So I go up to Allentown this past Saturday night for Octane‘s performance at Crocodile Rock … I get off at the Allentown NE Extension exit, and I am billed for a Class 2 toll … I think it was $6.25 … Do the show … fun fun … and then on the way back, I get off at the Route 1 exit and it says Class 3 and the toll is $7.50 or something … This has happened a couple times in the past, so I ask the toll guy why he charged me as a Class 3 when on the way up I was charged a Class 2? … He told me it’s done by weight … there’s scales that weigh you when you come into the toll booth to take a ticket … He asked if I carried the same load all the time, and I told him I sure did … He said I was probably on the borderline of 19000 and that if I came into the toll booth fast and braked hard that it took me over the Class 2 into a Class 3 … I should come in slower so as not to shift the weight hard by braking and that I would probably always get a Class 2 … He also said that for me, the difference wasn’t that big a deal … I mean, $1.25 isn’t much more for a heavier weight, but he said when the guys come in and the difference is between a Class 7 and a Class 8, the difference can be $25.00 … They aren’t too happy and aren’t as conversant as I was about the difference …
This told me a couple things … #1, there’s scales at the toll booths under the cement … Neat! I never knew that … and #2, I used to carry way too much stuff in the 14′ Isuzu … That swaying I felt while I was driving it loaded makes perfect sense now, and I guess I am lucky I never had any problems besides going awfully slow up hills … I didn’t have any blow-outs or tips … I am also very happy I didn’t go with another truck solution I was contemplating before arriving at the used GMC … I was thinking about buying a new Mitsubishi Fuso that would have had a 16′ box … The more I thought of another $600 or so payment a month plus insurance (full coverage) for a measly 2′ more of a box didn’t make any sense to me … Turns out now I know that would have been over loaded as well … The 20′ GMC has been the perfect choice for this situation … It’s not as big as the 25’ which would have been difficult to park when not in use and manueverability getting into clubs, etc would have been even worse …