What are weight stations?

[Flip]

Hi all,

I have read there will be Weight Stations, can somebody explain their purpose and if they are mandatory?

Sorry for the silly question but as I do not drive irl and these were not in ETS2 I would just like to know before I rack up potentially numerous fines (apart from the usual forgetting headlines one I always seem to get :) )

[SeikakuOtosan]

Първоначално публикувано от Les:

I was a truck driver in real life as for weights, for the steering axle is 12000 pounds the drive axles 34000 pounds and trailer is also 34000 pounds 80000 max pounds on a standard 18 wheeler truck. not all weight stations are open 24hrs a day like someone said but in california there are a few that stay open. coming south on I5 coming into redding california that is open alot and leaving going north that is open alot too.

actually the steer axel has many different regulations in reguards to weight depending on where you are driving. it can vary quite widely.

The Steer Axle

There are various rules and regulations regarding the legal weight limit of your steer axle from state to state. Many states limit it to either 12,000 pounds or 20,000 pounds, but there are others that set a different limit or use a calculation based on tire tread width. For example, Kentucky has a limit of 700 pounds per inch of tread width. So if you have a 10 inch wide tire tread, you are allowed a maximum of 7,000 pounds per tire (700 pounds per inch x 10 inches wide) or 14,000 pounds total for the steer axle.

Keep in mind though - even if they allow 14,000 pounds on the steer axle, you have to have tires that are rated to carry that much weight. If your steer tires have a tire load limit of 6,000 pounds each, you can only carry 12,000 pounds on your steer axle, regardless of state laws.

You can look up the legal limits for each state in the Rand McNally Motor Carrier's Road Atlas.

[Bernie]

For california here is the official weight limits regarding Trucks...
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/trucks/trucksize/weight.htm

[room217au]

Първоначално публикувано от Malkuth:

Първоначално публикувано от NoName:

what's the point of this feature within the game?
what do you do if you are over weight? you can't switch to a bigger trailer, do you?

Have not had it happen yet but in game when driving you get randomly picked to be weigthed at the stations. Sometimes you can drive right by other times a pop up will come up telling you to pull in and get weighted. I also heard that you don't have much time between the pop up and the stop so you have to pay attention.

if you skip the weigh in. You get fined.. But only if your chosen.

All of the above.
Haven't visited a Service Centre for a while?
Got more than 20% 'damage'?
Take a chance on a random call-in to a weight bridge, which, incidentally aren't ONLY about the load ;)
Think about that one for a minute.

All the aussie drivers will know what Mermaids are ;)

[Wrabbit2000]

actually the steer axel has many different regulations in reguards to weight depending on where you are driving. it can vary quite widely.

I'd started to post more about this, but quickly realized that an accurate look at US weights would be more than a post could cover, eh? You have the standard deviations for steers and axle sets by states, then special categories for things like Coal trucks and as I recall..Apple trucks (In Washington, anyway). Actually..I want to say there was a configuration that carried from Washington into Idaho over 100,000lbs in a specialty category...but again, that is the whole thing, isn't it? It gets downright silly in complexity to look much beyond the first pages of a Rand Mcnally truck atlas.

Personally, I think it may get to be too much like real work to start to learn a real sim of the absurd US regulations for just how different it can get across a line on a map. I'd still love to see some variance in how loads go on for balance and distributing the overall weight to 12, 34, 34 tho. That alone can be quite the challenge, especially with multi-pickup produce loads.

There is so much I think a game like this could see added over time to really add to the depth.

[pandab34r]

Първоначално публикувано от Eriol_Mits:

Am kind of wondering is it possible to fail for being over weight? or will you always pass so long as you pull into the station?

Realistically, truckers do move loads that are over the legal axle weight limit in CA, if they are going a short enough distance to where they can avoid the scales. From my limited time in this game so far (maybe about 4 hours?) I have not seen any loads that would be over legal weight limit in the US anyway. I'd imagine the game will not give you overweight loads, and that you will successfully scale every time as long as you actually visit the scale. I think it would be kind of annoying if you get to the scale and you are overweight on an axle and have to go back to the loading dock to get the load reworked; it happens sometimes in real life but I think it would be just annoying in the game. Would be more realistic though :D

Basically there is a total weight limit of 80,000 pounds (truck, load, trailer, everything), but there is also a limit to how much can be on each axle. Simple aka the Lawnmower has explained the axle laws very well in an earlier comment, look there for more info.

[ZombieHunter]

Weight limits are exactly what these presumably real life truckers have said. What they did not say is actually its not about safety and probably not about preserving the road as much as it is about another stream of revenue for the states much like most of the road laws are on the books for in the USA. The police love to pull over semis here. My fine is peanuts compared to a semi truck.

Don't let anyone tell you different. Most modern speed limits, weight limits and other limit laws are not about safety. They are about money. Pure and simple. Our roads are safe but some of our laws and politicians make them dangerous.

[Les]

The split speed limits are crazy to do as well 65 for cars and 55 for trucks, cars slamming into the back of a truck, even triple A says split speed limits are more dangerous.

