Sliding Tandems

I carry a 53' reefer, so I have a different way of looking at things than someone who pulls, say, a flatbed. I guesstimate the holes on the trailer to be about 250#/each when moving the tandems. On the trailers we pull, it's closer to 300#, I think, but it works for me.

I use the air bag gauge in the truck to tell how much is on my drives. Just under 70 PSI is about 34,000. I can look at the bulge on the trailer tires (they have Meritor auto-inflation on them, so they're always at 110#) and see how much they are at a guess. Most of the time, setting the trailer at California legal (40' from kingpin to center of rear axle) takes care of business.

This truck (KW T800) is very front-heavy, so it's rare that I'm under 12,500 on the steers. There are only three states that are still 12,000 pound states and they don't get too excited about enforcing it anymore (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas, I believe). I have 6,940 tires up there, so I'm rated to carry up to 13,880 on the steers. I routinely go over 13k.

I also have an APU (RigMaster), so I can go over on my drives as well, though that rarely happens.

A scale is only $8-9 at most truck stops and reweighs are only $1, so it's not a bank-breaker to check your weights. I do it on anything over 40,000 (freight weight). Since my mt weight (with trailer and full tanks) is about 36,500, I start pushing 80k after 43k in freight.

The point is, you get to know your rig and what you're doing with the company you're with and the places you tend to go, so it doesn't take too long to get to the point where you can "eyeball" most loads and make yourself legal without a problem.

 

So if you are overweight and they see the APU then that's ok? I mean, that's how it should be because that's the future of all trucks I'm sure.

 

Depends on how overweight you are. Starting January of 2008, all trucks with APUs will be able to be overweight by the certified weight of the unit, nationwide. Right now it's kind of hoge-podge by state.

 

I weigh out perfectly all the time with loads up to 45K lbs and 3/4 tank of fuel in my Volvo... i found out the trick is to Slide your 5th wheel to the 2nd notch from the front.... so if the notch closest from the back of your cab is 1 then go to the next one, and leave your Trailer at 41' California setting it weighs out fine every time. Also if you know your picking up a heavy load go in with 1/4 tank of fuel if possible and fuel after you Scale remember Fuel weighs 8lbs per gallon

 

Great news if you drive a Volvo, have a sliding fifth wheel, and carry a dry van.

 

The originator of this post didn't state what type of Vehicle they drove..

Besides my Volvo is as heavy as a Pete 378 because the fuel tanks are slid further to the back so it makes the drives heavier, but they are also heavier trucks inside than a Freightliner, how ever when i drove my Freightliner i kept my 5th wheel n the same position and never had a issue....

also they never said if they had a sliding 5th wheel or not or a Reefer or Dry Van... the question was

 

Sorry, didn't see the "Esquire" after your name. lol

 

I believe this is what was being talked about and I guess what bothers me is that the original post said he has a Volvo yet I see a picture of a Red Freightliner with a Wal Mart dry van. I have Wal Mart junk loaded on one of my companies 53' reefer vans and I am finding that I have to slide the tandems all the way to the back to make weight. I would tend to think that blows your 2nd hole theory

 

What's the difference between a Volvo and a Freightshaker anyway? With one, you have random electrical fires. With the other, you have random breakdowns...

hahaha