weight scales
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 161
Likes: 1
From: ohio
I really do want to get brakes. Just got to convince the other half to let me buy a bigger trailer. Edited: I did just look up ohio revised code laws and found it did say trailers 2k empty or more must have brakes. I have no idea why they would care about empty weight and not loaded, who knows, but I guess I'm good there.
atleat that's how I look at it, but what do I know lol
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,000
Likes: 4
From: Nowthen, MN
This is something that really should be standardized nationwide. There really is no reason for things like this to vary so much from state to state.
One that really caught my eye is Missouri, where brakes are only required on fifth wheels. You could tow a 10,000 lb bumper pull trailer with no brakes, but a fifth wheel that weighs half that much is required to have them.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,811
Likes: 15
From: Central Ohio
Here you go, Ohio requires brakes on any trailer with an empty weight over 2000 lbs.
Trailer Brakes | AAA/CAA Digest of Motor Laws
Trailer Brakes | AAA/CAA Digest of Motor Laws
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,524
Likes: 2
From: CA Bay Area
You can't standardize everything. California is much harder to drive than most of the states, that is why we don't allow double semitrailer towing and our trailers GVW above 1500 lb have to have brakes. On flat lands in Nebraska I was offered 7000lb trailer with no brakes.
With brakes there is one fact >>> you think you have them adequate till the situation proves you wrong and that very often ends tragic.
With brakes there is one fact >>> you think you have them adequate till the situation proves you wrong and that very often ends tragic.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,000
Likes: 4
From: Nowthen, MN
You can't standardize everything. California is much harder to drive than most of the states, that is why we don't allow double semitrailer towing and our trailers GVW above 1500 lb have to have brakes. On flat lands in Nebraska I was offered 7000lb trailer with no brakes.
With brakes there is one fact >>> you think you have them adequate till the situation proves you wrong and that very often ends tragic.
With brakes there is one fact >>> you think you have them adequate till the situation proves you wrong and that very often ends tragic.
I totally agree with the second part of what you said there, whuch is exactly why things like this should be standardized. The guy in Nebraska that isn't required to have brakes on his 7000 pound trailer would be asking for disaster if he headed one state to the west into the mountains with no trailer brakes.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,314
Likes: 4
Google has everything you want to know 
https://www.google.com/search?q=cat+scales
$9.50 and they follow the script exactly...
pull into scale entrance until you are even with intercom / button...
(pull close to left as the button is semi height )
push button and they say
"Weigh or reweigh?" - first time through is weigh !
"truck number ?" - tell them your lucky number or anything...
"Got your weight come to the fuel desk to collect your report"
pays your money and go about your way
here's a snippet of mine below with 5th wheel attached:
the next time you go to reweigh you just pay $1.00 or so... but give them the same number
peice of cake
https://www.google.com/search?q=cat+scales
$9.50 and they follow the script exactly...
pull into scale entrance until you are even with intercom / button...
(pull close to left as the button is semi height
)push button and they say
"Weigh or reweigh?" - first time through is weigh !
"truck number ?" - tell them your lucky number or anything...
"Got your weight come to the fuel desk to collect your report"
pays your money and go about your way
here's a snippet of mine below with 5th wheel attached:
the next time you go to reweigh you just pay $1.00 or so... but give them the same number
peice of cake
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 843
Likes: 6
From: Jessup, PA
I totally agree with the second part of what you said there, whuch is exactly why things like this should be standardized. The guy in Nebraska that isn't required to have brakes on his 7000 pound trailer would be asking for disaster if he headed one state to the west into the mountains with no trailer brakes.
I think it is right for individual states to govern their own state and set laws that apply to their state. However, if drivers go across states even as little as 1 time, it is their responsibilty to know the laws that apply and make the proper adjustments to comply.
Driving codes are like buildings codes. They are very dependent on the geographical area and population. Buildings in PA don't need to built to withstand earthquakes like they do in CA. If an architect that designs buildings in PA designs a building to be built in CA, he has to make the adjustments to comply with CA building codes and vice versa.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,811
Likes: 15
From: Central Ohio
Google has everything you want to know
https://www.google.com/search?q=cat+scales
$9.50 and they follow the script exactly...
pull into scale entrance until you are even with intercom / button...
(pull close to left as the button is semi height )
push button and they say
"Weigh or reweigh?" - first time through is weigh !
"truck number ?" - tell them your lucky number or anything...
"Got your weight come to the fuel desk to collect your report"
pays your money and go about your way
here's a snippet of mine below with 5th wheel attached:
the next time you go to reweigh you just pay $1.00 or so... but give them the same number
peice of cake
https://www.google.com/search?q=cat+scales
$9.50 and they follow the script exactly...
pull into scale entrance until you are even with intercom / button...
(pull close to left as the button is semi height
)push button and they say
"Weigh or reweigh?" - first time through is weigh !
"truck number ?" - tell them your lucky number or anything...
"Got your weight come to the fuel desk to collect your report"
pays your money and go about your way
here's a snippet of mine below with 5th wheel attached:
the next time you go to reweigh you just pay $1.00 or so... but give them the same number
peice of cake
Do they need a unique truck number or just anything like '350'?
I've been getting home too late and have to get up to early to take my truck to the scales. I have tomorrow off so I may do it tomorrow. Whats usually the least busy time from truckers? I have to stay up late to start my transition to nightshift fri night so I'll be up probably around 8am tomorrow to around 2am, I'm not really sure when the slow spot is for semis.
