# Free Scales, Display Always On



## KampinwitKids (May 24, 2006)

On the way home from the NE #2 Fall Rally, I found Free scales in the weigh station on I 93 south in NH by Exit 4.
There is 3 scales in line on one pad. the Display is always on, and has four readings.
1. front axle TV
2. rear axle TV
3. Axles on TT
4. Total weight

This could be a very usefull tool if you live in the area, or are just passing through.
Thought this may be good info to share, as the most accurate weight is all loaded up for the Trip.


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## shaela21 (Aug 16, 2005)

The weigh scales here on Vancouver Island are always on as well, and I have zipped in on weekends on the way to the campground to check weights. I have seen all sorts of vehicles at them, so I am assuming that outside of working hours, they are available for use.


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## Brad1 (Jan 21, 2007)

Anyone out there have a link to Free wiegh scale sites? As I was out and about this weekend in Northern KY I saw a few of the CAT Scales. They are $8.50 for each weigh. Not a bad price for having a sense of security but hey I am always looking for a way to save a buck.


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

I will have to keep that in mind next time I'm on 93

John


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

Most State owned/operated scales are energized and operating even when not attended. Usually have to peak in the window to see the readout but this is how I always do my rigs out here in Wetern Washington.... unless a certified copy is specifically needed.

Map Guy


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

I was worried i would get in trouble just pulling in and checking. You are referring to the ones on the side of the freeway, right? Kind of look like a rest stop enterance?


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## 1jeep (Jul 24, 2007)

thanks for the heads up, i had mine weighed at a local gravel yard.....but free is much better.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Hey - that's great news Brian. We took the long way home yesterday and scootred around I-93. Then decided NOT to go on to Portsmouth to weigh her. Figured we'd go Friday on the way back out again. BUT - we're heading back up I-93 anyway so....you've just saved us some time _and_ $$$. I love this site!!!!


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

Sayonara said:


> I was worried i would get in trouble just pulling in and checking. You are referring to the ones on the side of the freeway, right? Kind of look like a rest stop enterance?


Yes, the only time to avoid a public scale is when there is a line-up of commercial trucks. Every Commercial Enforcement Officer I've talked to wished more of the non-commercial trailer towing public would take the time to run across a scale for the educational value.

Map Guy


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

The scale I went thru with the fiver on my trip must not have been one of them







The sign said 'all trailers' not all trucks, so just in case, I went in. He waved me thru with an interesting look on his face.

John


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## map guy (Jan 11, 2007)

tdvffjohn said:


> The scale I went thru with the fiver on my trip must not have been one of them
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Always a comedian in the crowd!










Map Guy


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

I was serious.....it happened


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Can you only enter them if they are open or can you enter if they are closed? Meaning, is there any "function" to the scale if the sign says closed? Are the displays usually readable? If they are open, is there a cost or a srecial procedure to follow?


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## ELSEWHERE (Sep 16, 2007)

Sayonara said:


> Can you only enter them if they are open or can you enter if they are closed? Meaning, is there any "function" to the scale if the sign says closed? Are the displays usually readable? If they are open, is there a cost or a srecial procedure to follow?


I have been a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement officer for both the State of Washington and the City of Tacoma so have had experience with weight scales. You should keep in mind that these are not "public" scales and, when open, are being used by officers to enforce laws pertaining to size, weight and load on commercial vehicles. If they are open, as someone indicated earlier, you should avoid using them if there are trucks present because it hinders the officer in the performance of his duties. If they are open and no trucks are present than the officer probably won't mind you stopping for a quick weigh. It might not hurt to stop before you cross the scale, assuming you can pull to one side so you're not obstructing traffic, and ask the officer if he minds you getting weights on your equipment. In Washington most scales that are closed still have their scale heads on and are usually readable from the outside. I've used ones that are closed because then I can take my time getting all the weights I want, even by detaching the trailer and getting a tongue weight. It's a cheap (free) source of getting accurate weights.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

ELSEWHERE said:


> Can you only enter them if they are open or can you enter if they are closed? Meaning, is there any "function" to the scale if the sign says closed? Are the displays usually readable? If they are open, is there a cost or a srecial procedure to follow?


