quote: The NBC 10 Investigators' Vince DeMentri asked Metzger why the ticket was $17,000. "It's $150 for the fine, and then it's $150 for every 500 pounds over the 3,000-pound weight limit," Metzger said.
Last time I checked, 5 Tons (which the sign in the photos clearly says) was 10,000 pounds, not 3000. If I'm doing the math correctly, this would put the truck over at 28 tons OVER the limit, or at least 33 tons total. Is that possible, for a standard truck like shown in the photos?
Heavy trucks: Heavy trucks are the largest trucks allowed on the road. They are mostly used for long-haul purposes, often in semi-trailer configuration.
Road damage and wear increase very rapidly with the axle weight (truck weight divided by the number of axles). In many countries with good roads a 6-axle truck may have a maximum weight over 50 tonnes (50,000 kg).
Posts: 201 | From: Toronto, ON | Registered: Jun 2006
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posted
The legal weight for a fully-loaded, fully-fueled tractor-trailer in the US is 80,000 pounds, or 40 tons.
-------------------- "When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of, he always declares that it is his duty."--George Bernard Shaw Posts: 19266 | From: Nashville, TN | Registered: Jun 2002
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sure a truck can have a lot more weight and be legal. that's not in contention. the reason he got the ticket was he was in a RESIDENTIAL road, which is usually a non-truck route.
So the 50-80,000 pound legal weight is for truck routes. which this truck strayed from and into an area where large loads aren't allowed ie a residential area obviously with a 3000 lb max load. and thus he got a ticket... yes it's steep... but when you consider the engineering of residential roads compared to truck route roads...
Posts: 153 | From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
Yes, I did read the article. I was offering information that was requested in a previous post.
-------------------- "When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of, he always declares that it is his duty."--George Bernard Shaw Posts: 19266 | From: Nashville, TN | Registered: Jun 2002
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posted
Thanks for the truck info (I actually had no idea, which is why I asked). This still doesn't explain the discrepancy between the 3000 pounds and the 5 tons, but that could just be bad journalism...
If trucks are regularly that heavy, it would seem this sort of fine would happen more often (e.g. what about moving trucks? They're often tractor-trailers, and by definition need to go to residential areas...)
I could see myself blowing by a sign like that, especially if I were confused as to where the bad directions I was given were leading me... If someone were blatantly driving where they weren't supposed to, I could see the fine -- but for an honest mistake, seems a little harsh...
In which 80,000 is the maximum weight of a fully-loaded, fully-fueled tractor with a 53' trailer. Less the 3000 which is the maximum weight on that road, so the truck was 77,000 pounds over the weight limit. The fine is levied in 500 pound increments over the limit, so there were 154 of those, multiplied by $150 per 500 pounds leaves a possible fine of $23,100.
So he is lucky he was kinda low on fuel or not fully loaded.
And truck drivers know to look out for those signs. They aren't there to be difficult, but to convey some very important information, like a 53' trailer will not be able to successfully navigate this road. If the company he contracted with and who gave him the bad directions have any honor, though, they'll at least split the fine with him.
-------------------- "When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of, he always declares that it is his duty."--George Bernard Shaw Posts: 19266 | From: Nashville, TN | Registered: Jun 2002
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posted
But the limit is not 3000 pounds. On both the sign and the ticket it says five tons. By every definition I've seen, a ton is 2000 pounds. So the weight limit is 10,000 pounds.
BTW, the math on that works out to $18,450. At a 3,000 pound weight limit, he would have owed $68,000. Either way the guy is getting off lucky with his $17,000 ticket.
posted
Assuming the signs and the load are indicated in short tons. If they are in long tons (2240 lb) then back to the calculator.
-------------------- "Ladies and gentlemen, this is what is commonly known as money. It comes in all sizes, colours, and denominations - like people." Posts: 997 | From: Maidstone, UK | Registered: Jun 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Eddylizard: Assuming the signs and the load are indicated in short tons. If they are in long tons (2240 lb) then back to the calculator.
Friggin' Englishmen...
There is one "ton" here, Mister, and that's 2,000 pounds. As God intended.
-------------------- "When a stupid man is doing something he is ashamed of, he always declares that it is his duty."--George Bernard Shaw Posts: 19266 | From: Nashville, TN | Registered: Jun 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Eddylizard: Assuming the signs and the load are indicated in short tons. If they are in long tons (2240 lb) then back to the calculator.
