Tractor Weight Too Heavy? Specing a new truck

Discussion in 'Refrigerated Trucking Forum' started by OhNoTerry, Oct 31, 2021.

  1. OhNoTerry

    OhNoTerry Light Load Member

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    Hey guys, so I'm about to order a W900L but the way it's specced right now it's sitting 18,900ish pounds. I'm debating on knocking off the 86inch sleeper to a 72 and reducing the 285 WB to 280. I figure with the APU and running 130 gallons instead of 260 gallons I can drop anywhere from 1200 to 1500 pounds if my load is too heavy. How often are you guys running into issues with the load putting you at 80k and how much are your trucks weighing? I knew this would be an issue, but now I'm battling this idea of my dream truck and running into too many issues of being overweight or unable to run the load. We run reefer from PNW down to the south.
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2021
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  3. S M D

    S M D Road Train Member

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    I have a 2000 w900 with a c16 and with my dry van I can scale 46k with pretty much empty tanks. I’ve never had issues pulling 44 45
    If weight is an issue probably better selling the truck and getting something lighter. Idk
     
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  4. Bean Jr.

    Bean Jr. Road Train Member

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    I think my truck is 19,000 wet. I have a short wheelbase and flat top, but 2 150 gallon tanks
     
  5. Rideandrepair

    Rideandrepair Road Train Member

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    Get your dream Truck. Longer frame and sleeper doesn’t add very much. Worst case, you may need to fuel more often on occasion. 19k not bad. Big Volvo’s being over 20k. Any Conventional/Classic type Trucks going to be at least 18,4,00 or more. Go for it.
     
  6. Dino soar

    Dino soar Road Train Member

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    My fld120 on the title actually says 18,500 and I can believe it weighs pretty close to that.

    I also have the big fuel tanks.
     
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  7. OhNoTerry

    OhNoTerry Light Load Member

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    Yeah my issue is mainly focused on not being able to have a dependable set up pulling a 53 foot reefer, I may consider dry van, but I feel like I'm shooting myself in the foot if I don't run reefer from the PNW. So far I have secured a spot on the manufacturing list, I can still make changes to my order.
     
  8. RedForeman

    RedForeman Momentum Conservationist

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    The door sticker on my '22 Mack Anthem says 18,900 lb. Going by my last load with believable weight (Nestlé frozen) on the BOL, I could have scaled 43,144 lb. That was with the truck fuel topped off (250 gal) minus approx 250 miles driven, and the reefer full (50 gal). The trailer is about 5 yrs old and probably carrying some water in the walls, so maybe few hundred lb advantage with a newer trailer.

    In other words, with about the exact same truck weight, I can scale 44k easy and would take 45k+ with some creative fuel and weigh station management. No problemo. Go with the spec you want, unless you're the guy that gets 80,020 on a cat scale ticket and goes back to get reworked.

    To be honest, with the added emissions weight on an increasing number of trucks, you don't see super heavy loads any more except maybe at the produce sheds. Then again, "protect from freezing" season is upon us with beverages, soup, and the like, that would normally ship on a dry van.
     
  9. bonder45

    bonder45 Road Train Member

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    I’m jealous - at 1/4 tank my trucks sit at 26,000lbs :,(
     
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  10. supersnackbar

    supersnackbar Road Train Member

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    My company spec'd Cascadia w/o an APU (but smaller tanks) can't handle much over 45k in a reefer(with a non-slideable 5th wheel), and we do a fair amount out of the PNW to FL...if a W9 spec'd like you want isn't much heavier, I'd get the truck you want
     
  11. OhNoTerry

    OhNoTerry Light Load Member

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    I’m going to put an APU so I don’t mind going over till 80,500. I’m going to spec a 72 inch sleeper, 13 speed, bring the wheel base to 280, take off the front diff locker, take off the sleep extenders and see where I sit on the spec sheet.
     
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