It's a Team's Life
What Happened at the weigh station?
There are many transponders that truckers can use so they do not have to enter all of the open weigh stations. We have only used PrePass and so are familiar with the green light to bypass the scale or red light to enter the scale.
Over the years we have been through all types of weigh stations. Some are large with several lanes crossing the scales, empty lanes, loaded lanes, and oversize lane. Others follow a path around and around before crossing a little scale and then following another path to figure out how to get back out of the weigh station. Some are easy to see from the road and others make you wonder where they hid the darn thing.
The funniest part of weigh stations is the stories you hear from other drivers about what happened at the weigh station. There are always the bad ones but who wants to remember them. Here are examples of stories and while some happened to us and other drivers.
A team was on their first load after getting a lift axle and had the axle up. As the lady crossed the weigh station the red light came on so she stopped. A voice over the loudspeaker “put your lift ale down” and now she is yelling at her husband in the sleeper “how do I put the lift axle down?” He lowered the axle and she got a green light.
Another new team pulled into a weigh station with both of them sitting in the front seat. The scale master came out and asked her “do you drive this truck?” and in a proud voice, she said, “why yes I do” to which he replied “you need to be in the sleeper not in the front seat” so she moved back and then asked questions of her driver friends wanting to know what she did wrong?
Years ago when GPS’s were just become a thing for trucks a driver went through a weigh station and the GPS had a small antenna that fit on the windshield. As the truck was crossing the scale they got a red light and stopped. Out comes the scale master and steps up on the steps and points at the windshield and asks “what is that?” in a confused voice the driver replied “my GPS?” wondering what kind of trick question was being asked. Then the officer asks “what is that on the windshield behind the GPS?” and now the driver replies “the GPS antenna?” still wondering about the trick questions. Now the deflated officer says “those things are driving us nuts as they show up as radar detectors” The officer when to have a pleasant conversation before stepping off the running boards and telling the driver to have a nice day.
There are smaller weigh stations in Wyoming where almost every truck is told to pull around back and bring in your paperwork. This always seems like a long walk to the principles office to either be nothing or a lot of questions. What can be confusing is how the questions are asked as different states call the same paper by different names. The tension mounts as you get closer to the door of the scale house. Usually and by that I mean almost always the officer is nice and professional and the experience is easy. Look around as the view from the inside of a weight station is very interesting.
Recently while crossing a scale with three lanes the red light came on for me and the driver on my right. We watched as an officer came out and crossed our lanes to watch the truck approaching to my left. As the truck pulled up the officer asked him to roll his passenger window down and told him he wanted to look at the back of the trailer so pull forward. The truck pulled forward and the officer looked at the back of the trailer and saw something that I sure couldn't see and then asked the driver to pull around back. Finally, our lights turned green, and off we went. No this is not a drag race so pull forward at the posted speed for the scale. Always follow the speed limit in the scale as I have heard of drivers getting a ticket in the scale.
Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee
Saint Louis MO
Expediters since January 2005
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.