I think we need to invest more in our weigh stations across the state. Not having weigh stations open is allowing truckers to pass through our state with over-weight loads which is tearing up our interstates and costing us more money in repair. We'd be money ahead staffing our weigh stations and maintaining the equipment there.

------------
"Weigh stations suffer from decades of neglect
by Janice Francis-Smith
The Journal Record
8/19/2005

Oklahoma's weigh stations have been found wanting, but the state still has not invested in maintenance for the facilities, some of which haven't seen improvements in 50 years.
"To say conditions at the weigh stations are primitive is being charitable," said Bob Hale, general counsel for the state Department of Transportation's motor carrier division, noting that at one facility workers have to use an outdoor portable toilet because the water line broke some time ago.

At seven locations across the state, a total of 12 scales are used to weigh trucks traveling the highway system. Fines are issued to trucks found to be overweight, loaded improperly or in violation of a list of safety requirements. The weigh stations serve more than one purpose, said Hale.

"We can remove the overloaded overweight trucks from the roadway before they can do additional damage," said Hale.

That also helps the industry because it ensures all companies are playing by the rules and not getting an illegal advantage over other companies by cutting corners or overloading their trucks, he said. The facilities help ensure the safety of the driving public on the roads, and play a role in homeland security by checking to make sure the trucks are correctly licensed and registered.

Most of the weigh station facilities in Oklahoma were built with the highway system in the 1950s and '60s, though one facility was completed as recently as the late 1980s, said Norman Hill, general counsel for ODOT. But there hasn't been much money invested in them since.

Prior to July 2004, the weigh stations were mainly the responsibility of the Oklahoma Tax Commission, though the various responsibilities regarding permitting and enforcement have been scattered among a few state agencies, creating some confusion for truckers. But the Tax Commission did not invest in improving the facilities for some time.

"(The Tax Commission) gets their money a little differently," said Hill. "They were appropriated, at least recently, about $100,000. That covers just about the electric bill, water bill and a few minor fixes here and there."

Last year, the Oklahoma Legislature took the bulk of the responsibility for regulating the trucking industry away from the Tax Commission and placed it with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. But while the Corporation Commission is assigned the duty of operating the weigh stations, the facilities themselves were placed under ODOT's authority.

"We're the landlord," Hill said.

However, when ODOT was given the responsibility to care for the weigh stations, the department was not appropriated the needed funding to fix up the facilities.

"Obviously, nobody wanted to put any money into it, and that has developed into the condition they are in now," said Hill. "If we put money into it, we're taking it out of fixing roads and bridges and guardrails."

When transferring authority over the weigh stations, the Legislature deemed that if the Corporation Commission was able to collect more enforcement revenue than the Tax Commission had collected previously, the excess revenue would be used to both enhance the program and to make improvements to the weigh stations. Though the plan did produce some funds for the facilities, it wasn't much. ODOT has received about $16,000 from the program since it was implemented in July 2004.

"That's just about enough to fix that water line, but not much else," said Hill.

At this point, it's going to take a lot more than money to improve the system. Traffic patterns have changed since the facilities were built, so some facilities should be relocated. Today, it is possible to cross the entire state of Oklahoma without passing a single weigh station.

Hill said new technology is available that would improve the process. For instance, a type of scale is now available that can weigh a truck while it is still in motion. Such technology would help to expedite the process, benefiting truckers with a shorter wait time and eliminating the safety hazard posed by long lines of trucks parked along state highways.

The issue will be examined by the Legislature before the next legislative session begins in February, said state Rep. Fred Perry R-Tulsa. Perry had introduced House Bill 1967 during the 2005 session, which would have redirected millions of dollars from overweight and oversize permit fees from the state's general fund into a special fund to address the weigh stations.

Though HB 1967 was approved by a majority of members in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, after emerging from a conference committee the measure stalled at the end of the session, when the Senate declined to take it up again for a vote.

"But we did get a procedure whereby we kept that alive so that we can hear it next year," said Perry. "If they had let it die, we couldn't have brought it up until the year after next."

And truckers are ready and waiting for the measure to be taken up again in the spring. Dan Case, executive director of the Oklahoma Trucking Association, said HB 1967 is the best thing for the trucking industry.

"It would protect our borders and protect our highways," said Case. "It would move (weigh stations) to the borders, where they need to be, and keep them open 24 hours a day so we can help protect Oklahoma.""

They need to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year (plus an extra day in Presidential election years). Plus, the Highway Patrol needs to enforce the laws. Some people do not even stop. Example. Did you know if you rent a truck from a place like Budget or U-Haul, you are required to stop at weigh stations?

Yes I do, and all but one time I have pulled in the inspectors got a good laugh while waving me on through. Of course I was only transporting household goods while moving. It broke the monotony of a long trip and amused the inspectors, a plus for both sides. I'll never forget that one time though, the inspector smiling as he glanced at the scales, the smile disappearing as he checked the gross weight on the door of the truck and finally waving me on. Surpise! Surprise! lol