Trailer weight

Discussion in 'Canadian Truckers Forum' started by ganja24, May 3, 2020.

  1. Canucklehead

    Canucklehead Medium Load Member

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    Feb 25, 2010
    Vancouver BC
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    Tractor weights range from 18,000 lbs to all the way up to 24,000 lbs or a bit more. Fleet trucks are usually speced light, and Petes and Kennys speced for owner/ops always weigh more. Trailers can range from between 14,000 and 18,000 lbs, depending on when it was manufactured - newer is lighter. If your tractor has heavy specs, chances are it has a doubled frame, meaning more wright. Engines that are 12 liters way less than 15 liters. Tank sizes vary, meaning their weights very. A reefer usually weighs around 1500 lbs. Adding an extra axle (such as a tridem) usually means another 1500 to 2500 lbs depending on your specs. Cans and their chassis weigh more than a van. Do not reply on the number you see on the registration or your cab card as for what the weight of your unit is. That number is usually taken from manufactures literature, and has nothing to do with your actual weight. Scale your truck when either your tanks are full, half, or empty - and do your calculation for fuel weights.. Also only when everything you usually take with you is in the truck. If you run with someone else, factor in their weight too. That becomes your tare weight. Use either a CAT scale or a DOT scale. Ask the scale master for a ticket that shows your weight. It's a good way of winning arguments with your idiot dispatchers. Scale your trailer when it's empty, if that's the only one you pull. Otherwise you'll have to assume 15,000 lbs for your trailer weight as long as it's not a refer with an extra tank as well, or a tridem. If your now know your tractor weight, then do the math to figure out how much you can legally put in your wagon. Be safe, be smart, give yourself a 1500 lb buffer for just in case you have to start sliding things. In Canada it's usually easier to be a bit over max weights. In the States make it your business to scale before you cross a DOT one.
     
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  3. aaronpeterbilt3787

    aaronpeterbilt3787 Medium Load Member

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    Your Ontario apportioned cab card will tell you what you’re licensed for weight wise. 41300kg is max for tandem configs in Ontario. Which to scale max gross, your axle weights will be 5500 steers, 17900 drives, 17900 trailer tandems. You may be able to axle out more on a 72” spread, vs a 54” spread, but you cannot exceed your max registered gross weight.
     
  4. aaronpeterbilt3787

    aaronpeterbilt3787 Medium Load Member

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    This I agree with, except max axle group weight for a 72” spread tandem is 19100kg which is 42115lbs. So in theory if you were licensed for 140000lbs, and had a 72” spread truck and trailer, you could gross 96357lbs. Or 43700kgs. Been a long time since I’ve seen a 72” spread 53’ trailer though. I know muirs has bigger spread 53s. Not sure if they’re 72” though.
     
  5. REALITY098765

    REALITY098765 Road Train Member

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    So to answer the OP's ? directly, 55000 could be legal with a daycab and trailer in theory. Correct?
     
  6. aaronpeterbilt3787

    aaronpeterbilt3787 Medium Load Member

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    Said it was legal in my second post on first page.
     
  7. Snow Monster

    Snow Monster Medium Load Member

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    Gross weight, minus tare weight, equals maximum payload.
     
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  8. REALITY098765

    REALITY098765 Road Train Member

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    What determines the gross weight? That's the real?
     
  9. Snow Monster

    Snow Monster Medium Load Member

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    If you pull a super B, whatever the maximum allowable weight is as determined by law, thats the gross.
    Whatever the truck and trailer(s) weigh when empty, that's your tare weight.

    If your truck/trailer combo qualify's to be licensed for 140K lbs, and your empty weight for truck and trailers is 40k lbs, then you can put a 100k lb payload on it.

    Don't they teach that in truck driver school?
    They should, it's elementary school math.
     
  10. aaronpeterbilt3787

    aaronpeterbilt3787 Medium Load Member

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    I was hoping it was a rhetorical question. Lol
     
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  11. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    White County, Arkansas
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    Put your tractor trailer on a public scale, pay the 10 dollars or whatever it is with fuel and you in it. Then you will know more or less what to load in it.

    Even then you are never sure what is max and what is really loaded in it. So you check the load with a scale every time to ensure you are legal. You will either have scales on your rig or you scale it after every load.
     
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