Reducing overall/trailer weight

29,900 steel aluminum combo.

 

Sure do, it's like 30lbs per wheel 30x8=240lbs Air tanks mabe 10lbs and lets say he has 2 which most only have 1 now days. The difference between aluminum wagon and a combo is thick light aluminum main rails or thin steel rails. Most of the weight savings is already had in a combo. I bet last weeks paycheck (I didn't work LOL) that it is less than 1500lbs. The biggest difference is the combo will rest out.

 

I agree on the biggest saving on the trailer. But tire wise going from 11r24.5 in steel wheels to lp24.5 and aluminum rims add up. Ruffly 1000lbs per a 5 axle rig. Depending on tire manufacturer. My next trailer will be all aluminum. Mines heavy for its length. But has 3/4" flanges on the rails. But was build for specific freight, not general flatbed freight.

 

26,400 with my hopper too.

 

Don’t stay in the truck when u scale it

 

Leave the girlfriend home.

 

When I did flatbed I had this problem a LOT. Even if load isn’t close to 48k, some wouldn’t book me on it because I wasn’t capable of doing it. I lost a lot of loads when it was slow because of this. I also had a combo trailer and a w900. I would tough it out until you can get an all aluminum trailer. The cost of going lighter isn’t worth it.

Besides the usual: take 1 set of tarps, only a few chains, 12’ instead of 20’, but all that limits you as well on loads.

Extreme: switch from 24.5 tires to lowpro 22.5 (replace gearing to match and it’s expensive), aluminum rims, get rid of headache rack and step boxes.

 

Holy hell, my w9 with a 60” stand up and 282” wb hooked to my steel/wood deck 48’ spread with all steel 24.5s is just under 31k empty, I’m paid hourly when I run that one though, seems the heavier the loads the less they pay usually

all aluminum 22.5 with 11 or low pro rubber would help a smidge but I wouldn’t go leaving equipment at home, you’ll wind up finding a good load that actually needs it instead of the cheap heavy #### that you need to hit 48k for