Weight question, slightly over on the steers?

Hey
That sounds like a song????

 

Steers are fine up to 20k. The reason the limit is misunderstood to be 12k is because drives and tandems have 34k limits, leaving only 12k limit on steers to stay under 80k total. As long as you’re under 80k total then your steers can be as heavy as 20k.

 

Roll with it... I commonly run across the scales at 12.5k on the steers.

 

14,600, tires a touch more than that. And yes, some states (looking at you, Missouri!) will come out and read the sidewall, but usually only when I'm well above 13k up front.

But if you're rated for it, 20k is the limit on the Interstate, nationwide.

 

I believe he is just making fun since he is a heavy hauler guru.

 

If it Is a Volvo a lot of them have 13,200 steer weight rating

 

Not if your axle or tires aren’t rated for it…..

 

I don’t know about a song, but let’s hope he or she doesn’t listen to 3/4 of the people on here or they might end up dead or killing some one else! Steers are good up to 20,000 lbs…wrong! 14 ply are around 6,700lbs apiece. 16 ply will get you around 7,200lbs apiece. So with that said 14 ply will get you around 13,500 16 ply will get you around 14,500, the newer trucks come with 16 ply from the factory because all the emissions crap on them makes the front Carry more weight. Now an 08 and older would come with 14. Your air pressure will change the rating too, I have 20 ply 315 on the front of my truck there rated at 10,000lbs apiece at 140 psi I run them at 130 psi so the rating drops to 8,000 apiece and the scale will come out and check your rating if your registered for say 90,000 lbs or 88,000 in my case even if your empty. If your registration says your 90,000 you better have the right equipment. Don’t put your life in my hands or anyone else, call the tire dealer for this stuff. Come on guys if your clueless don’t answer the question, they might try and run 20,000 lbs on 13,000 lbs tires.hope this post doesn’t get the “I’am a board member and you need to be nicer the truckers on here” crap! Lol be safe out there guys and remember it’s not just your life but every one around you.

 

Not true.

I drove for a small fleet in the 1990s that had lighter than average tractors but used 13,500# steering axles. Depending on the exact truck I was driving, my typical empty weight would be around 33,500# with about 200 gallons of fuel. Grossed out at 80K if the trailer was loaded even over the first 44-45 feet I could put the trailer tandems in the 41' hole (kingpin to center of rear axle group) and be looking at around 13,000/33,500/33,500. In 7+ years with that company I never had an issue at any scale house. Never even got pulled around back to see if my axle/tire ratings were up to that spec. Always got the green light (unless they wanted to check my log book or some other paperwork and never even mentioned the steering axle weight and never got out of their chair to go look at it).

 

That all depends on how far apart the two drive axles are. Typically you are correct, but they can be spread further to allow a higher tandem weight, just like a spread axle trailer. The wider the spread, the higher to total weight rating. Of course to go all the way to 40,000# you'd need a ten foot spread between the center of each drive axle. But to get to, say, 38,000# you only need more than eight feet (so 8'1" or more).