I have been a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement officer for both the State of Washington and the City of Tacoma so have had experience with weight scales. You should keep in mind that these are not "public" scales and, when open, are being used by officers to enforce laws pertaining to size, weight and load on commercial vehicles. If they are open, as someone indicated earlier, you should avoid using them if there are trucks present because it hinders the officer in the performance of his duties. If they are open and no trucks are present than the officer probably won't mind you stopping for a quick weigh. It might not hurt to stop before you cross the scale, assuming you can pull to one side so you're not obstructing traffic, and ask the officer if he minds you getting weights on your equipment. In Washington most scales that are closed still have their scale heads on and are usually readable from the outside. I've used ones that are closed because then I can take my time getting all the weights I want, even by detaching the trailer and getting a tongue weight. It's a cheap (free) source of getting accurate weights.
[/quote]
Thats really good to know! THanks!


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## KampinwitKids (May 24, 2006)

Wolfie, glad I could save you some coin, now you can spend your savings on Appletini's


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

I will have to try that one on my way home on Monday.

John


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

tdvffjohn said:


> I was serious.....it happened


What state was that John? I know Idaho's ports have signs similar, but really mean commercial..

There is not a single commercial port in the US that requires a private party, or non commercial weigh. Now if you are hauling an rv for profit. You must comply with all commercial regs, including log books.

Carey


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

Sayonara said:


> Can you only enter them if they are open or can you enter if they are closed? Meaning, is there any "function" to the scale if the sign says closed? Are the displays usually readable? If they are open, is there a cost or a srecial procedure to follow?


Here in Colorado, the ports show the weight, and to proceed or to pull ahead and park for a reg inspection.

Some states show the weights as you weigh, others dont.

If they are open, do not pull in.. The dot guys dont like there time wasted, nor do us truckers.

For instance, the port I go thru 4 times a day weighs 4000+ trucks daily.. Many ports weigh over 10,000 trucks a day. Rv's are frowned upon if they enter. If there happens to be a state patrol there, they will pull you over for a warning, I see it often.. Some dot guys in the ports assume if you are pulling in to weigh, you are a commercial hauler for profit. They will prolly have you park and want to see registration and insurance. You wouldnt have dot# on the side of your truck so you might have to park and prove that you are private. Most experienced dot guys can figure the private from the commercial though.. Or as they say the riff from raff. lol

You might get a young cocky buck that would give you a hard time though, so stay away if they are open.

Carey


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## Scott and Jamie (Aug 27, 2006)

I use a local fruit cold storages scale that is about 2 miles from my house. But I also use the state ones when ever I feel like it. They are paid for with my tax money so I do feel I have a right to check to make sure I am keeping the roads safe for my family and others. Oregon usually says all trucks must exit so if they give me any greif they can change there d%*$ signs.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Not to be a wise guy but police cars are also paid for with your tax dollars, but I really think they would frown on anyone borrowing one.









The scales are built for a reason and that is safety on the roads. If you do stop at one that is open, don t expect to be handed a weight ticket. Trucks are weighed and then waved thru, the newer scales do it at 40 mph.

John


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Ill stay out if they are open. no need to get in the way of the people who need them and are on a time frame. even if i paid for them...
Ill find another set. If they are closed, however, ill give it a try.


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

Very, very little of the publics tax money pays for the ports of entry. Fines from the truckers pay for them. For instance in Colorado, a torn or missing mudflap, 39 bucks, each brake out of adjustment, 55 bucks, a piece of steel sticking out a bit too far 59 bucks, etc. Log book fines are between 1-200 bucks. Overweight tickets start at 90 bucks.

California is much worse, Log book fines start at 700 and up. Overweights are 3-500.

The drivers pay for these tickets, not the company.

We write our checks to the port of entry, not to the state, city, or county, like regular tickets. There is no court systems like regular tickets, except overweights. Any vehiclular problem the dot guys dont like, we have to pay the fines imposed with no recourse. They stay on our CDL records for 7 years. They are all non-moving tickets, so no points, but if you have more than 3, no insurance company will allow you to be hired by a company. So they are as bad as moving tickets to us. I have had prolly 10 over the years, I have a mudflap ticket, still on from 2001, and an overweight from 2004. All truckers get these, every cdl driver has a few.

