Long-distance moves are billed by weight, so the weight has to be proved. The weight ticket is that proof, and a copy has to travel with your paperwork.
The six required items
Under 49 CFR 375.519 each weight ticket must show: the complete name and location of the scale; the date of each weighing; whether each entry is the tare, gross or net weight; the company or carrier identification of the vehicle; the last name of the shipper as it appears on the bill of lading; and the carrier's shipment registration or bill of lading number. The weighmaster signs each ticket, and one ticket may record both weighings if they are done on the same scale.
How the numbers are produced
Section 375.509 describes two methods. In an origin weigh, the truck is weighed empty before loading and again after loading, and the difference is your shipment. In a back weigh, the loaded truck is weighed and then weighed again after unloading. The scale must be a certified scale, drivers and helpers are off the truck, and the fuel tanks are full for both weighings or no fuel is added in between. The tickets are the written record of those steps.
Shipments of 3,000 pounds or less may be weighed on a certified platform or warehouse scale instead, under 375.511.
Your part in it
You have the right to observe every weighing, and the mover must tell you where and when. If you choose not to watch, you are presumed to have waived the right. Every freight bill that depends on weight must include true copies of the weight tickets, so check that the tickets match the bill of lading before you pay.
At O'Brien's the weighing steps follow the van line's rules for long-distance work. Ask the estimator when and where you may watch.
What to compare
- Names and dates on the ticket against your bill of lading
- Tare, gross and net clearly labeled
- The signature of the weighmaster
- The weight against the figure on your estimate
If a figure looks off, you may ask for a reweigh before the truck unloads.