanker around AZ at night.
 
Had trailer destin for SEA out of PDX and manifest said 15,180..weighed it and it was over 15k on dolly and over 16k on axles so tha equils approx 19k..funny thing was it came in on a set of triples and his font was well over 20k so probably over on his 80k first two trailers which is a big fine...need to weigh everything anymore.....
 
Knucklehead said:
Had trailer destin for SEA out of PDX and manifest said 15,180..weighed it and it was over 15k on dolly and over 16k on axles so tha equils approx 19k..funny thing was it came in on a set of triples and his font was well over 20k so probably over on his 80k first two trailers which is a big fine...need to weigh everything anymore.....
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Really and when was this. That’s to light for me, I like pulling a 22,000, a 19,000 and a 15,000. That separates the men from the boys. Are you sure that PDX didn’t add to the trailer. Hmm. Let me see, I get all green lights at the scales, I add up the axle weights, yep I am legal. Would you like to know how many sets I break up from SEA to make my triples. Or wait, how about the 8000 lb trailer from SEA that’s heavier than my 17,000 lb front box. Here’s my theory. I weigh every freakin trailer. And I don’t cry about it. Like I said before, you almost trip over the scale in SEA to exit the yard. But it seems few people weigh anything coming South. You’re not careful, I’ll sic my attack dog on you. Get them Billy.
 
flybynite said:
Really and when was this. That’s to light for me, I like pulling a 22,000, a 19,000 and a 15,000. That separates the men from the boys. Are you sure that PDX didn’t add to the trailer. Hmm. Let me see, I get all green lights at the scales, I add up the axle weights, yep I am legal. Would you like to know how many sets I break up from SEA to make my triples. Or wait, how about the 8000 lb trailer from SEA that’s heavier than my 17,000 lb front box. Here’s my theory. I weigh every freakin trailer. And I don’t cry about it. Like I said before, you almost trip over the scale in SEA to exit the yard. But it seems few people weigh anything coming South. You’re not careful, I’ll sic my attack dog on you. Get them Billy.
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Sea drivers be dropping hooked sets such as rto and atl be like must be going to the same place. You got to give our place forgiveness fbn, 79% of the drivers are from the local driving school.
 
For what it is worth. An attorney I know told me, that in the eyes of the court ie Judge, your signature on the Bill of Lading means that you know if you are overweight. You & you alone are responsible for being over weight. If dispatch says they will sign off on it, or you record their ok on a recorder, or they send you a fax saying it is ok to pull it, you are just as responsible or guilty regardless of who said ok, pull it. If you are 2500 over gross & you have accident with you @ fault, the county prosecutor will hang you out to dry. REGARDLESS OF WHO OR WHAT SAID OK. You lively hood, your life. How do you support your family if you are sitting jail? Or with an accident causing death while you are @ fault. Ask yourself what trucking company is gonna insure me now. How are you @ construction? von.
 
Most trucking company's don't like rocking the boat. On the other hand, ask their insurance underwriter if they want you to refuse overweight loads for safety reasons? We all know the answer to that question. But it still doesn't protect you. Work smart, drive smart. Question authority when it comes to safety. Refuse to drive in bad weather or bad equipment. If they fire you, say thank you. For down the road your actions & good work habits just might save a life one day. Yours. von.
 
vongrimmenstein said:
For what it is worth. An attorney I know told me, that in the eyes of the court ie Judge, your signature on the Bill of Lading means that you know if you are overweight. You & you alone are responsible for being over weight. If dispatch says they will sign off on it, or you record their ok on a recorder, or they send you a fax saying it is ok to pull it, you are just as responsible or guilty regardless of who said ok, pull it. If you are 2500 over gross & you have accident with you @ fault, the county prosecutor will hang you out to dry. REGARDLESS OF WHO OR WHAT SAID OK. You lively hood, your life. How do you support your family if you are sitting jail? Or with an accident causing death while you are @ fault. Ask yourself what trucking company is gonna insure me now. How are you @ construction? von.
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BAM!!!
 
