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Pamela · 10-13-2018, 07:22 PM

That is true. Especially so for livestock, gravel/sand/dirt haulers and car carriers.

Jumping scales is illegal and the DOT knows which roads are commonly used for this purpose. They park portable scales at strategic points on those routes to snag unwary illegal truckers.

I have avoided scales from time to time for various reasons but not as a habit. Normally, I run legal.

I will offer another reason for truckers taking back roads.... the rise of the GPS. Sometimes the little box takes you on the scenic route to save you a few measly miles but adds an hour onto the trip. More than once, my GPS has told me to get off a freeway, take the frontage road for two miles, then get back onto the freeway! Why? It cuts a corner by a fraction but the traffic lights and lower speed limits make such a detour impractical. It is faster and safer to just stay on the freeway.

GPS is also a generic term for the routing software that many companies use called PC Miler. It finds the shortest route from A to B that is allegedly truck legal (not always true) so they can shave off a few miles that they don't have to pay you for. Using the HHG (HouseHold Goods) option only gives the mileage from one ZIP Code to another, which is what most if not all moving companies charge a customer (and pay the driver). This tends to cut off about ten percent of the actual (hub) miles the driver drives, thus underpaying him. Practical miles is more fair and is getting to be the industry standard nowadays.

My company pays practical miles, and pays fairly well too. I can't complain about that, although I do route myself rather than follow their sometimes convoluted route. Like everyone else, they say the routing is "suggested", thus letting themselves off the hook should their routing run a driver onto a no-truck road or into a low clearance. The difficulty of getting a semi out of such a situation can be tricky and at times involve heavy wreckers to get you back where you should be. The bosses will always say that the driver is responsible for following all laws and routing restrictions, which is nearly impossible given the ever-changing whims of towns and counties regarding heavy trucks on back (non-STAA) roads. I simply take that disclaimer to mean "ignore our routing and do it yourself".

Take my route for this trip from Minooka IL to Fulton, MO for example. The company route took two pages of local roads, back country two-laners as well as interstate highways. They offer 329 paid miles for the run. I looked at the route on my GPS, consulted my trusty Rand-McNally atlas and decided to run I80-I55-I72 to US54 into Jeffersonville, then west to the customer. Total miles:334. Sure, I lose $2.65 doing it my way, but I save a good two hours of driving on local roads, through tiny towns and possibly no-truck zones to stay on highways where it is faster and much safer for me. Totally worth it to me.

So the trucks going through your area may not be scale-jumping at all but following GPS routing instead.

10-13-2018, 07:22 PM	#464
Pamela Deplorable Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 767	That is true. Especially so for livestock, gravel/sand/dirt haulers and car carriers. Jumping scales is illegal and the DOT knows which roads are commonly used for this purpose. They park portable scales at strategic points on those routes to snag unwary illegal truckers. I have avoided scales from time to time for various reasons but not as a habit. Normally, I run legal. I will offer another reason for truckers taking back roads.... the rise of the GPS. Sometimes the little box takes you on the scenic route to save you a few measly miles but adds an hour onto the trip. More than once, my GPS has told me to get off a freeway, take the frontage road for two miles, then get back onto the freeway! Why? It cuts a corner by a fraction but the traffic lights and lower speed limits make such a detour impractical. It is faster and safer to just stay on the freeway. GPS is also a generic term for the routing software that many companies use called PC Miler. It finds the shortest route from A to B that is allegedly truck legal (not always true) so they can shave off a few miles that they don't have to pay you for. Using the HHG (HouseHold Goods) option only gives the mileage from one ZIP Code to another, which is what most if not all moving companies charge a customer (and pay the driver). This tends to cut off about ten percent of the actual (hub) miles the driver drives, thus underpaying him. Practical miles is more fair and is getting to be the industry standard nowadays. My company pays practical miles, and pays fairly well too. I can't complain about that, although I do route myself rather than follow their sometimes convoluted route. Like everyone else, they say the routing is "suggested", thus letting themselves off the hook should their routing run a driver onto a no-truck road or into a low clearance. The difficulty of getting a semi out of such a situation can be tricky and at times involve heavy wreckers to get you back where you should be. The bosses will always say that the driver is responsible for following all laws and routing restrictions, which is nearly impossible given the ever-changing whims of towns and counties regarding heavy trucks on back (non-STAA) roads. I simply take that disclaimer to mean "ignore our routing and do it yourself". Take my route for this trip from Minooka IL to Fulton, MO for example. The company route took two pages of local roads, back country two-laners as well as interstate highways. They offer 329 paid miles for the run. I looked at the route on my GPS, consulted my trusty Rand-McNally atlas and decided to run I80-I55-I72 to US54 into Jeffersonville, then west to the customer. Total miles:334. Sure, I lose $2.65 doing it my way, but I save a good two hours of driving on local roads, through tiny towns and possibly no-truck zones to stay on highways where it is faster and much safer for me. Totally worth it to me. So the trucks going through your area may not be scale-jumping at all but following GPS routing instead.