The Avoidance of Weigh Stations in Virginia by Overweight Trucks

About the report:

The primary objective of this research was to examine the avoidance of weigh stations in Virginia by overweight trucks. Secondary objectives were (1) to determine the magnitude of overweight truck activity on selected routes and (2) to compare traffic loading data collected using static scales with enforcement with data collected using weigh-in-motion without enforcement. Two weigh stations on 1-81 were studied for weigh station avoidance. It was found that 11 and 14 percent (respectively) of the trucks on routes used to bypass the Stephens City and Troutville stations were overweight. At the Stephens City station, 50 percent of the runbys (which are trucks that travel past the weigh station without being weighed because the entrance lane to the station is filled with a queue of trucks) were overweight on Sunday night. Based on the number and percentage of overweight runbys, there is a need to increase the truck weighing capacity of this weigh station. From 12 to 27 percent of the trucks on two primary routes and one interstate route were overweight. Traffic loadings collected with WIM without enforcement are 30 to 60 percent higher than loadings collected using static scales and enforcement.

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