Friggin' Englishmen...
There is one "ton" here, Mister, and that's 2,000 pounds. As God intended.
quote:Deadweight ton (abbreviation 'dwt') for the capacity of a ship in the number of long tons (2,240 pounds). This measurement is also used in the U.S. tonnage of naval ships
ETA Lol smilie was a response to your comment "friggin Englishmen", but looked a bit sarcastic when I looked back at my post.
-------------------- "Ladies and gentlemen, this is what is commonly known as money. It comes in all sizes, colours, and denominations - like people." Posts: 997 | From: Maidstone, UK | Registered: Jun 2006
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posted
Possibly there are some roads where the limit is 3000 pounds and when asked how a ticket could be that high, the PennDOT guy referred to the laws for the lowest weight roads, not this specific case?
-------------------- Too broke to pay attention Posts: 452 | From: Omaha, NE | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
I can't imagine that there are any roads in the US with a 3,000 pound weight limit. A Toyota Celica weighs 2,800 pounds, a Hummer H1 weighs ~7,800 pounds. You would have to be talking about a bike path for the limit to be that low. The 3,000 must be an error.
I don't think the fine was all that unrealistic. A 10,000 limit road would suffer significant damage from a ~70,000 pound truck. Imagine what it would cost to fix the roadway, or worse yet a culvert or other utilities that run under the road, when the limit is exceeded by that much.
Posts: 629 | From: Greenwood, IN | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
I suspect a police officer who couldn't do his math correctly (didn't know how much weight a 'ton' was)
It wouldn't make sense for the legal weight limit to be under the weight of most cars.
Posts: 411 | From: California | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
The three thousand pound weight limit is usually per axle, depending on width of the tire, meaning many large RV's would also not be allowed to travel some residential roads. Now, to throw a loop into everything, since weight limits are dependent on how many axles you have, and if having the legal permits, I daily take a load, with truck and tractor fully fuelled, 8 axles, and a legal weight of 105000 pounds. I go through scales everyday, and have not had an overweight ticket. My partner however, was around 106000 pounds, and wa given a bright shiny new $800 ticket.
Posts: 44 | From: Boundary, BC, Canada | Registered: Aug 2005
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posted
If you look through the pictures in the slide show (ignoring all of the duplicates). There is a close-up of the ticket. The weight of the truck was 71,140#.
Since the sign says 5 ton limit (10,000 #), the fine should be $18,492 [(71140-10000/500)*150+150].
-------------------- Where are we going, and why are we in this handbasket? Posts: 782 | From: Arlington, TX | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
Well anyways what has happened since this has happened.. This is a bit much and wrong of this state to do this. It was an honest mistake I am thinking by watching the video. But then again some drivers feel they do not have to follow the law so who really know what was going through his mind. The sign looked fine to me a little bent but good enough to read. So who knows, and what can one do. The ticket was a bit much regardless if he intentionally did this or not. But perhaps drivers will start taking heed on the signs that are intented for them Its hard to say on this one what the real intent was.
Tammy Alabama
-------------------- Shay Shay Posts: 8 | From: Gadsden, AL | Registered: Aug 2006
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It is not just Finland's successful rally drivers who put their feet down
One of Finland's richest men has been handed a record 170,000 euros speeding ticket, thanks to the country's policy of relating the fine to your income.
Jussi Salonoja, the 27-year-old heir to a family-owned sausage empire, was given the £116,000 ticket after being caught driving 80km/h in a 40km/h zone.
It is not just Finland's successful rally drivers who put their feet down
One of Finland's richest men has been handed a record 170,000 euros speeding ticket, thanks to the country's policy of relating the fine to your income.
Jussi Salonoja, the 27-year-old heir to a family-owned sausage empire, was given the £116,000 ticket after being caught driving 80km/h in a 40km/h zone.
Fined according to your income? That is an idea I can wholeheartedly agree with!
-------------------- "victory thru self-deception" Posts: 2211 | From: Western Australia | Registered: Jun 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Salamander: Fined according to your income? That is an idea I can wholeheartedly agree with!
Me too! Especially because I don't make that much...
Though *theoretically* it would take the exact same bite out of your wallet as someone making ten times as much as you if it is a flat percentage based on your income.
Never mind the fact that the richest people usually have surprisingly low incomes based on their net worths....
Posts: 918 | From: Southern CA | Registered: Jan 2004
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