vongrimmenstein said:
Most trucking company's don't like rocking the boat. On the other hand, ask their insurance underwriter if they want you to refuse overweight loads for safety reasons? We all know the answer to that question. But it still doesn't protect you. Work smart, drive smart. Question authority when it comes to safety. Refuse to drive in bad weather or bad equipment. If they fire you, say thank you. For down the road your actions & good work habits just might save a life one day. Yours. von.
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On the flip side I had a driver tell me he was 2,500lbs over gross the other day and ask me to sign off on it. I refused and had him take one and an mty.
 
vongrimmenstein said:
For what it is worth. An attorney I know told me, that in the eyes of the court ie Judge, your signature on the Bill of Lading means that you know if you are overweight. You & you alone are responsible for being over weight. If dispatch says they will sign off on it, or you record their ok on a recorder, or they send you a fax saying it is ok to pull it, you are just as responsible or guilty regardless of who said ok, pull it. If you are 2500 over gross & you have accident with you @ fault, the county prosecutor will hang you out to dry. REGARDLESS OF WHO OR WHAT SAID OK. You lively hood, your life. How do you support your family if you are sitting jail? Or with an accident causing death while you are @ fault. Ask yourself what trucking company is gonna insure me now. How are you @ construction? von.
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Couldn’t of said it better. I have a point of cut off on weight. I refuse to pull over. Everyone knows it. Yes it might cause dispatch anguish, but it’s my livelihood and safety record. Excellent advice Von. Besides there’s always a “Super Trucker,” that’s trying to make a name for himself that will do it and then brag about it. LTL, no matter what company is supposed to have the elite drivers.
 
Freightsup said:
On the flip side I had a driver tell me he was 2,500lbs over gross the other day and ask me to sign off on it. I refused and had him take one and an mty.
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30 40 years ago running 2500 over was nothing. Happened all the time with little or no penalty. But, back then, they did not have digital portable scales, weigh in motion scales, on board recorders, cameras. With today's trucking of record or monitor everything a driver does, there is little or no room for short cuts. To continue to earn a living as a Commercial Driver you will have to accept the invasion of your privacy, or step out from behind the wheel. von.
 
flybynite said:
Couldn’t of said it better. I have a point of cut off on weight. I refuse to pull over. Everyone knows it. Yes it might cause dispatch anguish, but it’s my livelihood and safety record. Excellent advice Von. Besides there’s always a “Super Trucker,” that’s trying to make a name for himself that will do it and then brag about it. LTL, no matter what company is supposed to have the elite drivers.
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Now days LTL outfits will take anything that draws oxygen. The days of picking thru 50 applications for 2 or 3 spots are long gone. Away from home for weeks @ a time, 200 bucks a week in expenses, sleeping in a closet on roller skates with a Thermo King running all night, scale masters, cops, no parking available @ the pickle park or the truck stop, & on & on. What 20 year old is going to want to go in to a career with what I just described. And to me a big reason not to become a driver. Loading & unloading. Take any trucking outfit as a example. Does anyone think they tell their potential driver during orientation that when they arrive @ a customer ON TIME for their appointment that their paid waiting time starts AFTER the first 2 hours? And that's if the customer will pay for the detention. Or you arrive to unload 1700 cases on the floor & they want 200 bucks to unload but your dispatch only allows 100. And life goes on. von.
 
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Great thread. I'm late to the party.

OP, my rule of thumb is to automatically scale trailers that show 18k. And I always scale relays. Management has said to me that as long as I have dispatch "sign off," then OD will pay the ticket for an overweight on axle. Some terminal dispatchers won't sign off over 1000 per axle, ours will sign off on over 1000k, depending who's on shift. I've already had a dispatcher try to sign off on an axle that was overweight by 1,400 lbs. I've been told that these tickets don't show up on your CSA score - I haven't confirmed that. Our terminal will not allow drivers to pull over gross.

As Von mentioned, all this talk about overweight axles, and not being responsible for paying a fine if dispatch "signs off," doesn't mitigate the responsibility of a driver that becomes involved in an accident - and that's a key point. OK, you have dispatch sign off for an overweight so you don't pay the fine, but what happens if you're involved in an accident with an overweight axle?
 
wawtrucker said:
Great thread. I'm late to the party.

