Are you about to make a long shift using box or cargo trucks and worried about few questions about weight? So, do box trucks need to stop at weigh stations or not?
This free report will discuss if box trucks have to stop at weigh stations and what factors can lead you to stop at weigh stations. Here is what you need to know about box trucks and weigh stations!
Contents
- 1 Do Box Trucks Have to Stop At Weigh Stations?
- 2 Why Do Trucks Need to Stop at Weigh Station?
- 3 Do Moving Trucks Have to Stop at Weigh Stations
- 4 What Trucks Have to Stop at Weigh Stations
- 5 Weigh Station Requirements by States
- 6 Benefits and Purpose of Weigh Stations
- 7 Do Uhauls have to stop at weigh stations?
- 8 What Does Truck Bypass Weigh Station Mean?
- 9 How to avoid the weigh stations?
- 10 Do box trucks have to stop at Texas, Virginia, and Michigan weigh stations?
- 11 Why do some trucks not stop at weigh stations?
- 12 Conclusion
Do Box Trucks Have to Stop At Weigh Stations?
If you happen to own a box truck and want to know whether you have to make a stop at the weighing station, the answer is, it depends! Generally, box truck drivers do not need to stop at a weigh station, as driving a box truck is not considered a commercial move.
While, states like Alaska, Arkansas, and California require box trucks or any truck carrying a weight of 10,000 pounds or more to stop at the weighing stations.
If you wish not to stop at the weighing station, keep their truck’s weight in check! And if your rental truck weighs more than the gross combination weight rating, you need to stop at a weigh station.
Why Do Trucks Need to Stop at Weigh Station?
Do trucks have to stop at every weigh station and why? All the states in the USA have a varied set of rules and regulations.
And when it comes to weighing stations, all trucks must stop at a weighing station. Especially the commercial ones!
The weigh stations check the weight that the trucks carry and look if they are operating correctly on roads without hampering the infrastructure.
This regulation is based on the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating), which is the maximum weight limit a truck can carry.
Truck drivers need to stop at the weighing station if the GVWR exceeds 10,000 lbs or more. As per weigh station rules, vehicles weighing more than the registered gross weight need to stop.
Do Moving Trucks Have to Stop at Weigh Stations
Are you wondering if rental trucks have to stop at weigh stations, or not? Most moving trucks are rental trucks, and as with all rental trucks, they expect to stop at weigh stations on the highway.
Yes, all rental and moving trucks have to stop at weigh stations. All weigh stations have signs that tell you in plain English that “all rental trucks must stop for inspection.” This procedure is also in line with CVC section 410.
These weigh stations perform the primary duty of ensuring that moving trucks do not exceed the weight limit for the highway route as they go through official rental truck scale.
Therefore, the moving truck weigh station prevent unsafe and overweight trucks from plying the highways and moving from one state to another. This action makes the roads a lot safer for all drivers on them.
What Trucks Have to Stop at Weigh Stations
Yes most trucks must stop at weight station but largely depend on each state rules and requirement. In Nebraska, medium pickup truck are not required to stop, while few states require hauling pick to weigh.
Look below table showing highway rules by different states and their weigh station requirements for all sizes of trucks including big rigs and rental trucks.