The ports are basically there own govt. The DOT officers are class 2 peace officers, and cannot really inforce anything, but we all know if we give them much gruff, they will call there buddies on us.. Who are the State Patrol..

The Colorado State Patrol does not like the public in scales when they are open.. Dont know about other states, but pull in here and you generally are getting a warning. An explanation at minimum.

Carey


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

Scott and Jamie said:


> I use a local fruit cold storages scale that is about 2 miles from my house. But I also use the state ones when ever I feel like it. They are paid for with my tax money so I do feel I have a right to check to make sure I am keeping the roads safe for my family and others. Oregon usually says all trucks must exit so if they give me any greif they can change there d%*$ signs.


Most states do not call a truck a truck, till they weigh 26,001 lbs.. Anything smaller is not classified to the ports as a truck. This goes for all the states I can think of off the top of my head. 
If you weigh less than that you would need to be commercial to be called a truck. Colorado is not interested in straight commercial trucks that weigh less than 26001 lbs.. In fact if you pull your commercial straight truck in that weighs less than 26001 lbs, they frown, just like when someone from the public pulls in.. Other states are different on commercial vehicles that weigh less than 26001 lbs, but most still do not require a weigh in, unless you are 26001 lbs or more.

Sorry Scott

Carey


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## ELSEWHERE (Sep 16, 2007)

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> Very, very little of the publics tax money pays for the ports of entry. Fines from the truckers pay for them. For instance in Colorado, a torn or missing mudflap, 39 bucks, each brake out of adjustment, 55 bucks, a piece of steel sticking out a bit too far 59 bucks, etc. Log book fines are between 1-200 bucks. Overweight tickets start at 90 bucks.
> 
> California is much worse, Log book fines start at 700 and up. Overweights are 3-500.
> 
> ...


In Washington state most tickets written to commercial vehicles are written in to local district courts, the few remaining to local (city) municipal courts. All tickets can be contested in the court it is written in to. About 80 to 90% of the revenue goes to the state, the remainder to local jurisdictions, none directly to a scale or port of entry. Just about every state is a little different in it's bail or penalty schedule amounts. The cheapest you can get by on in Washington is an equipment violation, currently $124. About the highest for an infraction is around $500, except for overweight tickets. The cheapest overweight ticket is just under $200. The largest overweight ticket I have heard of was over $30,000. I have written several in excess of $6,000. If I was working on a commission I could have retired long ago. In Washington the district or jurisdiction normally dictates to the officer whether he can write the citation to the driver, the owner or either one. I have gone on to jobsites and written the property owner and even a loader operator. Whether it be a port of entry or an interior scale in Washington they are staffed by officers that have either a limited commission, allowing them to enforce laws only pertaining to commercial vehicles, and/or State Troopers who can do about anything to a trucker, or anyone else. Although most states base their commercial vehicle laws on the Code of Federal Regulations they also add local "tweeks" to them, establish their own bail schedules or penaltys, enforce them with various types of officers and distribute the revenues in different manners.

As Carey said, it is best to avoid the scales when they are open but Washington state could care less if you use them when they are closed.


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

Dang Washington has to be the worst, fine wise, uh? I thought California was bad.. lol

Colorado allows 80k lbs on the interstates, and 36k on duals and 13k on steers. But if you are off the interstate you are allowed 85k lbs, and 40k duals and the max allowed on the tire sidewall for steers, which is around 15k.

Like Elsewhere said every state is different..

Here they really enforce brake adjustment, prolly cause of all the hills here, but all of the states in the west have hills.

Great info elsewhere! Thanks!

If I visit your state, I will make sure my weights are correct!

Carey


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## Scott and Jamie (Aug 27, 2006)

All I can say is a talked to a very nice lady at ODOT that replied to my email asking if it was ok for a private vehicle to use the scales if they are open. Her response was absolutely. I've hunted with two weigh masters that also said that they have no problem with private vehicles as long as they roll across the scale and don't hold up traffic. Sorry if my post came out wrong above but was irratated when it was stated to stay out of a open scale because the DOT guys and truckers don't like it" I alos don't like it when the trucks are doing 75 in a 55 are they going to start doing 55

Scott


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## ELSEWHERE (Sep 16, 2007)

Great info elsewhere! Thanks!

