Today I got finished getting dry van live loaded at shipper...I thought I'd wait until the nearest truck stop to slide my tandems after using the CAT Scale. On the short 1-2 mile drive to the truck stop I had my trailer tandems all the way back and something near my drive axles started smoking, but I couldn't figure out what it was...it didn't smell like rubber from tires nor did it smell like wear from brakes. It was a very bright white smoke, and when I stopped in truck stop the smoke died down a lot and I couldn't see where it was originating from. I felt no heat from the tires or brakes.
I thought perhaps it was the exhaust because when I turned the truck off it subsided...but when I turned it back on it was sorta in the area, but still very hard to pinpoint...I also did just get off a 34hr break of just sitting, idling in the truck...
When I did scale the drives where at 37,000lbs. I adjusted them to 33,360lb.
Smoke Coming from Drive Axle Area
Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by PianoManCJS, Mar 28, 2026 at 12:22 AM.
Page 1 of 2
-
-
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
-
White smoke could be a regen in progress, especially after a 34 with lots of idling.
If it is a Cascadia that is where the exhaust pipe is. -
-
I would’ve guessed a bad seal leaking gear oil in the brakes, but I’ll go with Moosetek’s answer.
Rideandrepair and Bean Jr. Thank this. -
Do you suppose it could have been the extra 3,000lbs that would do what you described?
-
Well, if that’s going on it will happen regardless of weight. You’ll smell the gear oil, and the smell of that nasty #### is pretty unmistakable.
If it were me I’d crawl underneath and check around the brakes on the drive axles for wetness to be safe. -
#PianoManCJS
Where are you at?
Could it possibly be dried road brine or dried up salt from roads being winter conditioned? -
It was trying to regen from all your idling. Driving a mile or two wouldn’t get anything on the axle hot enough to smoke and an extra 3k isn’t enough weight to cause damage.
-
It was near Lebanon, OR. It wasn't coming up from the road though...ESAFO Thanks this.
-
99% of tandem trucks on the road have rear axles rated at 40k lbs or higher combined. 37k lbs is nothing to worry about in terms of mechanical abuse.
Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds
Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.
Page 1 of 2