Most customers never need a reweigh, but it is a right worth knowing before the truck arrives. It exists because the first weight sets the bill, and the scale at the origin is where you may have been at work or school.
When you can ask
The right applies to a shipment weighed at origin, the first method in 49 CFR 375.509. After the mover informs you of the billing weight and the total charges, and before it actually begins unloading, you may demand a reweigh. Once unloading starts, the opportunity is gone, so a decision has to be made at the door, not after the boxes are inside.
What it costs and how it ends
The FMCSA booklet states the mover is not permitted to charge for the reweighing. It also states the part that surprises people: the final charges are based on the reweigh weight, even if that figure is higher than the original. A reweigh is a request for accuracy, not a request for a lower number.
Section 375.515(b) adds that if you decide not to observe a reweigh, you must waive that right in writing. Waiving does not remove any of your other rights.
How to decide
Compare the billing weight with the figure on your estimate and the rooms you showed the estimator. A large gap is a reason to look closer. A small gap is normal, since estimates are built from a survey and the scale measures the real shipment. If you were present at the original weighing and the tickets look right, the original may be all you need.
Your options at the curb
- Ask for the weight tickets and compare them with the bill of lading
- Ask the driver for the billing weight and total charges in writing
- Decide before the first box comes off the truck
- If you waive, do it in writing
The matching paperwork term is weight ticket. For the estimate types that treat weight differently, see binding and non-binding estimates.