Over weight fees

[Natman]

Can't remove it, 8 bolts, takes another crane and time.

Threw the blocking forward. Today on my run across the scales, 33,700 lbs on the tandems, and that was with one foot lees boom sticking, I'm at 39' now. A BIG difference in how the headache ball was bouncing around, the fleet angle was much better then at 40'. It will be even better at 38'. Then, back at the yard, I took my 2 or 3 hundred lb. 15 ton load block out. Don't use it often at all, and when I do need I know in advance. It was carried towards the front but will help. Plus I took out a big timber I rarely use, another 80 lbs. Going over in the AM again, and this time I'll have the boom at 38' and see what happens.

As to the overhang issue, that may be easy to get around by getting a over width permit, which I believe also covers length. I asked them once, years ago, how far can I stick out in front (I was carrying some 38' glue lam beams on my 1 ton) and they said as long as you have a permit, no limit! Or words to that effect. The annual permit fee for that is not based on miles driven anyway. I see they are $53.00 annually, just a quick search, not in the mood to study their regs right now. I'll deal with the optimum weight thing first, and deal with the length later.

 

[td25c]

That's another good idea Natman . Just simply removing rigging & ruck off the truck you don't need on a daily basis .
We did that with our cranes . Removed blocks , extra chocker's , bigger shackles . Got rid of all the heavier items & store them in the shed and grab them when needed .
We lost between 800 to 1,000 pounds on each rig pretty quick like that .

Like putting a Grove on a crash diet to loose a few pounds & maybe gain a little a road speed LOL !
Even after the diet they still won't step on the scales for fear of breaking them .




From what I understand the 1,400 pound counterweight on the National was an " add on " to gain a little chart / stability ?

Now it's showing a little over weight at the scales after the addition .

If all else fails wonder if mounting the counterweight to the chassis just ahead of the drive axils to help on the scale weight and still act as counterweight ?

 

[Natman]

Well, right now I have an officially approved National counter weight installed as they specify, and I really like how it improved the stability. It was OK before, not it's much better, especially in the 2:00 to 4:00 and 8:00 to 10:00 o clock position, it feels like I'm working directly over the rears, all the time. So, it's staying where and how it is. As far as losing the weight, I went so far as to take the aluminum paged official load chart "book" out of its official holder (secured with a cable, the intent by National that it stays with the crane, I cut the cable long ago as I wanted to take it out and show my customers, on the bigger jobs, where and how we could do it) that usually sits in a holder behind the operator seat in the cab, and now it's new home is in a forward bed mounted rigging box. That probably took 5 lbs of the tandems......

TODAY, (even though this job I've been doing should have been done in 4 to 6 hours, with real carpenters, this crew took 12.5 hours over 3 different days, (( 3 different travel charges)) all involving going past the Port, so I'm getting a lot of info quick) with the latest weight reductions (no 15 ton load block, and some big timbers, left in the yard) and with the boom at 38', I went across at 33,640 lbs. So it is a done deal, I can beat it, with the jib and the counterweight as is. Next time, probably Monday, I go across, I'll have the boom at 37'.

 

[Natman]

I called the state transportation department, and to my amazement, after explaining who I was and what I do (small time local crane service, not a long haul trucker carrying varying loads, who just installed a new permanent piece of equipment) and THEN when the scales revealed said piece of new equipment (counterweight) put me over, I rearranged my other equipment carried on board and got back UNDER the limit. I got all done explaining this
and there was a long pause, and I started to think I had given way too much info and was about to be told I was still locked into a new weight category. BUT then the nice lady said, "oh, that won't be a problem, we'll put you back under your previous gross, and when you get your next quarterly report form for being overweight, just put zero miles on it and that well be the end of it." Wow, that was great news obviously!

Plus today, since I had the crane in my home shop for the first time in 6 months (living on a mountain, I don't drive it up here often, that's why I have the place in town, but my town building is no substitute for my home shop where I have a lot more "stuff") I totally emptied out all 4 of my big rigging boxes, and realized I can lose a bunch more weight. My beam clamp will now be left in the crane shed, as will my 3 different chain bridles. The kind of jobs I will need them on, I know about in advance and can just throw them in, no need to pack them to job setting trusses on a house. My new project will be making a small jib crane (think that's the proper term, a 500 lb. or so max capacity pipe on a swivel will a short length of wide flange with a small chain fall on it.) Just something to lift my 15 ton load block, my 10' big spreader bar, and other crap I rarely use but still need from time to time. I can easily and quickly pay for this little wall mounted jib crane with the money I'll save from not paying .16 a mile, ha ha.