How To Go Through A Weigh Station

8 minutes reading time (1682 words)

If you are making a long-altitude movement, you might be wondering whether or not truck rentals terminate at counterbalance stations on the way. Some states require rented moving trucks to stop at counterbalance stations, however, rental trucks used to movement personal holding typically do not need to stop at weigh stations.

A U-Haul truck is a moving truck that you can rent. The most common reason that people rent a truck is to motility to another dwelling house. You can use a rental truck to move downwardly the street or across the country.

Some other reasons why people rent a truck are to donate article of furniture, option up newly purchased article of furniture, or ship household items to a local garbage dump or recycling eye.

U-Haul isn't the merely rental company that offers moving trucks, although they are the most well-known. Other truck rental companies include:

Penske Truck Rental
Budget Truck Rental
Enterprise Truck Rental
Ryder Truck Rental
Home Depot Truck Rental

Cargo vans and pickup trucks can be rented for local moves from U-Haul, Enterprise, or Domicile Depot.

Weigh stations are highway checkpoints where large vehicles, mainly trucks, are inspected for safety and weight. Their primary purpose is to prevent heavy or unsafe trucks from moving on interstates, making it safer for all drivers.

Fun fact: A weigh station that is located most the state border is ordinarily called a "port of entry". Truckers frequently refer to them every bit "scales".

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Whether or not yous volition need to finish at the scales will depend on the state you are driving through. There are two master factors that states use to determine who has to finish at their scales:

Are you moving personal property or commercial goods?

Many states only require commercial vehicles to stop at weigh stations. If your truck rental is loaded upwardly with your personal property, such every bit your household goods, then you aren't required to stop in those states.

What size moving truck are yous driving?

Even if your U-Haul is filled with only your household appurtenances, many states require all vehicles that weigh 10,000 pounds or more to stop. Wait- weren't we talking about truck size, not weight? Await at you paying attending, so cute!

Since this moving guide is about rental trucks specifically I wanted to get in easier for our readers to understand. And while I don't expect someone who rents a U-Booty every two-iii years to know (or recollect) how much their truck weighs, I do recall most people know what size truck they rented.

Fortunately for all of us, it's rather easy to determine the weight of your moving truck based on its size. For quick reference, nosotros accept provided an approximation of the gross vehicle weight for the most common rental truck sizes below.

x' Truck = 8,600 lbs
15' - 20' Truck = 12,500 - 14,500 lbs
26' Truck = 26,000 lbs

If you're driving through a state that requires y'all to finish at their counterbalance stations and so, aye, you lot are required to terminate at every i you come upon (assuming it is open). This isn't almost equally terrible every bit information technology may seem, and chances are yous won't need to stop more than once in nigh states. Here's why:

The number of counterbalance stations in each land is a lot less than you might call back. Many states have fewer than xv stations in operation
About 1/3 of all counterbalance stations are only open seasonally
Weigh stations that are operational year-round are not unremarkably open up 24/7. The operating hours will commonly mirror the times when trucks are on the road
Not every weigh station will require all trucks to terminate. Some stations are specialized and may merely crave certain types of vehicles to end, like those transporting agricultural items or livestock

A color coded USA map chart showing which states require rental trucks to stop at weigh stations

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Weigh station requirements for rented moving trucks that are hauling personal property:

eight states crave rented moving trucks to cease at some or all weigh stations
23 states do not require rental trucks to stop. Alabama, Idaho, and Montana technically crave truck rentals to stop, but just if they exceed 26,000 pounds. Rental trucks do not need to finish in these states considering the maximum GVW of a rented truck is 26,000 lbs, so it will never exceed the weight threshold
2 states, South Dakota and Virginia, require a stop when the GVW is greater than 8,000 lbs. A x' U-Haul weighs more than than that, so all rental trucks must finish
14 states require truck rentals that weigh x,000 lbs or more to terminate. A 10' U-Haul truck is the only moving truck yous can hire that weighs less
3 states, Illinois, Missouri, and Oregon, require only the largest truck sizes to terminate based on their weight thresholds

This information was updated in December 2021.

