How much weight can be in the nose of a pup trailer?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Ames9011, Jul 4, 2009.

  1. Ames9011

    Ames9011 Bobtail Member

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    Can anyone tell me how much weight it would take to tip over(upend) a pup trailer with no tractor coupled? This is assuming that there is no weight(freight) anywhere else on the trailer. 8000lbs? 5000lbs?
     
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  3. Freebird135

    Freebird135 Road Train Member

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    does it have a dive leg?

    rule of thumb i always use is 1000 lbs per foot

    first 4 skid spots no more then about 6,000 lbs give or take, and depending on who u ask
     
  4. Ames9011

    Ames9011 Bobtail Member

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    I believe it has a dive leg. Is a dive leg similar to a trailer jack, but connected to the nose of the trailer?

    I ask because I had a close call with a pup trailer as I was uncoupling(I thought the landing gear legs would be enough to support the weight in the nose), catching the nose of the trailer on the back frame of the tractor. Luckily, we were able to get a forklift to put a stack of pallets on the end of the trailer and lowering the forks, thereby getting the trailer even with the dock again.

    My guess is that it was about 8000 lbs in the nose(in front of the landing gear). The landing gear is located half way on a pup trailer, at least that's how I remembered it. As you can tell, I rarely ever pull pup trailers.

    Where did you get the 4 skid spots being no more than 6,000 lbs? Is there a DOT website where I can collect this info?
     
  5. Crash935

    Crash935 Medium Load Member

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    I dont think there is a dot website stating that you have to have less than so many pounds in the nose, as long as the axles scale legal its a legal load.

    I know why your asking though, i get stuck working the dock alot lately and we have to load 10 pups a night and the regular dock guys have no driving experience so i catch them loading the nose heavy all the time. They just hope that they get something heavy to put on the tail to bring the nose back off the jack stand before they get done loading it.
     
  6. Ridgerunner665

    Ridgerunner665 Road Train Member

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    I have no idea of the weight in pounds...but 4 pallets of ammo will stand a pup on its nose (don't ask me how I know that)
     
  7. Freebird135

    Freebird135 Road Train Member

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    i only know because i load and unload pups alot and thats the maximum they want in the nose

    and a dive leg is just a leg thats attached to the header board of the trailer that you lower after you uncouple the tractor so the trailer wont tip foward
     
  8. Allow Me.

    Allow Me. Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    :biggrin_25525: Here's a little trick I use to use when loading heavy freight on 28.5' trailers. I would put 2 pallets on the rear, same side, and then load the nose. The two pallets in the rear would counter the heavy ones in the nose. You can also 'short load' the nose, leaving, maybe 3' gap, then, as you fill up the floor, push the pallets forward from the halfway mark.:biggrin_25525:
     
  9. Truck Vet

    Truck Vet <strong>NRA AMA Libertarian</strong>

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    What we would do if there was no bar is just put
    a tractor under it. Keep the air lines undone and keys
    out to keep an idiot from pulling it from the door while
    you are loading it.

    But there are so many models of
    pups that you really can't say how much weight it
    takes to tip one. Unless you are quite specific.
    For instance: How much weight does it take to
    tip over a drop bottom Fed EX pup that was made
    in 2004?

    Pups come in different dimensions. Some will interfere
    with mud flaps on twin screws, others won't. The ones
    that won't and don't have bars tip over the easiest.
     
  10. Freebird135

    Freebird135 Road Train Member

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    thats only half the problem....see now you have figured out how to load the nose without tipping the trailer, but that doesnt mean its not gonna scale overweight

    the only time you should use this trick is when unloading....if you have heavy freight in the nose and your have it about halfway empty, a trick i use is to park a forklift (7000 lbs) on the rear to keep it from tipping
     
  11. jakebrake12

    jakebrake12 Road Train Member

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    Very very true. Con-way pups are set up for the single axle Sterlings so the landing gear are pretty far forward. When we use the Volvo twin screws we have the fifth wheel set all the way back to allow the landing gear to clear the tires. Some of the old Ford twin screws would contact the supports with the tires when you turned tight. Estes pups have the landing gear set back much further so they would be at a higher risk to take a nose dive. R&L is also set back further. Both of those companies use twin screws with more frequency than Con-way does.

    In almost 6 years at Con-way I have never seen one of our pups nose dive. Ours will take much more weight in the nose than an Estes or R&L pup before diving. I have been uneasy before pulling into one that was nose heavy on a lift so I did as someone here mentioned, put two heavy skids on the tail to balance it out.

    I load a few pups every night as a line-haul driver and here is my experience with weight. 26,500 is as heavy as you can scale and it has to be loaded almost perfect. Absolutely no more than 6,000 in the first 8 feet of a 20,000 + trailer. It will not scale if you are over 6,000 in 8 feet of a heavy trailer 100% of the time. Loose drums are a tough one. I always stick a stack of mt pallets in the center of the nose, load two drums on either side, then begin to go 4 across at the 4 foot mark. At 500 per drum, this keeps you in the 6,000 for 8 feet. Our trailers have orange marks on the walls at the 1/3 and 2/3 marks of the trailer. Ideally, I place the heaviest shipments in that middle third and they seem to scale well (most of the time anyway).
     
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