Truck Weigh Station Jobs

All highways that have truck traffic on them also have many truck weigh stations at regular intervals or just before or after main turnpikes or junctions.

These are also called scales, so if you hear a trucker talking about getting to the scales, he’s probably not worried about his personal weight. Every state has these weigh stations to enforce federal and state weight restrictions and regulations. Truckers are also required to fill out log book hours, or hours of service so that any drivers who’ve been on the road too long can be made to take a rest. That’s also why these weigh stations have rest stop areas for tired truckers. Regulations such as IFTA, registration and other permits are also checked at these stations.

The people who work in these weigh stations are responsible for making sure that trucks aren’t overloaded with freight and conform to all state and federal requirements before getting back on the road. Some weigh stations are simply that. Just plain old weigh checking stations that record the weight being transported and that’s that. Other weigh stations can be at ports of entry such as Wyoming, Utah or Arizona. Florida and California have many agricultural inspection stations which weigh the loads and also check freight for the proper permits and paperwork before allowing the load to be transported further.

Working in agricultural inspection weigh stations usually requires more training than in a regular weigh station, but the pay is also better to match the extra work involved.

If you’re thinking about a job working at a weigh station, you should be able to keep track of a lot of paperwork and follow and give instructions easily. The average starting salary for a weigh and safety inspector is $37,000 with this figure varying by state in many instances. The average overtime rate for this position is approximately $35.50 an hour. Training for this position is much easier if you have trucking experience, and a background in any sort of bookkeeping or office work will help you find the work easier as well.