As for standardization of vehicle laws, well I can see both sides but I would be in favor of standard laws. I can understand local building codes. You dont take your house across state lines to often and the locale has a lot to do with the building (snow load on roof, flooding, earthquake, etc.) I cant see nearly as many locale specific needs for vehicles (well maybe hilly states would have greater brake requirements, I can agree with that).
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Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 25,479
Likes: 742
From: Isanti, MN
Just say "private". You're not a for-hire carrier and therefore the certification means nothing to you. I've used scales mostly while driving trucks but also when moving with the military. They will weigh just about anything you put on the scale, they care less. You might have to call the fuel desk on your cell phone because often the button and speaker are even with a truck's cab.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,811
Likes: 15
From: Central Ohio
Ok so I weighed it yesterday. Minus driver, as I forgot to ask for a phone # and had to walk in to tell em I was on the scales.
Anyway, FWIW:
Steer axle: 4300 (5200 rated)
Drive axle: 6760 (6262 rated)
Trailer axle: 3760 (3500 rated)
So more or less what I expected. However when I was actually hauling everything home, there is the added weight of myself, wife, son, dog and, probably 100 lbs more gear, so + ~600 lbs more. Compared to my usual trip back from the woods I was average or maybe a touch heavy on the trailer, but a touch lighter on the load in the truck. I was hauling mostly cherry, and it wasnt stuffed full. Hauling black locust would have been easily 1,000 lbs more on the truck. Times like this I wish I had got a dually. I'm already 500 lbs over on the rear axle of the truck not even including all drivers/passengers and the times I haul heavier wood. So I need to shift some of that weight to the trailer,and I'm maxed out there too, so need to start shopping for a bigger trailer.
I'll have to go back over emtpy as soon as I get it all unloaded.
Anyway, FWIW:
Steer axle: 4300 (5200 rated)
Drive axle: 6760 (6262 rated)
Trailer axle: 3760 (3500 rated)
So more or less what I expected. However when I was actually hauling everything home, there is the added weight of myself, wife, son, dog and, probably 100 lbs more gear, so + ~600 lbs more. Compared to my usual trip back from the woods I was average or maybe a touch heavy on the trailer, but a touch lighter on the load in the truck. I was hauling mostly cherry, and it wasnt stuffed full. Hauling black locust would have been easily 1,000 lbs more on the truck. Times like this I wish I had got a dually. I'm already 500 lbs over on the rear axle of the truck not even including all drivers/passengers and the times I haul heavier wood. So I need to shift some of that weight to the trailer,and I'm maxed out there too, so need to start shopping for a bigger trailer.
I'll have to go back over emtpy as soon as I get it all unloaded.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,000
Likes: 4
From: Nowthen, MN
+1 on needing a bigger trailer. Looks like you are probably hauling about double your trailer's capacity. Not only is the axle over capacity, but it looks like you probably have way too much tongue weight as well. What you really need is a tandem axle trailer that can carry more of the load on the trailer, plus a weight distributing hitch which would transfer some of that weight to the front axle.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,811
Likes: 15
From: Central Ohio
I dont think I was that far over the weight rating of the trailer, I mean it was only a couple hundred pounds. But yeah, looking for a tandem axle car hauler sized trailer, just a matter of being able to find one cheap enough. Still debating putting a 5k axle on my current trailer though since I am having trouble finding a bigger trailer.
Just fwiw here is what the typical trip back from the woods looks like.
That particular trip was mostly locust, and heaped right up over my rails. The trip I weighed was cherry and not quite that full either.
Just fwiw here is what the typical trip back from the woods looks like.
That particular trip was mostly locust, and heaped right up over my rails. The trip I weighed was cherry and not quite that full either.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,000
Likes: 4
From: Nowthen, MN
Ok, I didn't realize you were hauling that much on the truck in addition to the trailer. You need to get some of the weight iff the truck and on the trailer instead, but you can't since the trailer is already over capacity.
You could put a heavier axle under that trailer, but don't forget you would also need higher capacity tires. Only problem here is that you are still on a frame that's only designed for 3500 lbs.
IMO you should find a larger tandem axle trailer and then sell the one you have now to offset some of the cost. Then you would have a trailer with significantly more capacity, and it probably wouldn't cost much more in the end than it would to "upgrade" your current trailer.
Edit: I don't know how close this is to you, but it looks like exactly what you need at a pretty good price.
http://columbus.craigslist.org/grd/2888072068.html
[IMG]http://images.craigslist.org/5L35Ge5Mf3G53Ia3Fbc3676da3b0e90641877.jpg[IMG]
You could put a heavier axle under that trailer, but don't forget you would also need higher capacity tires. Only problem here is that you are still on a frame that's only designed for 3500 lbs.
IMO you should find a larger tandem axle trailer and then sell the one you have now to offset some of the cost. Then you would have a trailer with significantly more capacity, and it probably wouldn't cost much more in the end than it would to "upgrade" your current trailer.
Edit: I don't know how close this is to you, but it looks like exactly what you need at a pretty good price.
http://columbus.craigslist.org/grd/2888072068.html
[IMG]http://images.craigslist.org/5L35Ge5Mf3G53Ia3Fbc3676da3b0e90641877.jpg[IMG]