Over-the-road trucking comes with many challenges, one of them is overweight truck fine. Whether you are a truck driver or a shipper, you don’t want to impose heavy penalties on yourself or the company.No one is willing to pay overweight truck fines, but they are hard to avoid. While taking out the shipment, you must be extra careful about the weight limits.
As a truck driver, you may not know the weight of the shipment, or the shipper may be trying to sneak some extra things onboard. Despite that, you will be held accountable, and the violation could also go on your driving record.
Here are some tips to help you keep your cargo under the weight limit and avoid overweight shipment fines.
- Secure your load
Before going on the road, always double-check your cargo’s weight. If you suspect that it is overweight, contact the shipper immediately. If the shipper knows beforehand, they can make arrangements with the transportation department to take care of the situation. In addition, overweight cargo may damage your vehicle’s axles or even the trailer. Keeping your load secure could save you from damaging the cargo or paying fines.
- Defensive hauling
A great preventive measure is to buy one’s weighing scale, so you can check the weight of the shipment before getting on the road. This way, you can easily add or remove some weight as needed. Also, blindly believing your client’s word on the cargo weight could put you in trouble.
- Get a Permit
Investing in an oversized permit is better than paying overweight fines regularly.
Oversize permits vary from state to state. You can call your state department and get information on weight limits, requirements, and how to apply for it. So driving an overweight truck would keep your mind at peace, knowing that you have been covered.
- Fuel Weight
Taking the fuel weight into account seems quite important. If you send the truck on a long route, you can calculate how much fuel will be burned off between truck stops and how much extra you need. A few extra stops for refueling with smaller quantities are always better than paying fines.
FAQ
- What are the reasons for putting a weight limit?
Weight limits are put to protect the roads and local entities. Safety is another reason. It is easier to stop a truck that does not weigh much.
- How can an overweight fine be avoided by planning your route?
It will help reduce your stress on the road, giving you a smooth driving experience. When drivers know the route well, they can map out all the gas stations, keeping the fuel level at a minimum.
Conclusion:
Overweight fines can affect your business in many ways. Therefore, you can pull into the weigh station confidently by investing in weighing scales and considering the above factors. Besides this, getting an overweight permit is better than getting charged several times within the same area. Gillson solutions make sure that their drivers do not carry overweight shipments. It saves them and their driver from paying heavy fines.