My empty weight is around 50380, depending on fuel, with the 7 axle I usually drag, and up to 53600 with one of the 8 axles. It's pretty much average I gross out at 130k+. I really like dragging these things, ours, Titan thinwalls pull very nicely at 50' and 140 cubic yard capacity. I learned very early on, if you don't lift those axles, you're just NOT going to make that turn, just a little on the job training with that one. It only took once to learn that!!
How Many Walking Floor Drivers??
Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by GOV'T_Trucker, Oct 30, 2011.
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That's a very good argument for the steerable axles as far as weight distribution, plus it's one less thing you'd have to contend with while turning a corner. As it is with the 7 axle I usually haul, my first 3 are lifts, [a double spread with supersingles, and duals on #3], as are my last two. When I'm loaded, I lock down the #6 axle because of the excess weight that would be on the #4/#5 axles. So in effect, I'm running a tridem around corners.
Those Scaleeta trailers are identical to mine except for the steer axles.
I could easily be wrong, but I think at one time the steerable axles were only allowed here if you didn't lower them. I know I haven't seen any up here that I'm aware of, but then there are a lot of trash haulers down state out of Ontario, and they might be using them. [I try to stay away from that part of Michigan!!]
As for loading the trailer with an endloader, that's all we use. We don't dump the trailer air at all when being loaded, and our trailers are all air ride axles. I think if the loader operator uses a bit of discretion, as in not lifting the front of the machine off the ground when packing down,you'd be fine. There is one place some of the guys go to that refuses to pack mulch down, they're a pretty paranoid outfit and are worried about getting sued. They won't even spread the material on the top because if they nick the trailer edge, they just know they'll be sued. I think they're just buttwipes and want to see the driver bust his butt. A couple times the final customer has said something about not getting a full load because of this. As it goes down the road it settles and sometimes there's as much 18" between the top of the load, and top edge of trailer, by the time it's delivered
Now our own guys, we just load it up, and pack it down within reason.
I agree with those steer axles being better, you wouldn't be scuffing the pavement as much with better weight distribution like those would give you in a turn.
A couple of our older "potato" wagons are 8 axle, with the first three being lifts, as well as the last, all with duals, and I can tell ya, you sure notice having 4 axles in the dirt when turning, it feels like it's stressing the whole truck, which it likely is doing. -
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On my usual trailer, and the rest of the newer Titans, there is a solenoid type valve for each axle, with an over ride push type valve. You just push the over ride down into the solenoid valve, and give it about a 1/4 turn, and that axle will lower. We have the toggles there as well, but those are are left in the on position, unless you want to "lock" the axle in the raised position like you mentioned. On my trailer, I can actually dial in what ever preload I want on each axle. Some of the trailers are only set up to do multiple axles from one regulator. They all work well, mine is just a bit more exact, read that "pain". You have to air up the trailer, dial in your preload, then wait to make sure you didn't turn the regulator too much. With 7 axles, it can take a bit of time to do it, but I'm lazy, I've got them adjusted after a lot of trial and error, that I don't fool with it much, except for the front spread. I like to increase/decrease the pressure on that one depending on what kind of load I want on my drives for highway or offroad, and soon for ice/snow. But you don't want to adjust it a lot, or it will throw off the other axles.
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