YOUNGSTOWN Overloaded trucks damage roads and pose a danger, officials say

Truckers face up to 30 days in jail for loads 5,000 pounds overweight.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Some truckers paid by the ton to haul are tempted to make one trip instead of two.
"If you're a trucker getting paid by tonnage, there's incentive to overload. It's a common practice," said Lt. Mark Milstead, head of the Youngstown Police Department traffic division.
"Just look at the roads -- between [Bill] Fergus and overweight trucks, the roads are in bad shape, not to mention the bridges that can't handle the weight."
William P. Fergus, former Mahoning County engineer, took kickbacks from paving contractors and allowed them to do shoddy work. He received an 18-month prison sentence in April 1999.
Milstead said YPD weight enforcement had been overlooked in years past because the traffic unit lacked resources. That changed last year when Police Chief Robert E. Bush Jr. added officers to the unit.
Weighing in
Police now periodically crack down on overweight trucks traveling through the city. The Ohio State Highway Patrol lends troopers and portable scales, Milstead said.
The city also has a stationary platform scale at Bob O's Towing on Logan Avenue available to determine the gross weight of vehicles, Milstead said.
The portable scales are used under truck wheels, to calculate the weight on each axle, he said. The law defines weight by axle, the load carried on each tire, he said.
On Monday, eight local truckers -- from Youngstown, Struthers, Hubbard, Warren, Vienna and Columbiana -- received citations for overweight loads. They were permitted to off-load whatever weight it took to get them to the legal limit, Milstead said.
If sand or gravel, for example, police find a safe spot off the road to leave the material for pickup later. Cement trucks can pump their overweight load into another truck
The truckers cited will appear in municipal court later this month.
Penalties
Milstead said the following penalties apply:
U1 to 2,000 pounds overweight, $80 fine.
U2,001 to 5,000 pounds overweight, $100 fine plus $1 for every 100 extra pounds.
U5,001 to 10,000 pounds overweight, up to 30 days in jail, $130 fine plus $2 for every 100 extra pounds.
U10,000 or more pounds overweight, up to 30 days in jail, $160 fine plus $3 for every 100 extra pounds.
Milstead said it's common to find trucks with loads that are grossly overweight. Of the eight men cited this week, three had loads that were more than 10,000 pounds beyond the legal limit.
Heavy loads not only ruin roads and bridges but put too much weight on brakes, Milstead said. Heavy loads, he said, are a safety issue.
The roads that attract heavy industrial traffic include U.S. Route 422, Poland Avenue and the Division Street expressway, said Carmen Conglose, the city's deputy director of public works. He said the Center Street bridge is among the spans that attract a lot of truck traffic.
Conglose said he can't put a dollar amount to the road damage caused by heavy trucks.
He said roads are designed for certain weight loads and overweight loads accelerate deterioration.
meade@vindy.com