What's a 1,000 lbs weight reduction worth to you?

It's a game of numbers.

Produce haulers will actually stop and get 50 gallons a fuel at a time to maintain under a certain gross weight.

A buddy of mine has a 99 Pete and an older 48' reefer trailer with a spread axle that weighs 37,500 lb. empty and he is constantly challeneged to make gross and axle weights with a 43,000 lb. load. He contemplating a new trailer just to save 1,500 lbs.

1,000 lbs. is significant. Most of your 80,000 lb. freight is in the 42 - 45,000 lb. range, and they expect to be able to load that legally. So, an under 35,000 lb. empty weight, including fuel and people in the vehicle is paramount.

I wouldn't spec my equipment over potential snow collection. Most of the snow will blow off within 15 miles of running, so it's moot.

 

If you're paid by the ton, that's 1/2 ton more per trip that you can haul...which adds up pretty quick.

The question I'd have is where exactly this weight loss is coming from? If it affects the strength & durability or the reliability of the truck, I'd rather run with the extra weight. Repair bills & downtime add up a heck of a lot quicker than that extra 1/2 ton of freight is going to pay. The truck only makes money when it is on the road hauling freight.

 

Back in 99 I had a C120 that with a 53 foot Reefer I could and Did scale out 47500 all the time. Helped the Boss Respec the Fleet out and got the trucks up to 48500 and he Loved the new Specs. We got More Power Less Weight and did it all with Easy to get componants. What did it mean to the Company try an Extra 40-50 CPM on a normal load each way as we got the loads no one else could even attempt to haul.

 

Prime is pushing customer requests for 46,000 loads because of those trucks too.

42" sleeper cascadia's. Back to the day of small cabs and sleepers. No thank you.

 

Depends on the product hauled. We have a few grain trucks that load to 80k almost every trip. Their empty weight is entered into the computer. The appropriate net weight is loaded into an overhead hopper with scales and is loaded into each truck. It's used to load rail cars but can load either. The 1000# is a big deal to them.