That's a hefty fine for being too hefty.

[ahenkel]

http://clackamas.katu.com/news/news/truck-driver-ignores-weight-limit-sign-gets-44000-ticket/440426

BARTON, Ore. - A truck driver ended up with a $44,345 ticket this week after a sheriff's deputy spotted an oversized load that was headed down a road it should not have been on.

The driver, who was hauling a large piece of excavating equipment, was pulled over on Wednesday along Southeast Bakers Ferry Road in Barton.

According to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, the road is restricted to trucks carrying 13 tons because it is under severe stress and is unstable due to slide activity.

The truck's load was way over that limit, weighing in at 172,000 pounds.

The driver, 30-year-old Kenneth Caves of Prineville, Oregon, was cited at the scene. He drives for Western Heavy Hauling out of Prineville.

Police say the ticket could have been avoided if the company had simply contacted the Clackamas County Road Department beforehand. County crews would have been able to find an alternate route for the heavy load

.

I'm curious to see what happens when it goes to court

 

[zinfamous]

Clackamas?

really?

:hmm:

 

[Drako]

Clackamas?

really?

:hmm:

You don't like native Americans?

Racist!!!!

 

[shortylickens]

I miss Oregon.
Mostly cuz it was filled with mad ho's.

 

[DrPizza]

I'm not sure about anyone else, but if I see a sign that says "weight limit 13 tons", I'm sure as hell not going to wonder "gee, I wonder if being nearly 150,000 pounds overweight might cause some risk to myself," while driving down the road. I'm going to find a different route.

 

[FuzzyDunlop]

is this the biggest traffic citation ever given? if not, I wonder what was, and what it was for?

 

[Howard]

I'm not sure about anyone else, but if I see a sign that says "weight limit 13 tons", I'm sure as hell not going to wonder "gee, I wonder if being nearly 150,000 pounds overweight might cause some risk to myself," while driving down the road. I'm going to find a different route.

Maybe the driver didn't know how heavy his load was, or couldn't do mental math?

 

[ahenkel]

is this the biggest traffic citation ever given? if not, I wonder what was, and what it was for?

According to wikipedia The most expensive speeding ticket ever given is believed to be the one given to Jussi Salonoja in Helsinki, Finland, in 2003. Salonoja, the 27-year-old heir to a company in the meat-industry, was fined 170,000 euros (242,000 dollars) for driving 80 km/h in a 40 km/h zone. The uncommonly large fine was due to Finnish speeding tickets being relative to the offender's last known income. Salonoja's speeding ticket was not the first ticket given in Finland reaching six figures.[7]

 

[BoomerD]

Hell, the company got off light. Had that load crashed through that bridge, not only would they and the driver been fined, they'd be financially responsible for the repairs of the roadway...and potentially much more.

I drove oversized loads for decades. Every load was routed so that this kind of thing never happened. There were many times when the route took me an extra 100 miles or more out of the way...all because of one little bridge that had a light load limit. (and it's not only the total weight of the load...but the weight of the span between axles and the individual axle loading that causes problems.

 

[zinfamous]

is this the biggest traffic citation ever given? if not, I wonder what was, and what it was for?

I seem to remember some dude in Italy getting a ~$200k citation for repeatedly blasting through a school zone in his Lambo.

this was a few years ago.

 

[darkswordsman17]

I seem to remember some dude in Italy getting a ~$200k citation for repeatedly blasting through a school zone in his Lambo.

this was a few years ago.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/01/record-speeding-fine-dents-swiss-bank-account/

 

[DirkGently1]

We have a lot of low bridges in the UK from the ancient rail networks. Lorry drivers are always getting stuck under them. Two cases down the road from here in the last month alone which caused traffic chaos.

People who can't read road signs should be banned from the roads indefinately!

 

[DangerAardvark]

I seem to remember some dude in Italy getting a ~$200k citation for repeatedly blasting through a school zone in his Lambo.

this was a few years ago.

