Sliding Tandems

You can slide your tandems on your trailer to get your weight correct or to corner better in a tight spot. The fifth wheel will also slide to help get your weight legal. They will teach you all of this in school or your trainer will or both.

 

NT is correct--if the truck has a sliding 5th. Some cheap co's don't spec 'em.

Basically, there are a couple of reasons to slide your tandems. The most common one is weight. For every hole forward your tandems go, about (+/-) 500 lbs will be transferred to the rear axle group. For every hole rearward, about 500lbs will go forward, off the rear axle group. Now, this depends on a number of factors, but I'm just giving you a ballpark figure here.

Another reason to slide your tandems is for states that have bizarre restrictions, like CA. Some states demand a certain distance between your kingpin and axles, and Gods help you if you're over that. In this case, you're between a rock and a hard place if they didn't load the trailer correctly--you can't slide your axles too much or you'll be illegal for that state.

Your 5th wheel(if it slides) works on the same principle. For every notch forward, about 200# will be moved from your drives to your steers. (Once again, this is a ballpark figure.) If the truck was spec'd by someone with a brain, you should be right at the steers' weight limit with full tanks of fuel and the 5W full forward. However, do not count on the truck being spec'd by anyone who knew what they were doing...always do the math yourself.

This might not make sense to you until you're up close and personal with a big truck. Once you lay eyes on the equipment we're discussing, it'll all fall into place.

Good luck with school--just use your head and relax, and you'll be cool.

 

Here is some good guides on sliding tandems

http://www.layover.com/newbies/trainer/0804.html

http://www.layover.com/newbies/trainer/

http://www.schneider.com/customers/Axle_Weight.html

 

Nice. Make's it a ton easier to understand when you can see and read what it is your trying to learn.

 

Have any trouble with your tandems lately? How is it going out there for you?

My Jeans are blue.

Varmit