Weight distribution for DOT regs

Lots of threads on here about this. Go up to the Google Custom Search box and type in "Weight Distribution."

 

All it does is move weight around. Your limited to 80k without a permit so usually that is 12k on the steers and 34 on both the drives and the tandems. Sliding the fifth wheel forward will move weight from the drives to the steer or vice versa. Sliding the tandems forward moves weight from the drives to the trailer sliding it back moved weight from the trailer to the drives. When sliding tandems always move towards the problem.

 

That about sums it up

 

What are they not teaching in schools??

There was another thread on this started today. Plus there are several others if one uses the "search" feature you can find them.

Here's the one from earlier.

http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...r/159595-weight-distrubution.html#post2224809

 

Condo, it was taught in England's school when we were there in class.

They didn't go that in-depth as much as they should've but it was taught.

They didn't really mention anything about sliding the fifth-wheel though but that was probly due to them not wanting fifth-wheels slid in the first place.......

They're too worried about losing two or three hundred thousand dollars each month in fuel by not havin' the front of the trailer tucked up as close as possible to the back of the sleeper......

 

That's o.k. with light loads but a lot of tractors will run over 11,000 lbs. empty with the 5th wheel set halfway back . Depends on the trailer tandem position though .

 

When I was running hopper bottom when I weighed out at a shipper that just had a single scale they'd have me stop when just the front axle was on the scale , then with the front and drive , then the whole rig . It isn't 100% accurate but it gives a good idea . Hoppers have fixed tandems and I locked my fifth wheel about halfway back most of the time .

 

Once again: schools are there to teach a candidate basic rules of the road and the BARE MINIMUM on getting a CDL.
They are NOT driving schools (per se), they are CDL schools.

The responsibility of teaching a new driver on how to drive falls on the starter company (usually) that new drivers go to.
The adjusting of the 5th wheel, tandems, and all the other nuances of driving a truck fall on the trainer.
Some companies are very good on setting out an agenda that a new driver must master before being released on his/her own, but sadly, there are some companies (and trainers) that take this with too little seriousness.
That's why it's so important for new drivers to research the training programs at their first company, rather than worrying about what kind of truck they'll be driving, if they have an inverter or sattelite radio!