Sitting duck alert

Land Line's article on scale congestion, "Sitting Ducks," (Sept./Oct. 1998) sparked readers to report these additional alerts to scale back-up hot spots.

Backups at the Frankfort scales on I-80 south of Chicago are described as dangerous. A trucking company whose business is located directly in back of the scale reported to Land Line that it has documented nine accidents. Last November, a trucker was killed when his rig slammed into another truck backed up onto the high-speed lane. This section handles more than 57,000 commercial and passenger vehicles each day, a 72 percent increase since 1984. According to Capt. Dan McDevitt of the state police District 5 in Joliet, "the inspectors don't always have time to turn on the by-pass signs."

The Kewanee scales on I-59 at the Mississippi/Alabama border seem to be one of the worst places for backups and high fines. In May, member Robert Morton was pursued, handcuffed, arrested and fined $1,050, plus $157 for the bondsman. According to Texas trucker Mark Hammonds, he was recently cited in the same spot and it cost him $1,068.