Specs for a B-Train Hauler?

This is my usual set up which is good for 134,000 LBS in MI and 140,000 in Ontario gross. With MI trains or 8-axle trl I would be good for 161,000 lbs. To scale 161,000 and be legal I would need the big tires on the steer axle.

 

Nice setup. Assuming you did swap steer tires could you ever actually get that kind of weight on the steering?

 

Yeah 161,000 gross (rig + load) with a train or 8-axle trl with bigger tires up front. With those bigger tires your steer axle weight goes from 12,000 to just over 15,000. Might not sound like a whole lot but with 10 more axle behind you if you load it correctly you should be fine on any Michigan scale. If you ever pulled a coil down the road on a spread trl just imagine 3 or 4 of those big boys on there. It's fun plus it pays really well but sometimes it can be scary when a soccer mom stops in front of you for no reason.

 

Haha, yea I know. I've got several 4 axle flats but I can't get any weight on my steering thanks to an 18" pin setting. Last load I actually scaled out to check steering weight was 118k gross and I could only get 13k on the steering. I've got the wide tires/wheels just sitting here but they're pointless when I can't actually get any weight on them so I stuck them on lift axles. I was just curious if you could actually move that much forward with that many axles. I can permit 20k on the steering in Ohio but again I couldn't get it there unless I put the coil in the passenger seat.

 

Don't forget to secure it properly, you don't want that puppy getting away on you!

 

Yeah I hear you. I never scaled any of my loads. From day one was told to load a certain way and to day never (knock on wood) had a problem yet. Load to the max lots of times coming out of Gary crossing the New Buffalo scales numerous times. But as you know every load and equipment is different from another and it's easy to get in trouble.

 

Actually Martin in Ont you're only good for 137,000lb. They used to let a 6 axle slide up to 139,500lbs(Ont max gross) but have been cracking down the last few years. In Mi legally we were limited to 132,000 if we had 14 ply steer tires. If I ran 24.5 16 ply it brought it up to around 134,000. Mi could get you for a mis load because the weight wasn't on the front axle but as long as you were under gross they wouldn't bother you. Plus the mis load ticket was only $250. Now they axle weigh every axle and will charge you on every axle thats overloaded. Adds up to a little more than $250 when you're grossing 134 with only 11,500 lbs on the front axle. BTW as far as I know when you go over Ontario max gross weight(139,500) the load has to be reduced before you leave the scale.