Pride's Andy deLivron
“If you are working with a mechanics truck that has lubrications capabilities, ensure that the product tanks are full.”
Being slapped with a fine for an overweight vehicle is one of the biggest worries for a truck operator.
Such a fine — usually calculated according to the weight that is in excess per axle limit — not only creates a bad image and reputation for a company but also negatively affects its bottom line. These charges can exceed several thousand dollars. And subsequent violations can result in the vehicle being impounded.
Thus, it is easier and better to prevent an overweight situation than to have to deal with the repercussions. You will do well to put in place precautions and strict measures to avoid overweight fines.
Aluminum construction helps.
Although the advantages of a mechanics truck are clear, selecting the body of the truck can be challenging. You need to take into consideration a number of factors that include the chassis. The truck you choose must have sufficient gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) that will maintain road legality when the payload is taken into account. If you are working with a mechanics truck that has lubrication capabilities, ensure that the product tanks are full. Calculation of proper weight distribution is crucial to preparation of a mechanics truck.
The following are a few tips on how to avoid overweight truck fines:
• Train drivers on the importance of calculating their fuel weight. While it is common to account for fuel when you are measuring the weight of your load, the importance of this procedure cannot be emphasized enough. For trucks that are going on a long route, be sure to calculate the amount of fuel that is burned off between the truck shops. You may also need to calculate the amount needed to take on in between. Making a few more stops to refuel is far better than paying a fine for having a little extra fuel on board.
• Ensure your equipment is well-maintained at all times. Always make sure your weighing scale and the truck are in good working condition. This goes a long way in preventing errors, damage, and accidents. Thus, you may consider doing routing safety and maintenance checks on your vehicle as well as having your weighing equipment calibrated by a professional regularly.
• Consider buying your own truck scales. Investing in your own truck scales gives you an upper hand in that you will be better informed about the weight of your truck, letting you make the appropriate decision on a new load. It also means that you will not blindly accept the client’s word on the weight of the load as you can see it for yourself first hand. Drivers will have the information they need before they set out as opposed to having to rely on the scales at the government-run stops.
• Have a plan for your route in advance. Planning your route will help you save money and time while staying clear of unnecessary trouble. Among the things that you must plan for are scales to check your weight, truck stops, and fuel stops. This helps in predicting your delivery periods as well as working around poor road conditions and bad weather.
• Be sure to secure your loads properly. Double-check your freight and truck before you set out. This ensures that the load is secure and evenly distributed. You may use containers, ties, and tarps to prevent the cargo from loosening or causing a hazard. Ultimately, be sure to follow safety instruction to the latter.
• Find information on overweight permits. If your nature of work requires that you go beyond the acceptable weight limit, you will do well to equip yourself with information about this from the local government. Some locales allow you to obtain a permit to operate an overweight truck. Even then, this usually works best for regional companies.
Overweight fines can be costly to your business in many ways. Therefore, by investing in truck scales and taking other factors discussed above into consideration, you can be sure to pull into the weigh station confidently. Ensure that you train each driver to account for the weight of the fuel they are carrying. Ultimately, you will do well to consider getting an overweight permit if you are often ferrying unacceptable weight or have been fined several times within the same area.
Kevin Hill heads up the marketing efforts and provides technical expertise to Quality Scales Unlimited in Byron, Calif.
