Roadside & Legal · Driver Training VideoWeigh-Station Bypass Citations & Oversize Loads

Here's how it plays out

You see the scale up ahead, the lights are on, the sign says OPEN. You've only got two more exits to go, traffic's light, so you roll on by. Two miles down the road, there's a patrol car in your mirror.

Bypassing an open weigh or inspection station, when the sign or an officer is directing you in, isn't a gray area. It's its own specific violation: FMCSA Section 392.2, Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device — often written as 392.2C.

And you will not outrun it. Bypass systems like PrePass and Drivewyze log every truck and every pull-in signal automatically. If you skip a stop, the scale doesn't just let it go — they dispatch a patrol car to bring you back.

Know the difference between a legit bypass and evasion. A green light on your transponder means proceed — that's a legal bypass, not a decision you made. A red light, or an officer waving you toward the scale, means you stop, same as anyone else.

Your company standard: a valid oversize or overweight permit does not excuse you from an open scale.

So the bottom line: every open scale is a mandatory stop. Loaded or empty, legal or permitted, it doesn't matter. Red light or an officer waving you in means you pull in — no exceptions, no shortcuts. Keep your permit out and ready before you ever reach the ramp.