Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 199
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Weight And Balance
General None Reported / Taken
Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
We received load schedule from Agent. He said that the takeoff weight exceeded the planned takeoff weight by 259 pounds. Flight Crew discussed with the Agent we would delay takeoff and burn 300 pounds at the end of taxiway holding area until below planned takeoff weight. The maximum ATOG was 145.2 and the planned takeoff weight from the load schedule was 145;259. So both MAX ATOG and takeoff weight were the same at 145.2.	The Crew took off below planned takeoff weight after burning 300 pounds on the ground. The Crew realized; once airborne; that we should have contacted Dispatch prior to push off the gate to adjust weights to ensure all paperwork was correct. Crew was under the impression that both [our operations software] and [the performance computer] would not give performance data if overweight; but they did.
[Report narrative contained no additional information.]
B737-700 flight crew reported departing the gate over their max takeoff weight and questioned why the air carrier systems and procedures would allow that.