If I visit your state, I will make sure my weights are correct!

Carey
[/quote]

Be sure and let me know when you're coming







, but hurry, I'm retiring in 1 1/2 months!!


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

Scott and Jamie said:


> All I can say is a talked to a very nice lady at ODOT that replied to my email asking if it was ok for a private vehicle to use the scales if they are open. Her response was absolutely. I've hunted with two weigh masters that also said that they have no problem with private vehicles as long as they roll across the scale and don't hold up traffic. Sorry if my post came out wrong above but was irratated when it was stated to stay out of a open scale because the DOT guys and truckers don't like it" I alos don't like it when the trucks are doing 75 in a 55 are they going to start doing 55
> 
> Scott


Going in, rolling across the scale and not holding up traffic means you do not see what it weighed which is what the reason for the weigh was.


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## Scott and Jamie (Aug 27, 2006)

tdvffjohn said:


> All I can say is a talked to a very nice lady at ODOT that replied to my email asking if it was ok for a private vehicle to use the scales if they are open. Her response was absolutely. I've hunted with two weigh masters that also said that they have no problem with private vehicles as long as they roll across the scale and don't hold up traffic. Sorry if my post came out wrong above but was irratated when it was stated to stay out of a open scale because the DOT guys and truckers don't like it" I alos don't like it when the trucks are doing 75 in a 55 are they going to start doing 55
> 
> Scott


Going in, rolling across the scale and not holding up traffic means you do not see what it weighed which is what the reason for the weigh was.
[/quote]

All of the state scales I have been through all you need to do is look up at the LCD display that shows your weight. You roll onto the scale look at the weight and proceed. I'm not saying to go into a open station when trucks are backed up.

No I can't see some one using a specialized emergency or law enforcemenct vehicles but I do go down to my county shop and use specialty tools that I fill out my name address and then use them for a day or two and then return at no charge.

Scott


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

Again Scott, every state is different. In Oregon they dont care, here they do...

And again, Oregon has a very tough to do 55 mph speed limit for trucks. Colorado and most states west of the missippi has a 70-75 mph speed limit..

When you have been running 70-75 for days and enter Oregon, or Cali and have to do 55 mph, it is incredibly hard not to fall asleep at the wheel.. lol.. I guess you folks think its safer, but I feel much more comfortable driving when I actually have to pay attention to what I'm doing, and doing 70-75 requires paying attention to be safe.. So i actually feel safer at 75-80 than 55-60. I generally run 65-70 in these western slow states and keep a good ear on the CB. I feel safer at speeds around 70+ and for me, thats all that matters.. My couple million, accident, and speeding ticket free miles prove it.

I'm not the only one who feels this way.. Us truckers all feel vunerable to falling asleep in the western slow states, we all comment on it.. We all have to work together talking on the CB to keep eachother awake. Its brutal! With our modern super cushy trucks you hardly feel like your moving at 55, and this is the problem we all commit on.. But again Oregon and Cali have many double trailer trucks out there.. But here in Colorado we tow triple trailers, which Or and cali do not allow, and most guys run around 70 with triples.. Our triples law allows 110,000 lbs, and a 110 foot length limit. Cali and Oregon have very consrvative trucking weight, length, and speed laws.. I have no clue to why oregon and cali have such low limits.. We have much worse driving conditions in the interior west/midwest than the coastal west.. I dont know, maybe you guys think rain is worse than snow lol.. Many guys charge more to go to these states cause they are a pain in the A$$ to drive in.

Back east there are a few slow speed states, but the traffic is way worse than in the west.. I actually agree with the eastern states with 55-60mph limits.. Like Il, In, Oh. for instance. The west is a whole different matter.

Its too bad every state has to be so different.

Carey


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

This discussion is turning into a tug of war. It is obvious that different states have different allowances regarding scales. I have never seen a scale that I could see my weight after I rolled over it but I ve never been on a scale out of NY, NJ, or Pa so I learned something. After driving tractor trailer for 25 years, I see both sides to this.

I would suggest that someone research what is allowed in the state you live in regarding the scales.

John


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

tdvffjohn said:


> I would suggest that someone research what is allowed in the state you live in regarding the scales.
> John


ditto. probably the best thing to do.


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