Picking up new trailer

[corvettefarmer]

Good afternoon. I'll be traveling from Bushnell Florida to Lexington North Carolina early February to pick up a new flatbed trailer and know it is always a good idea to stop at Florida's AG inspection station and was told empty flatbeds are not required to stop at Florida's weigh stations. I was wondering if anyone could help me with the rules for traveling thru NC, SC and GA with an empty GN flatbed?

Thanks
Jim

 

[Topkicker]

I lived in Georgia for 30 years and bought my first tractor in North Carolina. I used a 3/4 ton truck and 18ft equipment trailer to haul it home. Had no run ins with the DOT or State/local police. Atlanta can be a PITA during rush hours (7-9am and 4-6pm). Make sure you are in the correct lane well before your exits when traveling on the ATL bypass (285). I know some states like Illinois have a lower speed limit for trailers. Watch your speed limit signs and for the left lane restrictions in major cities. Make sure your trailer lights are working properly also (don't give the popo any reason for easy revenue). You'll be fine. Have a safe trip.:thumbsup:

 

[Soundguy]

i've driven from florida to texas, lousiana, georgia, alabama, mississippi, tenn and ky.

with my ford 450 and a gn flatbed, empty one direction.. and with a rusty farm tractor in the other direction.

I've never stopped at a single ag or weight station, and never been challanged by the lines of DOT cars setting in the median when I have drove by.

my vehicle is my own personally.. non company, non comercial.. not for hire.. etc.

have had dot jump out and pull over commercial - looking trucks traveling in a lane near me when we both drove by a scale.

have went thru a few of those auto-weigh lanes that give you a green light and tell you to not stop.. etc.

just what I've seen.. other states may vary.. etc.

if you are comercial or hauling for hire .. all bets are off..

 

[grsthegreat]

Those weigh stations sure get confusing to me also. I travel alot between Wash, Oregon, Idaho and Montana hauling either a flatbed or a 30 foot gooseneck horse trailer..and i never know if I'm supposed to stop or not.

I haul with a F350 and never do. But my Vet was just warned that he was supposed to stop with his 6 horse trailer and his F450.... so I'm real confused.

Does it have to do with overall weight, or commercial vs non commercial or livestock???

figure ill find out when the pull me over.

 

[grsthegreat]

Hay that last post was my 3,600th.... oh darn, now this one makes it 3,601. now i have to continue till i reach 3,700

i like even numbers :laughing:

and i apparently have way too much time on my hands

 

[flyingcow]

keep the air out of your seat, hat pulled low....and ride on. As pointed out, personal stuff left lane ridin' all the way.

 

[corvettefarmer]

I appreciate the info. My plan now is to pass both the the weigh stations and AG inspection. I'll post if anything exciting happens. thanks

 

[Soundguy]

Those weigh stations sure get confusing to me also. I travel alot between Wash, Oregon, Idaho and Montana hauling either a flatbed or a 30 foot gooseneck horse trailer..and i never know if I'm supposed to stop or not.

I haul with a F350 and never do. But my Vet was just warned that he was supposed to stop with his 6 horse trailer and his F450.... so I'm real confused.

Does it have to do with overall weight, or commercial vs non commercial or livestock???

figure ill find out when the pull me over.

animals likely have to stop at an ag station, and you need a coggins test paper for a horse.. etc.


for the scales. IMHO.. it's a commercial / non comercial, AND weight issue.

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

I appreciate the info. My plan now is to pass both the the weigh stations and AG inspection. I'll post if anything exciting happens. thanks

may the force be with ya!

 

[corvettefarmer]

I'm non-commercial and will be empty coming back to Florida so I should be good. The AG checks still bother me a little as their signs are pretty intimidating. Don't recall the exact wording but they say all trucks, trailers and rental trucks must stop. My previous pickup had a cap on it and when I stopped at an AG inspection, they asked what I was carrying and then checked the back seat and bed. I still plan on passing them unless instructed otherwise by my co-pilot.

 

[murphy1244]

I'll be traveling from Bushnell Florida. Wow My grandparents lived there,Talk about a nowhere town. Its nice just to see someone actually post that...

 

[Soundguy]

i'm about 45m from bushnell. they have a good gun show there every couple months..

