weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

[rheyboer]

Hope I'm on the correct forum. Heading to Glen Lake, Michigan next week and want to finally figure my weight when fully (golf clubs and all) loaded. I know some scrap metal recyclers have scales but I'm leery about going there as I just put 4 new tires on the trailer and those places look like flat tire city. Can you just pull into one of the weigh stations on the freeway? Does it matter if they are open or closed. If this is doable can anyone recommend one on 94 or 31/131 in Indiana/Michigan? Thanks in advance.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

..well, I'm not sure about this on the U.S side...but up here on the Canadian side I used them all the time....only when they are closed.
The big readout is digital and I just pull up onto the scale and ba-da-bing...instant number. Takes about 15 seconds.
I don't there is anything illegal about it at all. It appears they leave the scale 'on'...perhaps for truckers generally to check their own stuff? or off hours checking...just in case? or?
Give it a whirl

 

[Scaaty]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

Any big truck stop

 

[reelfishin]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

Any big truck stop

Try this site:
http://www.bigrigjobs.com/Truck-Scales/Illinois/Chicago.html

 

[Mr.Stuart]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

yup you can use the scales, I'm in oregon, and I've done it often with my travel trailer or anything else I might be pulling when I pass a scale, as long as your not holding anything up, they don't care, I always idle across the scale and get the readings off the reader board, I used to drive semi trucks, and it's just something I picked up from my truck driving days, if you go across a scale that's closed I use those opertunites to drop the trailer on the scale, get toung weight ect, those scales are accurate to within 20 pounds

 

[CATransplant]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

A little off-topic, but it's about truck scales.

I drove a 24' ex-Uhaul truck from California to Minnesota when my wife and I moved here. I had packed it absolutely full of our possessions, and it was really loaded. There was only about 1" between the rear axle rubber bumpers and the truck frame.

I figured it was overloaded, but there it was. The trip was long and difficult, since those Uhauls are way underpowered and this one had 150,000 miles on it.

Somehow, every weigh station I passed on the route was closed, until I got to Iowa. I wheeled into one (All Trucks Must Enter Scale), with some trepidation, since I was sure I was overweight. They had the big digital readout, so I could see the weight for myself.

Maximum weight for the truck was 18,000 lb. It was in big letters right by the driver's side door. What did the scale read? 17,680 lb. Uffda!

In the end, the truck made it all 2500 miles, and I sold it for about what I had paid for it when I bought it from Uhaul to some guy who was moving from Minnesota to California. He made it, too.

Note: It is absolutely uphill all the way from California to Minnesota, or it sure felt like it to me.

 

[vandy21]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

yeah when I was out in Oregon with some buddies, we stopped at one of those scales. Its fun to get out/ throw stuff out of the car and find out how much it weighs

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

Heading to Glen Lake, Michigan next week and want to finally figure my weight when fully (golf clubs and all) loaded.

You should really take the golf clubs and anything else unnecessary out of the boat before you put her in the lake; the added weight can really slow you down.

 

[tymtogo69]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

You should really take the golf clubs and anything else unnecessary out of the boat before you put her in the lake; the added weight can really slow you down.

Thats funny-I just threw my clubs in my boat, you never know when you might whan to get 18 in LOL

 

[burroak]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

Why sweat the experience of weighing at a freeway truck scale? You just open yourself up to all kinds of inspections. I know there are some on this forum that follows the ABYC, USCG, and any other alphabet soup directives as if they were the Bible and quote them religiously will tell you that those checks are for your benefit. And I agree, at the proper time and place. With a van full of vacation gear, Momma with the map, and the kids tired of counting cemeteries (there aren't many along the freeways, unless the little white crosses count), it's no time to be checking the weight of your tow package. What are you going to do about it if some part of the rig is over in any way. Tough decision- dump Momma and the map, the kid that is whining the most or that sweet little trolling motor that you have just dialed in? Hmmmm...?

Truck stops have scales that you can use for a nominal fee and you can do it without the scale operator having the full force of the law behind him. If you are lucky you can get under way while Momma is comparing her map to the big one in the entrance and the kid is still in front of the candy display whining. A toffer.

 

[jeeperman]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

Why sweat the experience of weighing at a freeway truck scale? You just open yourself up to all kinds of inspections.

I would agree. I would not go thru the state operated weigh scale if that is the type you mean. In your neck of the woods they are too busy for you to pull in and maybe **** them off.
Go to a commercial scale at a truck stop.
Or look up your local bulk landscape materials yard. Usually they sell the materials by the ton and have drive on scales.
Sometimes they will weigh you for free or for a few dollars.

 

[studlymandingo]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

What are you going to do about it if some part of the rig is over in any way. Tough decision- dump Momma and the map, the kid that is whining the most or that sweet little trolling motor that you have just dialed in? Hmmmm...?

I would say that decision would have to be based upon the mood that momma was in at the time the decision had to be made... certainly not the trolling motor!!!

 

[GatorTom]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

I have taken mine to the ocal landfill before to be weighed. They have a large scale at the entrance.

 

[roscoe]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

Feed mills and moving companies have scales too.

 

[DaveM]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

Here in Warshington you are encouraged to use the closed truck scales as the scale is always on. It's better to know than not to know, you know?

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

Some of you guys crack me up... the DOT is not going to come out and inspect you when you drag your boat across the scales.

 

[burroak]

Re: weighing my rig..freeway truck scale?

Some of you guys crack me up... the DOT is not going to come out and inspect you when you drag your boat across the scales.

Come to the IL/WI I-94 state line weigh station and say that.