# overweight truck



## sven1277 (Jan 15, 2008)

CT has some tandem plow trucks with front plows and wing plows on both sides. When loaded with salt, are these trucks over? I've always been curious


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## On a Call (Jan 14, 2015)

They are above the law


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## born2farm (Dec 24, 2007)

^^^^what he said


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## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

most of them are built for over the 80,000 lb limit


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## jhenderson9196 (Nov 14, 2010)

They may be built heavy but they're all over on axle wt according to the law.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

On a Call;1980657 said:


> They are above the law


Until they injure or kill someone.



jhenderson9196;1981613 said:


> They may be built heavy but they're all over on axle wt according to the law.


Exactly, and they are legal until there is an issue, as I mentioned above.


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## peteo1 (Jul 4, 2011)

Mark Oomkes;1981615 said:


> Until they injure or kill someone.
> 
> Exactly, and they are legal until there is an issue, as I mentioned above.


Even if there are issues the municipalities will spin it into being the citizens fault. Gotta love government


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## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

leolkfrm;1981581 said:


> most of them are built for over the 80,000 lb limit


I don't see how they can legally get 80,000 on 3 axles.


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## beanz27 (Dec 22, 2012)

LapeerLandscape;1981651 said:


> I don't see how they can legally get 80,000 on 3 axles.


I believe it's 64,000 on dumps, at least with a tag axle.


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## Triple L (Nov 1, 2005)

In Ontario the highway traffic act says municipal snowplow vehicles are exempt from any weight and width restrictions


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## pythons37 (Dec 16, 2014)

Salt is not very heavy.


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## flyguyirvin65 (Feb 18, 2015)

sven1277;1980628 said:


> CT has some tandem plow trucks with front plows and wing plows on both sides. When loaded with salt, are these trucks over? I've always been curious


In New York if the truck has wing plow its at its weight limit but they still load it till the salt spills over every side


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## LapeerLandscape (Dec 29, 2012)

pythons37;1981852 said:


> Salt is not very heavy.


Its not? How much is it a yard?


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## pythons37 (Dec 16, 2014)

LapeerLandscape;1981981 said:


> Its not? How much is it a yard?


2,160 pounds for road salt.
2,840 pounds for sand.( Dry )
4,000 pounds for concrete.


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## fireball (Jan 9, 2000)

Actually, I believe in CT they have special laws regarding their plows. It's been 30 years but at one time, all vehicles and pedestrians have to be at a complete stop when there is a state DOT plow in operation. It was a very expensive lesson learned. I don't drive in CT anymore if I can avoid it


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## On a Call (Jan 14, 2015)

peteo1;1981649 said:


> Even if there are issues the municipalities will spin it into being the citizens fault. Gotta love government


This I can promise you.

My father was broadsided by a state car that ran a stop sign. He was injured, they said they would not pay.

Sort of like my rules at work.

1. The Boss is always right.

2. If the Boss is wrong, refer to rule number one.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

A little backround into CT dot. In 1987 in west haven a Ct dot truck roll over coming off I95 north at exit 42 on Campbell ave. The truck rolled over with a full load of mix on top of a car killing the driver of the car. The truck was found to be over weight as were all the dot's trucks. At the time they ran their trucks with side boards than loaded above that. 4 days after the accident all sideboards were removed and number of buckets was clearly spelled out. Do to it not being followed this is what they did next. If you now notice ALL ct dot truck run with NO sideboards on short height bodies. by doing that they are unable to over load them it just falls off the truck. all are now under GVW when loaded. 

The tandems you are talking about all have short height bodies and no side boards. the rumor is fully loaded with fuel they come in at 62k and are rated at 69k. Ct dot does pay close attention to trucks being overloaded. It's the towns that concern me more look at how they load!!

In ct the dot trucks/local DPW are exempt from ALL laws governing normal commercial trucking. Just as fire trucks are in this state.


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## snowplower1 (Jan 15, 2014)

We just had it on the news, there were quite a few incidents where peoples cars were totaled by the munis and the gvt said they won't pay anything for it


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## LON (Aug 20, 2006)

PA law states that municipal trucks are considered emergency vehicles during snow & ice removal and are exempt from all overweight / oversize laws. 
The Commonwealth of PA is considered No-Fault when it comes to insurance issues. 
Back probably 10yrs ago my father was rear-ended by a PENN-DOT tractor trailer that caused $38,000.00 in damage to our truck. Our corporate attorney said only recourse with the state is to sue the driver. We knew it wasn't the drivers fault but the fault of the state on a horrible section of road that would become extremely slippery when it got wet. There were 13 accidents on the same 1/2 mile section of road the morning he got hit.


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## SnowMatt13 (Jan 8, 2003)

Most government agencies will have over weight allowances when performing snow and ice control. However, I agree 100% with what Mark said. And if courts are siding with overweight trucks in accidents because they are DOT they are wrong. Personally my trucks are built with heavier suspensions but my internal department policy specifically states the amount of salt allowed in them. Now having said that, a driver that starts out with 8 tons, uses let's say 1.5 tons and comes back and puts another bucket in his truck (2 tons), yes he's a bit over but our loader does not have a scale in it. At that point that 500lbs should not have an adverse effect on the trucks ability to be handled in an accident situation. Now take the same situation and have the truck start with 8 tons, use 1 and come back and add 4 more. That is irresponsible and lazy and not tolerated.


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## jerpa (Feb 4, 2014)

SnowMatt13;1988047 said:


> Most government agencies will have over weight allowances when performing snow and ice control. However, I agree 100% with what Mark said. *And if courts are siding with overweight trucks in accidents because they are DOT they are wrong.* Personally my trucks are built with heavier suspensions but my internal department policy specifically states the amount of salt allowed in them. Now having said that, a driver that starts out with 8 tons, uses let's say 1.5 tons and comes back and puts another bucket in his truck (2 tons), yes he's a bit over but our loader does not have a scale in it. At that point that 500lbs should not have an adverse effect on the trucks ability to be handled in an accident situation. Now take the same situation and have the truck start with 8 tons, use 1 and come back and add 4 more. That is irresponsible and lazy and not tolerated.


The issue isn't a judge or juries ruling. In most states the case never gets heard in court due to the various immunity laws protecting .gov.

As has been said before, in PA local and state snow removal vehicles are specifically exempt from all axle and GVW restrictions.


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## Phil1747 (Feb 9, 2011)

Working for the local DOT this winter we were told that when we are out salting or pushing that we are state vehicles in emergency operation as soon as we turn the strobes on. thus we do not have to follow width or weight laws. same thing with fire trucks, anyone on here that is on a department knows a rescue or ladder truck is way over also and most are only 2 axles


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## mercer_me (Sep 13, 2008)

I've always wanted to take my fully loaded L9000 with the plow and wing on over the scales. I'm positive it must weigh well over 70,000.


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