A Stop at the Woodburn Port of Entry
A truck can arrive at a weigh station with its cargo still on the trailer and find out there’s a problem with how it’s loaded. That happened at the southbound I-5 port of entry near Woodburn, Oregon, where a scale master questioned how five heavy bundles of wood were supported. One of our regular commercial customers called Baker & Baker Towing for I-5 load rework.
The trailer was carrying approximately 50,000 pounds of wood, but the bundles hadn’t been loaded with the proper bunks. Straps had been used instead, and the scale master wasn’t satisfied at all with the arrangement.
Getting the load corrected meant taking all five bundles off the trailer and putting them back. Fortunately, we had a crane for exactly that kind of heavy lifting.
Fifty Thousand Pounds of Wood to Move
Each bundle weighed approximately 10,000 pounds. That’s a considerable amount of weight to lift, especially when all five bundles need to come off before the loading arrangement can be corrected.
The problem wasn’t a broken-down vehicle or a tractor stuck somewhere off the road. The truck was at the scales, and its cargo needed attention.
That’s an important part of commercial trucking that doesn’t always get much attention. A trailer may be loaded and strapped down, but the scale master can still find something unacceptable about the way the freight is supported.
In this case, the missing bunks were enough to bring the shipment to a stop.
The Scale Master Had the Final Say
When companies arrange to move heavy products, they sometimes concentrate on getting everything onto the trailer and securing it in a way that seems adequate.
But what looks secure to the carrier isn’t necessarily what the DOT scale master will accept.
Our customer needed to correct the loading arrangement before proceeding. And with five heavy bundles sitting on the trailer, this wasn’t a problem anyone could solve by simply adjusting a few straps.
The wood had to come off.
Tanny, Travis, and Truck 209
We sent Tanny and Travis to the southbound I-5 port of entry near mile marker 274. Tanny operated Truck 209, our crane, while Travis helped with the job.
For load rework near Woodburn, we had to remove the bundles so the proper bunks could be put in place. Then we’d lift the wood back onto the trailer.
It sounds simple when described that way. But each bundle weighed about five tons, and there were five of them to handle.
The crane gave us the lifting capability needed to do the work without having to arrange a completely different way to move the cargo.
Off the Trailer, Bunks In, Wood Back On
The I-5 cargo rework followed a clear sequence:
- Lift the wood bundles off the trailer. We used Truck 209 to remove the cargo and make room for the correction.
- Install the proper bunks. With the wood out of the way, the supports could be placed where they were needed.
- Return the bundles to the trailer. We used the crane to lift the wood back into the corrected loading arrangement.
The entire operation took about three hours.
Baker & Baker Towing Handles I-5 Load Rework at the Weigh Station
At Baker & Baker Towing, our work goes beyond moving broken-down vehicles. We also help commercial customers when heavy cargo needs to be lifted, repositioned, or reworked.
This load work situation also illustrates why cargo preparation matters. The carrier had chosen one way to secure the wood, but the scale master required something different. Once that decision was made, the practical question became who had the equipment to correct it.
We were glad our customer knew to call us.
When customers need load rework at the Woodburn scales, we’re equipped to help with the physical work of getting heavy cargo back into the required arrangement.
Sometimes the truck is perfectly capable of moving. It’s the load that needs fixing first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was the wood load rejected at the port of entry?
The DOT scale master objected to how the wood bundles were supported. Straps had been used instead of the proper bunks.
How much wood was on the trailer?
There were five bundles weighing approximately 10,000 pounds each, totaling about 50,000 pounds of cargo.
What equipment did Baker & Baker Towing use?
We used Truck 209, our crane, to remove and replace the wood bundles.
How long did the load rework take?
The entire job took approximately three hours.
Why would a trucking company need a crane at a weigh station?
If heavy cargo needs to be removed and repositioned, a crane can provide the lifting capability needed to correct the load. In this case, we had to remove the wood so the proper bunks could be installed.