 

[deepNdirt]

If your rout brings you nth I-85 be cautious when coming through Barrow,Jackson and Banks Counties, Over the past 8 months the Leo has been stopping trucks pulling any type of trailers, Large and small Checking the Vin# to be sure they match with registration /tag, and while their at it they run serial No# on the things you are hauling,
I'm not familiar with any other counties doing such aggressive stops, Though I have heard on the news about metro Atlanta having a new device called a tag Plate scanner, some sort of camera that scans the tag Number and runs a quick search for possible warrant/wanted people etc,etc,

Have a save journey :thumbsup:

 

[corvettefarmer]

Hey Murphy1244, we actually bought our property from a Murphy. Soundguy mentioned the gun show but we also have a huge swap meet every month. More importantly, Waffle House is no longer our only fine dining establishment - we now have a Sonny's and a Beef's! For the most part though, Bushnell is a nice quiet little town and the home of the Swamp Brothers.

 

[George2615]

I was towing my 24' goose neck with a 3/4T pickup down I-81 a few years ago and was coming up to a weigh station that had a flashing sign on the highway that said all trucks must stop at weigh station. I pulled in and as I approached an inspector came toward my truck and asked why I stopped. I told him the sign said so. He told me that sign was only for commercial big rigs and told me to move on.
They don't usually bother pickups towing trailers but if its something larger I'd stop.
If you see an open weigh station I'd pull in and ask. Better than driving by and having one of them come out after you risking a ticket.

 

[deepNdirt]

I had the state Enforcement meet me on the highway earlier last year while I was towing my tractor, When we pass I looked in the rear-view and seen his tail lights and notice he was turning around, when he caught back up with me he followed for about 1/2 mile, I guess he could see I had my tractor chained down good, He then backed away and turned off, I had never been stopped by Enforcement but that day I thought I was going to be actually i wasn't aware Enforcement pulled over light duty trucks

 

[flyingcow]

I had the state Enforcement meet me on the highway earlier last year while I was towing my tractor, When we pass I looked in the rear-view and seen his tail lights and notice he was turning around, when he caught back up with me he followed for about 1/2 mile, I guess he could see I had my tractor chained down good, He then backed away and turned off, I had never been stopped by Enforcement but that day I thought I was going to be actually i wasn't aware Enforcement pulled over light duty trucks

Some see that as harassment, but there is so much stuff not tied down, let alone properly. The ones that really bug me is the 1/2 pickups, hauling old scrap iron to the yard. Got the springs riding on the housing, odd pieces flappin' in the breeze. Tires, usually old and worn out, squatted almost flat. I make it a point to stay ahead of them:thumbsup:

 

[Soundguy]

If your rout brings you nth I-85 be cautious when coming through Barrow,Jackson and Banks Counties, Over the past 8 months the Leo has been stopping trucks pulling any type of trailers, Large and small Checking the Vin# to be sure they match with registration /tag, and while their at it they run serial No# on the things you are hauling,
I'm not familiar with any other counties doing such aggressive stops, Though I have heard on the news about metro Atlanta having a new device called a tag Plate scanner, some sort of camera that scans the tag Number and runs a quick search for possible warrant/wanted people etc,etc,

Have a save journey :thumbsup:

funny you mention tha. had a leo stop me one night hauling a trailer for a buddy, and he stopped me JUST to check tag and vin.. go figure.

was like 1am..

 

[murphy1244]

Hey Murphy1244, we actually bought our property from a Murphy.
Hey Corvette My gramps was a Krupp. One of my best memories of Bushnell was the Flea market, I still have a belt I bought in 1980. That and the cowes walking around the drive in movies.

 

[Topkicker]

If your rout brings you nth I-85 be cautious when coming through Barrow,Jackson and Banks Counties, Over the past 8 months the Leo has been stopping trucks pulling any type of trailers, Large and small Checking the Vin# to be sure they match with registration /tag, and while their at it they run serial No# on the things you are hauling,
I'm not familiar with any other counties doing such aggressive stops, Though I have heard on the news about metro Atlanta having a new device called a tag Plate scanner, some sort of camera that scans the tag Number and runs a quick search for possible warrant/wanted people etc,etc,

Have a save journey :thumbsup:

Small world. I was born in Athens and lived in Barrow County for most of my life. One of my best friends live in Braselton. Your right about the law dog on I-85 in that area. They eat that stretch up.