Weigh Station Requirements by States
Here is a table with the weight station requirements followed all over the United States –
| STATES | REQUIREMENTS |
| Alabama | No |
| Alaska | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds 10,000 lbs. |
| Arizona | Yes, the truck driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds 10,000 lbs. |
| Arkansas | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds 10,000 lbs. |
| California | Yes, as per CVC Section 410, any moving truck is considered a motor truck; hence, they must stop |
| Colorado | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds 26,000 pounds. |
| Connecticut | No |
| Delaware | No |
| Florida | It depends, for instance, if the truck carrier agricultural products, the driver needs to stop at Agricultural Inspection Station. |
| Georgia | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds 10,000 lbs. |
| Hawaii | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds 10,000 lbs. |
| Idaho | No |
| Illinois | No |
| Indiana | Yes, the driver needs to halt at the weigh station if the GVWR exceeds 10,000 lbs. |
| Iowa | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds 10,000 lbs. |
| Kansas | Yes, vehicles that have truck registration must stop! |
| Kentucky | No |
| Louisiana | No |
| Maryland | No |
| Maine | No |
| Massachusetts | No |
| Michigan | No |
| Minnesota | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds 10,000 pounds. |
| Mississippi | No |
| Missouri | No |
| Montana | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds 8,000 pounds or carrying agricultural products or vehicles. |
| Nebraska | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds one ton. |
| Nevada | No |
| New Hampshire | No |
| New Jersey | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds 10,001 pounds. |
| New Mexico | Yes, the driver needs to stop at weigh station if the weight limits exceed 26,001 pounds. |
| New York | No |
| North Carolina | No |
| North Dakota | Yes, the driver needs to stop at weigh station if the truck scales exceed 10,000 lbs. |
| Ohio | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the weight range exceeds 10,000 lbs. |
| Oklahoma | No |
| Oregon | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds 26,000 pounds. |
| Pennsylvania | The size of the does not matter; all trucks must stop |
| Rhode Island | No |
| South Carolina | If the truck appears to be carrying something unlawful, the department asks the driver to stop at a weigh station |
| South Dakota | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the weight restriction is not maintained, and exceeds 8,000 pounds. |
| Tennessee | No |
| Texas | No |
| Utah | No |
| Vermont | No |
| Virginia | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds 7,500 pounds. |
| Washington | No |
| West Virginia | No |
| Wisconsin | Yes, the driver needs to stop if the GVWR exceeds 10,000 pounds. |
| Wyoming | Depends, as random trucks are picked for inspection. |
Benefits and Purpose of Weigh Stations
Many are new truckers often asked what are weigh stations for? Weigh stations for trucks are found along highways in the country.
However, contrary to popular belief, they perform a task that supersedes just checking the weight of moving trucks.
They are pivotal to ensuring that truck drivers are not overworked, but alert and awake to continue their journey. They also make sure that all commercial trucks obey the set-down federal regulations.
Furthermore, weigh stations often run a surprise check of the truck driver’s log. The essence of this check is to know the state of the driver.
Many things come into play here. How long the driver has been on the road, and how many breaks he has had. This check is necessary, and it helps prevent truck drivers from overworking themselves.
When the rest periods of a driver are too short, he may fall asleep on the wheels, leading to an accident. Therefore, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is deeply committed to looking out for fatigued driving amongst truck drivers.
They do this by keeping an eye on the rest hours of truck drivers. If a truck driver is found guilty of fatigue driving, the driver and the company he works under will receive a fine.
Do Uhauls have to stop at weigh stations?
As we stated above rental and moving trucks are required to stop to be weighted by most states. In California, it is expressly stated that “Rental trucks can be a U-Haul, Ryder, Sears, Budget, Enterprise… according to CVC Section 410, and must stop at the weigh stations”
The exception maybe for a rental pickup, but may be required to if the rental truck is fixed with utility bed or complete flat bed.
What Does Truck Bypass Weigh Station Mean?
The truck bypass weigh station is a program is such a solution that allows vehicles and carriers to skip mobile inspections all over the United States.
This solution, also known as truck scale bypass was specifically designed to optimize the inspection site functionality and reward the carriers with nice and decent scores.
If you sign up for this program and qualify for the ISS (Inspection Selection System) score, all your drivers can or may have the right to drive past the weigh stations or inspection sites compliantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to avoid the weigh stations?
If you intend to avoid weighing stations, here is what you can do –
Method #1 Use a Different Route
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Method #2 Drive When You See the Weigh Station Closed
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Do box trucks have to stop at Texas, Virginia, and Michigan weigh stations?
For states like Texas and Michigan, box trucks do not have to stop at weigh stations. But, in states like Virginia, you will have to stop at the station if the GVWR exceeds 7,500 pounds.
Why do some trucks not stop at weigh stations?
Some states have different sets of highway rules and do not feel the need to inspect a truck’s weight! In these states, the trucks will not stop even if there is a weighing station. Some trucks do not stop at weigh stations when the driver sees that the truck’s weight complies.
Conclusion
Now that you have read it here, you will have to use a moving truck when planning for a long haul.
Each state in the US has a different set of high regulations for vehicles, be it a private car or commercial trucks, and whether or not drivers must stop at weigh stations.
The majority of the states require rental trucks to stop at weight inspection stations. If your truck’s GVWR exceeds 10,000 pounds, you need to stop at the weighing station.