OP, my rule of thumb is to automatically scale trailers that show 18k. And I always scale relays. Management has said to me that as long as I have dispatch "sign off," then OD will pay the ticket for an overweight on axle. Some terminal dispatchers won't sign off over 1000 per axle, ours will sign off on over 1000k, depending who's on shift. I've already had a dispatcher try to sign off on an axle that was overweight by 1,400 lbs. I've been told that these tickets don't show up on your CSA score - I haven't confirmed that. Our terminal will not allow drivers to pull over gross.

As Von mentioned, all this talk about overweight axles, and not being responsible for paying a fine if dispatch "signs off," doesn't mitigate the responsibility of a driver that becomes involved in an accident - and that's a key point. OK, you have dispatch sign off for an overweight so you don't pay the fine, but what happens if you're involved in an accident with an overweight axle?
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Ya beg the county attorney not to charge you with manslaughter. And the dispatcher gets a slap on the wrist. von.
 
wawtrucker said:
Great thread. I'm late to the party.

OP, my rule of thumb is to automatically scale trailers that show 18k. And I always scale relays. Management has said to me that as long as I have dispatch "sign off," then OD will pay the ticket for an overweight on axle. Some terminal dispatchers won't sign off over 1000 per axle, ours will sign off on over 1000k, depending who's on shift. I've already had a dispatcher try to sign off on an axle that was overweight by 1,400 lbs. I've been told that these tickets don't show up on your CSA score - I haven't confirmed that. Our terminal will not allow drivers to pull over gross.

As Von mentioned, all this talk about overweight axles, and not being responsible for paying a fine if dispatch "signs off," doesn't mitigate the responsibility of a driver that becomes involved in an accident - and that's a key point. OK, you have dispatch sign off for an overweight so you don't pay the fine, but what happens if you're involved in an accident with an overweight axle?
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Personally, I don’t care who signs off on it. I won’t pull it. I’m responsible for that truck and trailers when it leaves the yard. I stay legal. Besides there’s always some newbie that wants to make a name for himself.
 
Overweight trailers happen pretty frequently at our terminal. A driver tonight said he was 1,200 over on the drives ... of course he didn't pull it. A senior driver told me today that he usually pulls up to 500 over axle, because that's what most states allow as a 'buffer' at the scale house. Seems like a lot of drivers have that magical 500 mark that they're willing to pull. I always ask them why they choose that number.

I'm of the impression that truckload carriers are much more adherent to the legal limit than LTL outfits - would that be an accurate assumption?
 
wawtrucker said:
Overweight trailers happen pretty frequently at our terminal. A driver tonight said he was 1,200 over on the drives ... of course he didn't pull it. A senior driver told me today that he usually pulls up to 500 over axle, because that's what most states allow as a 'buffer' at the scale house. Seems like a lot of drivers have that magical 500 mark that they're willing to pull. I always ask them why they choose that number.

I'm of the impression that truckload carriers are much more adherent to the legal limit than LTL outfits - would that be an accurate assumption?
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My limit is 400 to 500 lbs. That’s on the drives. I can burn fuel and with the prepass I usually never go in. I pull triples, so if I am over 80,000 with the front 2 I refuse. If I am over gross on all 3 I refuse. The number is just a number. I guess if they wanted to they could get us for being 10 lbs. over.
 
wawtrucker said:
Overweight trailers happen pretty frequently at our terminal. A driver tonight said he was 1,200 over on the drives ... of course he didn't pull it. A senior driver told me today that he usually pulls up to 500 over axle, because that's what most states allow as a 'buffer' at the scale house. Seems like a lot of drivers have that magical 500 mark that they're willing to pull. I always ask them why they choose that number.

I'm of the impression that truckload carriers are much more adherent to the legal limit than LTL outfits - would that be an accurate assumption?
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Very accurate. I believe that the workers in the scale house have in general let the big LTL carriers slide while pressing the issue with the truck load carriers. Have nothing but 40 years of pounding the concrete to prove my point, just from observation over the years. von.
 
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