This week’s post is hosted by the UWT Sales department. The Sales department will be contributing to blog content on a regular basis, with their posts being named Sales Speak. This week, Account Manager Tara Preston is showcasing the topic of weight requirements of hauling produce out of Washington and Oregon, focusing on apples, pears, potatoes and onions.
Every year, as we move into the winter season in WA and OR, we are faced with changes in weight requirements for loading. Effective November 1 until April 1 of each year, drivers are required to carry chains with them at all times which adds approximately 500 lbs of weight that needs to be accounted for.
In addition to that, with snow and ice build-up, in a few cases trucks have scaled over when in fact, there has been ice on the truck or trailer and/or slush & dirt built up in the wheel wells, which I have seen to weigh the truck down by as much as 1000 lbs. So, it is best that drivers remember to remove any ice, slush, or debris buildup during your pre-trip inspection. After loading at time of scaling, if overweight, double check truck and trailer to ensure weight is accurate as to product only.
Since we load on average 1600 loads of apples/pears/onions/potatoes during the winter season and every variation of produce is different, I have put together a cheat sheet on what the most common loads weigh in case counts based on 44,000 lbs. These guidelines are designed to cover the majority of loads that we handle out of the Washington/Oregon State export shippers we deal with. Please keep in mind that load weights can vary due to the following conditions: packing weights across shippers, different varieties, types of packing material – regular/tray pack (often referred as TP), Heavy pack (often referred to as HP), bagged product – and whether product is floor loaded (on slip sheets) or on pallets. Our objective is to load trucks with the full case capacity that is listed on the order commitment sheet.
| Red Apples TP: | 1008-1029cs | Golden Apples TP: | 1029cs |
| Red Apples HP: | 903-931cs | Golden Apples HP: | 1050cs |
| Red Apples Slip: | 1029cs | Golden Apples Slip: | 1078cs |
| Gala Apples TP: | 1008-1029cs | Pears TP: | 931-959cs |
| Gala Apples HP: | 903-931cs | Pears HP: | — |
| Red Apples Slip: | 1029cs | Pears Slip: | 980cs |
| Onions: | 850 50lb bags | Potatoes: | 850 50lb bags |
Below is a diagram we use in the Sales Dept. as a reference for weight distributions and loading guidelines:
This is important because if a truck tells us if we are overweight, we typically ask if they are over on gross weight or axle weight. If they are only over on 1 axle weight, we can often redistribute the weight accordingly using the diagram.
Are you a Customer looking to ship these types of loads? Give me a call directly and we can discuss your business needs! 1.877.273.7470 ext. 166, or email me!
Looking to haul these types of loads and feel you will meet the specifications above? Give our Capacity Team a call! 1.877.273.7470.
