Straight Truck Axle and Gross Weight Confusion

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by MercySakesAlive, Nov 5, 2021.

  1. MercySakesAlive

    MercySakesAlive Light Load Member

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    I'm driving a 3 axle straight truck for a job. I'm confused as to what i can legally weigh on my axles. There's a sticker on the driver door that says:
    GVWR: 50,000 lbs
    Front axle GAWR :12,000 lbs
    2nd axle (drive): 19,000 lbs
    3rd axle (drive): 19,000 lbs
    Can i legally weigh 12,000 on the front and 38,000 on the drives combined or am i asking for trouble at the scale? I have a permit from the state I'm traveling in for 50,000 lbs so maybe THAT fact makes me legal?
     
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  3. Don379

    Don379 Heavy Load Member

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    How much weight do you have truck registered for?
    THat sticker on the door tells you the weights ratings on those axles.
    So im gonna say, no your truck wasnt set up right to haul 50 thousand pounds and be completely maxed on on your axles from factory.
    you should be running 20k steer and 44k rears. Sounds like an illegal death trap the way you want to max it out
     
  4. MercySakesAlive

    MercySakesAlive Light Load Member

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    So the GVWR rating on the door sticker... that tells me what the vehicle can handle but not what I'm legally allowed to carry?
     
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  5. Don379

    Don379 Heavy Load Member

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    correct sir
     
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  6. Dino soar

    Dino soar Road Train Member

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    The sticker on the door tells you the gross vehicle weight rating.

    That means that the weight of the truck as it sits Plus the load that you carry on the truck can't be more than fifty thousand pounds.

    So let's just say that your truck weighs 20000 pounds. Then the amount of weight that you can actually carry on that truck is 30,000 lb.

    Now your axle ratings tell you how that weight is distributed on your truck. So you're legally allowed to have twelve thousand pounds on the front axle and thirty-eight thousand pounds on the rear axles.

    It's possible that you could pull onto a scale and your weight is 50000 pounds or less but you could be overloaded on one of your axles if your truck wasn't loaded correctly. So for example if whatever you're hauling was loaded too far forward in the front of the truck you may have more than twelve thousand pounds on the front axle. You can't be over the weight of what your individual axles are. And you cannot be over the gross weight rating of the truck.
     
  7. lester

    lester Midwest's #1 Feed Hauler

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    You need to find the weights and measures charts for the state or states you travel in. The break out the tape measure.
    Also remember you can not exceed what the tires, or the axle of the legal limits are
     
  8. ZVar

    ZVar Road Train Member

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    Ok here's the real answer. There are three weights that matter. It's the less of the three.
    1. GVWR of the axle.
    2. Weight rating of the tire.
    3. State rating for the road.

    The registered weight means nothing, unless you go over it...
     
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  9. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    Yes you can WEIGH 12,000 on the front and 38,000 on the drives and no you are not asking for trouble at the scales.

    permits are all about taxes when it is below 52,000lbs gvw.

    if you are permitted to do 80,000, your axles and truck has to be setup for it.
     
  10. m16ty

    m16ty Road Train Member

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    In lots of States 34,000 is the max weigh on a tandem. So at 38k you’ll be over axle.
     
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  11. abyliks

    abyliks Road Train Member

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    This is really going to depend on the state, Mass is 73,000 on a straight 10 wheeler if you are specd for it, try that down in CT and you’ll get silver bracelets
     
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