Spread axels?

48ft trailer with 10'1" spread between the axles can carry 20K per axle so 40K total trailer weight compared to 34K on tandems

 

But most states still won't let you more than 80k gross, so if they just had sliding tandems you could adjust the weight accordingly. So other than 6k more lbs in some states, what other benefits is there?

 

Well I can comfortably haul 50K and have pushed it to 52K load weight and still grossed under 80K, but flatbed is all I know and its all been with spreads. But I'm not sure how a tandem trailer would handle a 50-52K load.

 

I have heard that spread axle trailers also pull nicer than a tandem axle trailer, with the longer distance between wheels.

 

You can find 53' flatbed with tandems but they are hard to come by and it is because you can haul 20k per axel on a spread versus the 34k on a tandem. When you are running a spread you need to take the corners a little easier, not so sharp, you also need to watch what kind of tires you put on a spread try to find a tire that has beefy shoulders, bridgestones, BF Goodriche, etc. and check to make sure they don't have an overhang on the tread that will rip off when you turn. I personally like the way tandems pull, nicer with less worries, also 48' spreads are harder to back than tandems because instead of pivoting they slide sideways.

 

That's what the dump switch is for, you put a dump switch in the cab for tight turn and you don't have that problem. But as a rule don't make tight turns anyways with spreads unless you have to.Spreads back just fine when you get used to them also,use the dump when backing into spots and you can put that trailer anywhere.

 

Spread axles save me money on cat scales cuz I can haul 40k on the trailer a 45-47k load as long as u center load it I dont scale cuz I know im legal the only time I scale is when I know im getting close to my gross with a 48-49K load as with tandems would have to spend time scaleing and sliding your tandems to make sure your legal then with tandems u have to worry about that #### king pin law in California the only down side to spread axles is one sometimes their a pain in the butt to back up but u get used to that and two if u run Canada u can only haul 20k on your trailer 10k per axle instead of tandems in Canada can haul 34k

 

I'm sure you're familiar with the joys of sliding tandems on a max gross weight trailer. While in a van/reefer you have sides to help contain the load, that is not the case on a flat. There are certain loads that I wouldn't want to mess with sliding tandems underneath. Not to mention that if you don't have access to a scale, it's harder to go over the limit than with tandems - and there are areas I've loaded out of that did not have a scale on site or a CAT scale before the next port of entry.

Having said that, there are flats that have sliding tandems...mostly on local delivery type trucks.