[ella-mint]

I'm gonna be moving back upstate next year, and will most likely rent a small U-Haul. Does anyone know the specifics in California that require you to stop at the truck scales? I've searched this forum and didn't find anything, and even looked at CHP forums and couldn't find anything definitive. Does anyone have any idea?

Edit: I do mean a U-Haul trailer. Sorry for not being more clear.

 

[Twilightzero]

Generally from what I've seen from most of the states I've been in, the cutoff for truck scales is 10,000 pounds gross weight, which you'll be nowhere near by any stretch of the imagination.

Can't speak for CA directly but that seems to be pretty common. I don't think you'll fall anywhere near any weight limit. You'll only be around 5500 pounds with fully loaded E and fully loaded trailer at max weight. There's a lot of pickups and some larger SUV's that weigh more than that curb weight.

EDIT: whoops you're not driving an E, I thought you meant a U-haul trailer at first glance. No idea then, though if you're asking for general advice I'd say do NOT NOT NOT NOT go with U-Haul and consider Penske, Budget, or one of the other truck rentals. I've had nothing but bad luck and shoddy maintenance with every U-Haul I've driven.

 

[Bobman79]

When the wife and I moved from Iowa City, IA to Boise, ID, we rented a small Penske truck and towed my 1996 Civic on a trailer. We did not stop at any weigh stations in any of the states we passed through (obviously not including California), and nobody cared. I suspect that being a non-commercial driver in a U-Haul, you'd be fine without stopping. I'm trying to remember if I've even seen those big diesel pusher motor homes and whatnot stopping in those weigh stations. I've definitely seen giant pickups with even bigger fifth-wheel trailers mozy on by, so I think you'd be fine to just drive on.

 

[Twilightzero]

The other thing is it's summer now. At least in MN and WI, all weigh stations are closed right now. When they are open, however, they enforce anybody over 10K pounds pulling in.

 

[Bobman79]

You know, it occurs to me as I sit at work trying really hard apparently to not work on work things, all of those U-Haul/Penske/Whoever trucks have a DOT number and a gross vehicle weight on them. As long as the gross vehicle weight listed on the door (or near there, as is probably required by the DOT), is less than 10,000 pounds, you know for sure you don't have to stop. I'd forgotten about that, but that is the simplest answer, right? ;-)

 

[prior8t2000]

If your towing, just stay in the slow lane.
Then, that way, I can fly right pass (I mean on the left side ) you.

 

[ApriliaGuy]

Don't get me started on the newly enforced DOT regulations....


I'm not sure about my own stuff, let alone rental trucks (with DOT #s) up to 26,000lbs GVWR. :x

If you want to play it safe....The 10,000k lb GVWR is for any vehicle traveling interstate for comercial purposes (and certain multi passanger vehicles/busses). The 10k lbs or higher refers to the highest amount the truck or truck and trailier combo is registered/rated to carry. I gotta stop when ever i've got a trailer on 'cause my dually is registered at 9000lbs.....unless the trailer only weighs something like 300lbs and is only capable of hauling 700lbs (dinky, tiny thing huh?) i'm over the 10,000gvwr. (Realistically, the truck alone would require me to stop if I had it registered differently.)

I don't see how you'd end up with a E and trailer anywhere close to the 10,000gvwr.

Have a good trip!

 

[TPS Lizard]

upstate

Your not leaving California, and rental trucks do not stop at weigh stations, you would stop at an agriculture station if you entered a state like Calif. from states East of the Rockies that had species like citrus canker or spanish moss, or any thing that would spread and destroy crops. I put My Jetta in the back of a 22" Ryder truck and drove from Orange County to Fla. No weigh stations only INS in Texas, twice.