[SquirrelNutzzzz]

Първоначално публикувано от Old No 7:

By A Real Truck Driver, About Weight Stations: Weight Stations are in every state in the United States, These Weight Stations are simply for weighting all freight no matter what it is. The reason for this is each trailer has it's own weight limit and by adding weight to a certain trailer it has to add up to a certain amount of weight per axle, this protects not only the trailer but our roads as well. if a trailer is over weight you will receive a huge fine and be forced to move the freight around for the correct weight per axle or wait until another truck and trailer from your company arrives to take some freight off your trailer, you are not allowed to drive with over weight trailers in the United States. And these Weight Stations help you decide what your weight is so you are not over the weight limit.

That is not correct. You can drive over weight in the United States as long as you have the proper permits from the DOT in every state you are passing through. Also there are not weight stations in every state in the country since Mass does not use them. Thier DOT carry mobile scales and will pull you over and throw it down on the side of the highway that way no truck will know when and where it will happen. Same goes for NH, Thier weigh stations are almost never open but have mobile ones in rest areas and pull off accross the state.

Shifting wieght around will never work due to the fact that if you are overweight you will always be unless you take some off. A trailer that weighs 80,000 lbs will not all of a sudden weigh 75,000 because you moved some of the load around, you will still have 80,000 on the floor.

[SquirrelNutzzzz]

Първоначално публикувано от pandab34r:

Първоначално публикувано от Eriol_Mits:

Am kind of wondering is it possible to fail for being over weight? or will you always pass so long as you pull into the station?

Realistically, truckers do move loads that are over the legal axle weight limit in CA, if they are going a short enough distance to where they can avoid the scales. From my limited time in this game so far (maybe about 4 hours?) I have not seen any loads that would be over legal weight limit in the US anyway. I'd imagine the game will not give you overweight loads, and that you will successfully scale every time as long as you actually visit the scale. I think it would be kind of annoying if you get to the scale and you are overweight on an axle and have to go back to the loading dock to get the load reworked; it happens sometimes in real life but I think it would be just annoying in the game. Would be more realistic though :D

Basically there is a total weight limit of 80,000 pounds (truck, load, trailer, everything), but there is also a limit to how much can be on each axle. Simple aka the Lawnmower has explained the axle laws very well in an earlier comment, look there for more info.

18wos used to have overweight loads. I remember one was a short haul from Reno to Las Vegas and I would take it all the time lol. would love to see them put the option to haul overwieght loads.

[Nomad]

Първоначално публикувано от angelonero:

Първоначално публикувано от Old No 7:

By A Real Truck Driver, About Weight Stations: Weight Stations are in every state in the United States, These Weight Stations are simply for weighting all freight no matter what it is. The reason for this is each trailer has it's own weight limit and by adding weight to a certain trailer it has to add up to a certain amount of weight per axle, this protects not only the trailer but our roads as well. if a trailer is over weight you will receive a huge fine and be forced to move the freight around for the correct weight per axle or wait until another truck and trailer from your company arrives to take some freight off your trailer, you are not allowed to drive with over weight trailers in the United States. And these Weight Stations help you decide what your weight is so you are not over the weight limit.

That is not correct. You can drive over weight in the United States as long as you have the proper permits from the DOT in every state you are passing through. Also there are not weight stations in every state in the country since Mass does not use them. Thier DOT carry mobile scales and will pull you over and throw it down on the side of the highway that way no truck will know when and where it will happen. Same goes for NH, Thier weigh stations are almost never open but have mobile ones in rest areas and pull off accross the state.

Shifting wieght around will never work due to the fact that if you are overweight you will always be unless you take some off. A trailer that weighs 80,000 lbs will not all of a sudden weigh 75,000 because you moved some of the load around, you will still have 80,000 on the floor.

True, but you can be under total and still be over on an axle, which is where shifting the weight comes in.

[𝓛𝓪𝓲𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓼]

Can someone maybe tell me how to increase the pullover's in the gas station/weight station, i have not yet been pulled over, or as another name, the non-goverment weight stations, is it only because it's a non-goverment?

[LittleBlueDuneBuggy]

Първоначално публикувано от LaimonasLT-UK-NO:

Can someone maybe tell me how to increase the pullover's in the gas station/weight station, i have not yet been pulled over, or as another name, the non-goverment weight stations, is it only because it's a non-goverment?

It doesn't have a function in game yet. Right now, the scales at the gas station are for show. Even IRL, they are only there for your convenience. You don't "have" to pull onto them ever.

[Princess Goddammit]

Back in the day (1976) when we travelled, truckers would ask you to keep an eye out for a "chicken coop" ( weigh station) over the CB radio. They always wanted to know if the "chicken coop" was open or not. They were quite happy when it was closed. I suppose if it was open, they could take an alternate route. They were pretty good guys too, most of them. If you had trouble or got lost, they were the first ones to lend a hand, or get you pointed in the right direction.

[Bee Bender]

Keep in mind, in the U.S. both the 5th Wheel and the trailer axles can slide backward or forward allowing the driver to adjust the weight on the axles/tandoms to stay legal. I also picked up from many places that had scales right on site so when I was loaded I could check the weight and adjust it if I needed too get legal.

[Matias¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

How can u tell if u have to stop at the weightstation?