Nomenclature and Inspection Stations

[SummitPond]

Very often I will see a state agriculture inspection or weigh station, and I'm never sure if I should pull in to be checked.

The posted signs almost always say "all trailers" yet I infer from the vehicles I see at the stations they really mean commercial semi-tractor truck/trailers.

Without checking the rules (assuming they can be easily found) for each state that we visit, what's the proper thing to do?

Thanks.

[jsmith948]

Here in The Peoples' Republic of Kalifornia, you will have to stop at the ag inspection station (as do all vehicles). DO NOT stop at the state weigh stations.

[travelin texans]

Been rving for 40+ years, the last 10 fulltime, crossing the country several times & never stopped at a weigh station & until otherwise informed never will. Those are strictly for commercial vehicles, if you're hauling a rv for a transport company & getting paid to do so then YES you must stop, but for personal rv travel NO you are not required to stop.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

Been rving for 40+ years, the last 10 fulltime, crossing the country several times & never stopped at a weigh station & until otherwise informed never will. Those are strictly for commercial vehicles, if you're hauling a rv for a transport company & getting paid to do so then YES you must stop, but for personal rv travel NO you are not required to stop.

^^^^^^^^^^x2

[wiredgeorge]

Here in Texas, seems like almost all the weigh stations on US highways are no longer open except where trucks come up from across the border and such. Am I imagining that most are closed?

[Ductape]

What the heck is an ag inspection station ??

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Ductape

What the heck is an ag inspection station ??

It's a "border crossing inspection station" where the "state officials" inspect your vehicle for "contraband agricultural products"... ie: They check to make sure you're not smuggling cucumbers into California, although pickles are OK....

[sourdough]

I've seen "ag" stations driving through in our regular vehicle but have not been through one with our RV. We did however have a friend that went up through Canada a couple of months ago tell us that when they crossed back into the states they had to remove all their vegetables and what not so I guess they do check for "something" and require RVs to stop.

[jsmith948]

Originally Posted by sourdough

I've seen "ag" stations driving through in our regular vehicle but have not been through one with our RV. We did however have a friend that went up through Canada a couple of months ago tell us that when they crossed back into the states they had to remove all their vegetables and what not so I guess they do check for "something" and require RVs to stop.

Best example I can reference is the cherry fruit fly. This insect is/was found in the PNW and, since California also has a large cherry industry, the at inspection station stops all loads of cherries coming into the state. Both the point of origin inspection paperwork and an actual physical test where a sample of fruit is removed from the load and crushed to check for fly larva. They will also confiscate any cherries you may have. It's to prevent the spread of the pest.

[Frank G]

The state of Florida has Ag inspection stations at the Georgia border. When we were hauling horses we always stopped, never with the RV.

On the interstate highways, pay attention, there are scales all along the way with cameras and other detection devices, including but not limited to, nuclear, plate readers, speed, length, and hot wheel detector's. Yes, big brother is watching, they no longer have to be visible. I keep spotting more and more stuff suspended over all lanes of travel.

[notanlines]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

It's a "border crossing inspection station" where the "state officials" inspect your vehicle for "contraband agricultural products"... ie: They check to make sure you're not smuggling cucumbers into California, although pickles are OK....

I wouldn’t touch that....

[SummitPond]

Thank you all for your responses. I will continue to bypass the weigh and ag inspection stations (unless I'm in California, I guess).