ACCURATE EMPTY WEIGHT/TARE WEIGHT
Definition
Tare weight /ˈtɛər/, sometimes called unladen weight, is the weight of an empty vehicle or container. By subtracting it from the gross weight, the weight of the goods carried may be determined.
What is an Empty Weight/Tare Weight? That is the total weight of your truck while empty of freight subtracted from your registration weight. What is your registration weight? Depends on truck class, axles and state. To determine this, look at your current valid vehicle registration. Majority of drivers really have no idea of what their true and accurate empty weight is. They mostly go by what the vehicle owner or company their truck is leased to, tells them. Follow this advice and you cannot go wrong.
Every truck will have a different empty weight for every solo driver and/or team that is in it. Determination of what that is has been the biggest misconception in the Expedite world. Most drivers have no clue what their accurate empty weight is, which has resulted in shock when they have been given a ticket for being over weight. And getting an overweight ticket is the responsibility of the driver, not the owner or the company that you drive for.
Every time you get into a new truck, you as the driver must make sure that you get “YOUR” accurate empty weight. Don’t go by what it says one the sticker on your door as that is the manufacturer’s weight after assembly with little to no fuel, no driver, no equipment and no possessions. Don’t go by previous drivers that were in the vehicle before you as your possessions and you don’t weigh the same. And last but not least don’t go by what the owner/company tell you what you can haul. Ultimately you, the driver, will be the one getting the ticket. You are the one who will get the points on your CSA score and have to pay the nice big ticket.
I will tell you how to get your accurate empty weight so there is no question on how much weight your truck can haul to keep you Legal.
Here is how to get an accurate “Empty Weight” for your truck.
• Throw out any former Cat Scale Weigh Ticket.
• Make sure all your possessions are inside the truck. For example, your clothes, your tools, cooking equipment, Electronics and any food you may buy.
• If you have a water tank fill it to capacity.
• Fill your def tank to capacity.
• Fill your fuel tanks to capacity.
• If you have any pet(s) in your vehicle make sure they are inside with you.
• Make sure any/all occupants are inside the truck. This includes the driver(s) and/or passenger(s).
Once you have met all these points, and only then you go ahead and WEIGH YOUR TRUCK!!! Take this weight and Minus this weight from your current vehicle registered weight and you will have your “Accurate Empty Weight”. And this new and accurate empty weight is what your truck can legally haul. Follow these steps every time you change trucks.
If you have a tag/drop/pusher axle, I would suggest that you weigh your truck with the axle up and then axle down. This will give you a better idea of when you can run with the axle up or down. That in itself is another subject that I will go into on another post.
Any time you add a substantial amount of additional personal stuff and/or equipment, it would be highly advised to redo this entire process.
I have a Expedite Drivers Forum. Please come join and participate.
Expedite Drivers Forum Public Group | Facebook
Author Shirley Elder Hooker
Definition
Tare weight /ˈtɛər/, sometimes called unladen weight, is the weight of an empty vehicle or container. By subtracting it from the gross weight, the weight of the goods carried may be determined.
What is an Empty Weight/Tare Weight? That is the total weight of your truck while empty of freight subtracted from your registration weight. What is your registration weight? Depends on truck class, axles and state. To determine this, look at your current valid vehicle registration. Majority of drivers really have no idea of what their true and accurate empty weight is. They mostly go by what the vehicle owner or company their truck is leased to, tells them. Follow this advice and you cannot go wrong.
Every truck will have a different empty weight for every solo driver and/or team that is in it. Determination of what that is has been the biggest misconception in the Expedite world. Most drivers have no clue what their accurate empty weight is, which has resulted in shock when they have been given a ticket for being over weight. And getting an overweight ticket is the responsibility of the driver, not the owner or the company that you drive for.
Every time you get into a new truck, you as the driver must make sure that you get “YOUR” accurate empty weight. Don’t go by what it says one the sticker on your door as that is the manufacturer’s weight after assembly with little to no fuel, no driver, no equipment and no possessions. Don’t go by previous drivers that were in the vehicle before you as your possessions and you don’t weigh the same. And last but not least don’t go by what the owner/company tell you what you can haul. Ultimately you, the driver, will be the one getting the ticket. You are the one who will get the points on your CSA score and have to pay the nice big ticket.
I will tell you how to get your accurate empty weight so there is no question on how much weight your truck can haul to keep you Legal.
Here is how to get an accurate “Empty Weight” for your truck.
• Throw out any former Cat Scale Weigh Ticket.
• Make sure all your possessions are inside the truck. For example, your clothes, your tools, cooking equipment, Electronics and any food you may buy.
• If you have a water tank fill it to capacity.
• Fill your def tank to capacity.
• Fill your fuel tanks to capacity.
• If you have any pet(s) in your vehicle make sure they are inside with you.
• Make sure any/all occupants are inside the truck. This includes the driver(s) and/or passenger(s).
Once you have met all these points, and only then you go ahead and WEIGH YOUR TRUCK!!! Take this weight and Minus this weight from your current vehicle registered weight and you will have your “Accurate Empty Weight”. And this new and accurate empty weight is what your truck can legally haul. Follow these steps every time you change trucks.
If you have a tag/drop/pusher axle, I would suggest that you weigh your truck with the axle up and then axle down. This will give you a better idea of when you can run with the axle up or down. That in itself is another subject that I will go into on another post.
Any time you add a substantial amount of additional personal stuff and/or equipment, it would be highly advised to redo this entire process.
I have a Expedite Drivers Forum. Please come join and participate.
Expedite Drivers Forum Public Group | Facebook
Author Shirley Elder Hooker
