Weigh Stations for Truckers

For truck drivers

Updated September 28, 2026

This guide covers what happens at the scale, who has to stop, and how weigh stations work in the four states where Accelerated has terminals: Colorado, Alabama, Maryland and Florida. Every rule comes from the state agencies themselves.

What Is a Weigh Station?

A weigh station is where the state checks trucks on the road. Officers weigh the truck and can look at its size, equipment, paperwork and safety. The name changes from state to state:

• Colorado: ports of entry, run by the Colorado State Patrol
• Maryland: Truck Weigh and Inspection Stations, run by the Maryland State Police and the Maryland Transportation Authority Police
• Florida: weigh stations, run by the Florida Department of Transportation
• California: Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facilities, run by the California Highway Patrol

Why weigh trucks at all? Florida’s Highway Patrol puts it plainly. Weight limits exist to keep heavy trucks from doing unreasonable damage to the roads and to protect the public’s investment in them. Maryland adds that overweight trucks can be a safety hazard.

Who Has to Stop at a Weigh Station

Each state writes its own rule. California’s is a clear example. Its Vehicle Code, section 2813, says every driver of a commercial vehicle must stop and submit to an inspection of size, weight, equipment and smoke emissions when signs require the stop. Failing to stop is a misdemeanor there.

Colorado sets weight lines instead. A commercial vehicle must clear a port of entry if it meets any of these:

• Over 16,000 pounds empty weight
• Over 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating (on the VIN plate)
• Apportioned or GVW license plates
• A placardable amount of hazardous materials, without Colorado’s annual hazmat permit

Colorado also says you must clear any port within five road miles of your normal route. A loaded car hauler is well past these lines, so plan to stop.

What Happens at the Scale

Here is how Colorado’s State Patrol describes a normal pass through a port:

1. 1

   You pull in and get weighed. The truck rolls across the scale.

2. 2

   The officer looks up your truck. While you are weighed, the port officer enters your VIN into the state’s system to pull your vehicle’s records.

3. 3

   You roll on, or you park.

   Roll onRecords come up, and there is no weight or safety concern.

   ParkRecords do not come up. Weigh, park and bring your paperwork to the officer.

One option Colorado gives carriers is to mark the last eight characters of the VIN on the passenger side of the cab, at least 2 inches tall and readable from 50 feet, so the officer can find it fast.

A stop can also turn into a full safety inspection. Maryland says 1.8 million trucks and commercial vehicles are weighed and 95,000 vehicles are inspected there each year. To learn what each inspection covers, see our guide to DOT inspection levels.

The Weight Limits Being Checked

On the Interstate, federal rules set these limits (23 CFR 658.17):

The bridge formula limits the weight on any group of axles based on how far apart they are. Maryland says it adopted the federal bridge formula and table to limit damage from heavy vehicles, and prints the table in its Motor Carrier Handbook.

A state can issue special permits for loads that cannot be broken down. Size limits for car haulers are a separate topic. See our guide to car hauler dimensions.

Weigh-in-Motion and Weigh Station Bypass

Not every truck needs to stop on a static scale. States use technology to screen trucks first:

• Weigh-in-motion. Maryland says 7 of its sites use weigh-in-motion devices to pre-screen for weight violations as trucks roll over them.
• Electronic screening. Maryland is adding electronic checks of credentials, such as fuel tax and safety rating.
• Electronic clearance programs. Colorado’s State Patrol lists two, PrePass and Drivewyze, and sends carriers to them to enroll.

Before you count on a bypass, ask the program which states and stations it covers.

Weigh Stations in the States We Run From

Accelerated has terminals in Colorado, Alabama, Maryland and Florida. Here is one fact from each state’s own agency.

Rules, locations and hours change, and we do not track which stations are open. Check each state’s official list, linked in the sources below, before you plan a trip.

Sources

Last checked September 28, 2026. States change their rules, stations and hours. Before a trip, check the official page for each state you will drive through.

1. 23 CFR 658.17, Weight
2. Colorado State Patrol, Port of Entry
3. Colorado State Patrol, Vehicles Required to Clear Port of Entry
4. Colorado State Patrol, Automation Vehicle Identification
5. Colorado State Patrol, Electronic Clearance Systems
6. MDOT State Highway Administration, Truck Weigh and Inspection Stations
7. FDOT, Motor Carrier Size and Weight
8. FDOT, Motor Carrier Size and Weight Questions and Answers
9. Florida Highway Patrol, Weight Enforcement
10. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Motor Carrier Safety Unit
11. Caltrans, Weigh Stations (Who Must Stop?)