State	Finish?	Summary
Alabama	No *	Vehicles that weigh more than 26,000 lbs must stop. A rental truck will not exceed 26,000 lbs.
Alaska	Over x,000 lbs	A truck rental hauling more than 10,000 pounds in personal belongings must terminate.
Arizona	Over 10,000 lbs	A truck rental hauling more ten,000 pounds in personal property must stop.
Arkansas	No	Stopping is non required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
California	Yep	All truck rentals must stop.
Colorado	No	Stopping is non required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
Connecticut	No	Stopping is not required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
Delaware	No	Stopping is not required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
Florida	Yes	All rental trucks stop at Agronomical Inspection Stations, which are unremarkably at the state border. These are the only scales that you are required to stop at if you are moving personal property.
Georgia	Over ten,000 lbs	A truck rental hauling more 10,000 pounds in personal property must stop.
Hawaii	Over 10,000 lbs	A truck rental hauling more 10,000 pounds in personal property must finish.
Idaho	No *	Vehicles that weigh more than than 26,000 lbs must end. A rental truck volition non exceed 26,000 lbs.
Illinois	Over sixteen,000 lbs	You must finish when your rental truck weighs more xvi,000 lbs.
Indiana	Yep	All truck rentals must stop.
Iowa	Over ten,000 lbs	A truck rental hauling more than than x,000 pounds in personal holding must finish.
Kansas	Over 10,000 lbs	A truck rental hauling more than than x,000 pounds in personal property must stop.
Kentucky	No	Stopping is non required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
Louisiana	No	Stopping is not required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
Maine	No	Stopping is not required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
Maryland	Over x,000 lbs	A truck rental hauling more than 10,000 pounds in personal property must stop.
Massachusetts	No	Stopping is not required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
Michigan	No	Stopping is not required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
Minnesota	Over 10,000 lbs	A truck rental hauling more than 10,000 pounds in personal belongings must stop.
Mississippi	No	Stopping is not required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
Missouri	Over eighteen,001 lbs	Vehicles that weigh 18,001 lbs or more than must terminate.
Montana	No *	Vehicles that counterbalance more than than 26,000 lbs must stop. A rental truck will non exceed 26,000 lbs.
Nebraska	Yes	All truck rentals must stop.
Nevada	No	Stopping is not required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
New Hampshire	No	Stopping is non required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
New Jersey	Over 10,001 lbs	Vehicles that weigh ten,001 lbs or more than must stop.
New Mexico	No	Stopping is not required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
New York	Over ten,000 lbs	A truck rental hauling more than than 10,000 pounds in personal property must stop. This includes vehicles that are pulling a trailer if the combined weight exceeds 10,000 lbs.
N Carolina	Over ten,001 lbs	Vehicles that counterbalance ten,001 lbs or more must stop.
North Dakota	Over 10,000 lbs	A truck rental hauling more than than 10,000 pounds in personal belongings must stop.
Ohio	Over 10,000 lbs	A truck rental hauling more than 10,000 pounds in personal holding must stop.
Oklahoma	No	Stopping is non required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
Oregon	Over 20,000 lbs	Y'all must stop when your rental truck weighs more than than 20,000 lbs.
Pennsylvania	Aye	Pennsylvania requires any vehicle registered every bit a truck, including personal vehicles and rental trucks, to stop
Rhode Island	No	Stopping is not required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
South Carolina	Yep	Truck rentals hauling personal belongings must cease simply will likely be waived through.
South Dakota	Over 8,000 lbs	Vehicles that weigh 8,000 lbs or more must stop.
Tennessee	No	Stopping is not required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
Texas	No	Stopping is not required at weigh stations, simply all vehicles (including truck rentals) must terminate at border patrol checkpoints.
Utah	No	Stopping is not required for a rental truck that is hauling personal holding.
Vermont	Yes	All truck rentals must stop.
Virginia	Over seven,500 lbs	Vehicles that weigh 7,500 lbs or more must finish.
Washington	No	Stopping is non required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
West Virginia	No	Stopping is not required for a rental truck that is hauling personal property.
Wisconsin	Over x,000 lbs	A truck rental hauling more than than 10,000 pounds in personal property must end.
Wyoming	Yeah	All trucks are required to finish anytime you lot encounter a regulatory sign (black letters on a white background) instructing you to terminate, or an officer has directed yous to cease. It is virtually likely that these signs will specify "commercial vehicles", in which instance a rental truck hauling personal belongings would not be required to stop.

Near the author

I've been in the moving manufacture since 2004 and I spent the first few years working as a mover. I use the lessons learned during those years to write manufactures that will give our users the answers they are looking for and, ultimately, help them make a successful DIY move.