Awesome. In America we wait until after he smears someone across the hood of his car before we do anything besides a slap on the wrist.

 

[shortylickens]

Awesome. In America we wait until after he smears someone across the hood of his car before we do anything besides a slap on the wrist.

Yeah but Italy is a fascist police state. In the grand scheme of things I'd prefer the freedom, cuz its easier to lose and harder to get back.
Most freedoms are lost in the name of safety or security. Only you arent any safer in reality.
See Also: China.

 

[JTsyo]

So did the company have to pay to get it airlifted from the road?

 

[Avalon]

Maybe the driver didn't know how heavy his load was, or couldn't do mental math?

Truck drivers would know the weight of their load and similarly have it displayed on their bill of lading.

 

[Bignate603]

Maybe the driver didn't know how heavy his load was, or couldn't do mental math?

If he didn't know the weight of his load he's a lousy truck driver and its not safe for him to be behind the wheel.

 

[Wyndru]

I thought this was going to be about a driver pushing it over the limit because of how fat he was.

I am disappoint.

 

[LTC8K6]

Hell, the company got off light. Had that load crashed through that bridge, not only would they and the driver been fined, they'd be financially responsible for the repairs of the roadway...and potentially much more.

I drove oversized loads for decades. Every load was routed so that this kind of thing never happened. There were many times when the route took me an extra 100 miles or more out of the way...all because of one little bridge that had a light load limit. (and it's not only the total weight of the load...but the weight of the span between axles and the individual axle loading that causes problems.

What bridge? I didn't know a bridge was involved.

 

[BoomerD]

What bridge? I didn't know a bridge was involved.

Well...durr...reading fail on Boomer's part.:$
Those heavy load restrictions are USUALLY because of a small bridge along the road somewhere...
Still...had the grossly overweight load caused the roadway to collapse, the cost to the company would have still been VERY high...possibly more than fixing/replacing a small bridge.

 

[Evadman]

That truck has 10 axles, so there was only 17,200 lbs on each axle. That's under 9 tons. Where's the problem? The driver should sue the township for lost wages.

 

[BoomerD]

That truck has 10 axles, so there was only 17,200 lbs on each axle. That's under 9 tons. Where's the problem? The driver should sue the township for lost wages.

I don't see anything about individual axle weight limits posted...just a weight limit.
(and even a heavy hauler with numerous axles tends to not be equally loaded on all axles)

 

[Ninjahedge]

Hell, the company got off light. Had that load crashed through that bridge, not only would they and the driver been fined, they'd be financially responsible for the repairs of the roadway...and potentially much more.

I drove oversized loads for decades. Every load was routed so that this kind of thing never happened. There were many times when the route took me an extra 100 miles or more out of the way...all because of one little bridge that had a light load limit. (and it's not only the total weight of the load...but the weight of the span between axles and the individual axle loading that causes problems.

It's just what the bridge and roadway are designed for.

H20
HS20
etc etc.

There are certain standards for wheel placement and spacing as well as load that areused for the design of the structure.

When you blow by it THAT much you are asking for problems.

In the drivers defense, this may not have been well posted, as the road was 13T rated because of "recent slide activity" and not because of a bridge or steep embankment.

But still, you carry something that heavy, GUARANTEED it would need a special route to follow.

The classic example of deliberate ignorance is usually the tractor trailer getting stuck under a bridge. Somehow they think that the clearances are so conservative that they will have that 6" extra they need...

 

[Ninjahedge]

I don't see anything about individual axle weight limits posted...just a weight limit.
(and even a heavy hauler with numerous axles tends to not be equally loaded on all axles)

Oop. Just saw this.

And the reason why there is no axle load declaration is because 13T is a SMALL truck.

Also, if this is a roadway problem (slide) it is not a question about load distribution, as the thing would have to be AWFULLY large to not activate a portion of unstable soil. It is rare you get a slide that happens from one axle.

 

[Evadman]

I don't see anything about individual axle weight limits posted...just a weight limit.

/me taps BoomerD's sarcasm meter