Who wants to pay overweight truck fines? The answer is clear: no one! However, sometimes they are hard to avoid. While it is true that as the driver you may not necessarily know the weight of the shipment, you are still held accountable for it. Additionally, if you are caught driving an overweight truck, the violation could impact your driving record. Therefore, we’ve compiled a few ways to help truckers avoid those overweight truck fines.
Monitor Fuel Levels
Your fuel weight is added to your load weight when counted, so knowing exactly how much fuel you have is key. If you are close to reaching a weigh station, make sure your tank is closer to empty.
Carry Weighing Devices
Furthermore, truckers who carry their own weighing device will know if the shipment is overweight beforehand. If you are hauling an overweight truck, it is best to contact the shipper. They might agree to cover any fines you accrue along the way. In addition, shippers can make special arrangements with the Department of Transportation to rectify the matter. Additionally, permits for oversized loads can be obtained.
Owner Prevention
Moreover, if you are a business that owns trucks and shipping companies, you can train your drivers to calculate weight. Along with planning the route in advance, truck owners should also have their overweight permits ready to go. Besides, making sure the shipment is properly loaded ahead of time will also help with avoiding overweight fees.
Follow the Rules
Without a doubt, simply following the weight limit rules will help you avoid overweight truck fines. For instance, if the limit is 80,000 pounds and you are transporting 75,000, keep in mind that your fuel will also be added to the weight. Therefore, it is important that both the owner and driver work together to abide by the rules.
