Every road in every state in the US has a weight limit. The weight limit helps ensure the structural integrity of the road and other aspects of the road, such as bridges. It also helps to ensure safe travels on the road.
Because roads have weight limits, large trucks also have weight limits. Your private vehicle will never reach the load limit of a road, so you do not have to worry about weight, but large trucks can and do often exceed the limits. The state sets weight limits for multiple-axle trucks to help avoid potential issues. Robopac explains weight limits are mainly for safety above all else.
Violations
If an officer pulls over a truck and it is over the weight limit, the driver will receive a ticket. In general, it is always the driver who holds the responsibility for the weight of the truck. He or she holds the ultimate responsibility for what he or she hauls. So, it is the driver who gets the ticket and must take care of it.
Violations for being overweight can be incredibly costly. They can also slow down the transport of goods and lead to supply chain issues. For this reason, it is important for drivers to ensure they are not overweight.
Consequences
In addition to receiving a ticket, a violation could also result in jail time for the driver. This takes the driver off the road for some time. In addition, a driver could lose his or her license. With the driver shortage currently in the country, losing drivers is something most companies cannot afford.
Even more alarming is overweight trucks lead to more accidents. Loading a truck too heavy is hard on the structure of the vehicle. It leads to more tire problems and other issues that make it much easier to have an accident. In short, an overweight truck is a huge safety risk.
Truck drivers need to ensure they do not run overweight to avoid all the potential issues that it could cause.