Okla. May Examine Scale Stations

An Oklahoma senator wants to study whether the state’s weigh station operations are adequate.

State Sen. Lewis Long said overweight trucks, which cause more damage to roads, could come through at night or on weekends.

"They could bring all kinds of hazardous waste through Oklahoma," he said.

All these trucks would have to do is wait until quitting time and then come through the state after the weigh stations are closed, he said.

Eight weigh stations are operated mainly on weekdays or at least 40 hours each week, said officials at the state Tax Commission, which operates the stations. The 42 people assigned to the stations are fewer than many other states have.

"Sometimes we run 24 hours at a time or 72 hours," said Larry Shropshire, the commission’s administrator.

Opening times are staggered so people don't know exactly what hours the stations are open, he said.

Shropshire disagreed with Long's contention that trucks are waiting for the stations to close.

"They aren't going to sit around for three days and wait for us to close down. They're going to lose business if they don't deliver on time," he said, adding that sometimes the stations are open on weekends.

For the full story, see the April 19 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.