Indiana police discover truck nearly 100,000 pounds overweight

A trucker is facing a hefty fine after the Indiana State Police discovered the driver’s tractor and two trailers was overweight by nearly six figures.

On Jan. 16, the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division of the Indiana State Police discovered a truck pulling double trailers. Knowing the setup is often used for overweight loads, Trooper Eric Thumb stopped the truck for the inspection, according to a news release from the state police.

The truck weighed in at 176,300 pounds, which is 96,300 pounds over the 80,000-pound weight limit. The driver, Gene Maag, 36, of Waterloo, Ind., was driving the truck with no registration plates. Furthermore, there were no federally required company markings or DOT numbers on the side of the truck.

According to the news release, the overweight truck was hauling steel coil.

In a statement, the state police said the fines for the overweight violation alone are just under $14,000.

In addition to the overweight violation, Maag was cited for no truck registration. He also was given a warning for no federally required markings or numbers on the sides of the truck.

Trooper Thumb was driving through Rushville, Ind., at around 11 a.m. on Jan. 16 when he noticed the truck pulling double trailers known as a “Michigan Train,” the release stated. The truck was driving southbound on Main Street at Park Boulevard when it was spotted.

Maag was driving a 2000 Peterbilt that belongs to Tri-State Trucking in Waterloo. According to the news release, the steel coil cargo was on its way to Madison, Ind., from Butler, Ind. Both the cargo and the overweight truck were impounded. The steel coils will remain in impound until they can be properly unloaded and legally loaded, which will likely require more than one truck.