Yes, Legally you CAN be cited for over weight on a pickup truck. Yes, Legally a trooper can pull you over if they suspect you are exceeding a weight rating on your pickup or trailer. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Those over load permits are only issued to trucks that have the capacity per axle to carry the load and will never be issued a permit if the load exceeds the manufacturers weight ratings.

Plain and simple, here is a guy who does it for a living and straight up tells you what to expect. If you don't believe him in the video, then ask him on his FB page. And this doesn't just apply to Indiana, but to all states, Nebraska is notorious for doing this.

 

But do you know of anyone driving a half-ton pickup who actually has been stopped while towing a TT or any trailer and ticketed or fined for being over weight in any category ? I do not and I have been towing all over the country for at least 30 years. I am 56. Do you know of anyone who has been sued in court for being overweight in any category while towing a TT or any trailer with a half-ton pickup ?

 

As a rule in Illinois the police won’t mess with a pick up unless it’s obviously unsafe . People always say “you’ll get sued if you have a wreck”. So I asked anybody ever hear of someone getting sued for being overloaded in a pickup. The answer is yes, people posted several cases. So say you truck is sticker at 7000 lbs and you are running 7500 pounds. Are you going to get a ticket. Probably not. You get in a wreck are you going to get sued? Maybe.

 

That is a label and only a label put on to aid the build process. Was the frame thickness or other possible differences not identified in these forums verified? I haven't seen it.

That is a question for a professional engineer specializing in chassis, not the general public on an online forum.

I have seen trucks with aids like Timbrens, Sumo Springs, air bags and helper springs used as band aids for just the reasons you state (they have their purposes). I try to stay away and have long ago learned to keep my mouth shut.
But I will say this to you.... If you were to do all this as you lay out would the cost of parts and time justify the difference in the cost of a truck already built. And I don't mean taking a Limited and beefing it up to say....the specs of my truck. Start with an XLT 301a optioned the same excepting HDPP (which I believe is a $1500 option, cheaper this year by $200). I think at the end of the day you'll spend more than that even if you throw in your own time installing everything. Draw your own conclusions.
One more thought to add. Although I have a truck purpose built to engage a higher payload, at the end of the day this is still a 1/2 ton truck and as such has it's limits. My guess....You probably want to be looking at a 3/4 ton or better truck.

 

I have seen a 3/4 ton dragging a 5th wheel get called to the scales in Nebraska. It was in front of me, and I saw the scale sign flag it, and he had to pull in. They weigh in motion all trucks, including 1/2 ton pickups towing. They will flag you if they suspect your over weight, regardless of what you are driving. If you don't believe me, go ahead and try it. I-80 east bound coming out of CO.

Here it is from the Nebraska Legislature,

Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

 

The point I trying to make is that people who need more payload within reason can probably safely achieve it by upgrading the suspension and tires if they already have the max trailer package. Given the fact the the HPDD seem to be very difficult to order particularly in certain trim packages, it could be a good alternative. 3/4 trucks are nice but maybe overkill for someone who simply need a little more payload. Some states charge a yearly weight fee that can be very costly for a 3/4 ton truck and unless you get a diesel which has its own set of issues, a V8 gas engine won’t come close to the performance of the 3.5 TT. I’ve owned several 3/4 Diesel trucks so I speak with some degree of experience.

 

I finally found a thread that supports my belief that it’s only suspension component that determines your payload. A own displayed his white sticker that show he had a 6600 GVWR. It has a HD sticker on the frame, which is used for at least the 7050 GVWR. This particular vehicle had the 9.75 rear end tow package. With a heavier coil spring and upgraded rear springs, you could essentially and safely raise the GVRW to at least the 7050 GVRW. Irrespective of what the white sticker says. If you had proof the you had upgraded the suspension part I think any judge would dismiss the ticket. Now to make the big jump to the max payload, you may in fact need the HDPP frame, that is the question and I guess only an engineer could answer the question, but I believe modest gain could be safely achieved by upgrading components.

 

I live in IL and about once a month the police setup a scale on the side of the road that I take to work everyday (route 72 in Chicago burbs). Granted this is by a rock quarry but they stop every truck with a trailer and weigh them. I've never been stopped, and never been overloaded, but I know they're there giving tickets. Not sure if it's based on road weight limits, vehicle limits or both?

 

Those are money shots. They have been doing that for decades, been there, done that in 1988. They wont stop pickups unless they see one that is either improperly setup and obviously a danger, or is quite apparent that it is way over loaded. The getting stopped part varies greatly from state to state and county to county, all depends on the guys and gals wearing the hat. A few weeks back one trooper who is very keen on spotting overloads was killed when she was inspecting a rig that was over weight. She was notorious for catching overloaded drivers, including pickups.

https://www.wifr.com/content/news/Cr...507790231.html