Tandem Cheat Sheet?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by madmoneymike5, Feb 28, 2012.

  1. madmoneymike5

    madmoneymike5 Medium Load Member

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    I just came off a dedicated account where I was spoiled on new trailers that had reference cards near the tandems. They told you where to set the pin for whatever state you we're going to.

    I'm now back OTR and finding myself a little embarrassed that I'm not sure where to set the pins. These OTR trailers are all different from the dedicated account and each other. None of them have the cheat sheet near the tires.

    Anyone care to enlighten me on an easy way to set these tandems appropriately for each state? The atlas has this information, I know, but it's certainly not easy to read.
     
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  3. madmoneymike5

    madmoneymike5 Medium Load Member

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    For clarity, I'm referring to lengths, not weights. I didn't even know about length laws until I got on the dedicated account! It was never a subject in CDL school nor something my trainer ever brought up back then.
     
  4. 123456

    123456 Road Train Member

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    Read the rule for florida, in your atlas.

    You will be legal everywhere except for california, if you ever go that far.
     
    ewill71 Thanks this.
  5. madmoneymike5

    madmoneymike5 Medium Load Member

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    Yes, perhaps, but then I might not be able to scale out correctly. Florida allows for more than 34,000 on tandems, though I can't remember exactly how much at the moment. Sorta a one size firs all solution wouldn't be ideal.
     
  6. 123456

    123456 Road Train Member

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    You asked about lengths.

    Weights are another story........
     
  7. madmoneymike5

    madmoneymike5 Medium Load Member

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    Lol. Well, since one affects the other....you need to know how far back you can go to accommodate more weight but still be legal in length.
     
  8. gravdigr

    gravdigr Road Train Member

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    I generally keep my tandems at 41.5' and I don't get bothered. On our trailers that is the 7th hole. Rarely do I get a load that won't scale. My last load was an exception. I had to take it back to the 13th hole which is about an extra 3' back but I was only driving about 50 mi in MI, then OH and PA so I wasn't too worried about bridge laws.
     
  9. madmoneymike5

    madmoneymike5 Medium Load Member

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    I'm beginning to get the picture that it's likely a large number of drivers just set it where it will weigh correctly or at a specific point they always use as a general point and pay little attention to bridge/length laws. I'm also beginning to think that no such cheat sheet exists and that I'll have to make one.
     
    the flying scotsman Thanks this.
  10. corneileous

    corneileous Road Train Member

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    On our trailers, they have the tandem settings listed on stickers on the side of the trailer and that information is as follows;

    California and Indiana are 40 feet from the center of the kingpin to the center of the rear axle.

    Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin are 41 feet from the center of the kingpin to the center of the rear axle.

    Illinois and Maine are 42 feet 6 inches from the center of the kingpin to the center of the rear axle.
     
    DoneYourWay and highflight1985 Thank this.
  11. ac120

    ac120 Road Train Member

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    OP, you don't need a cheat sheet. The numbers you need, which are the maximum tandem settings, are in the atlas (just bookmark the page) and in Corneileous' post. Again, those are maximum settings. In CA, for example, you don't have to be right at 40 feet KP to center of rear axle, you just can't have the tandem set back farther. You can be less, but not more. You still have to be legal on axle weights.

    In case you're wondering: once you're loaded and you've scaled (if you're not sure about scales go to the Cat Scale web site; there are scale threads here at TTR too), you generally won't change tandem settings from one state to another. So, get legal on axle weights at the tandem setting for the shortest state you'll run through. Then you'll be legal in the other states. So, if you can exceed 34K on tandems in Florida, but you're going to California, don't exceed 34K and don't exceed California's 40 feet maximum ($$$$$!!!!!!).

    Weight's a whole 'nother thing. The same weight distributed differently in a trailer could mean a different tandem setting.
     
    corneileous Thanks this.
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