axle weight with overweight permit

Pretty sure this has been asked before but I am kinda technologically challenged and haven't been able to find it.

I am a crude hauler in north Texas, run from the panhandle around Wheeler to western OK around Sweetwater to the LACT in Ringgold TX. We just got overweight permits on our trucks up to 84k.

What I can't seem to find out is what is the axle distribution now. How much does it add to the steer, drive, and tandem.

There is a DOT guy that lives in Henrietta that gets a woody everytime he sees a crude tanker, and he knows we now have the permits so I am sure when he sees one of out trucks he isn't going to let it pass without giving us a once over.

 

OK, I'm kinda dumb here. I have two tandem, two drives and one steer. 20k per axle is 100k, little heavy.

Normally, I go with 12k on steers, 34k on drives and tandem. I now have an extra 4k. Do I add 2k each to the drive and tandem, or can I add some to the steer also and drop the drives and tandems down a little?

 

Well, after numerous attempts, I finally got someone at DPS that knew what they were talking about.

The 84k permit is a 5% addition to steers, drives and tandems. So, 12600 on steer, 35700 on drives and tandems.

But, as usual, thats not all there is to it.

On the steer, the max weight can be no greater than the tires are rated for. On the truck I drive, each tire is rated for 6175 lbs, so 12,350 is the max on steers. And, no tolerance, if you are over 10 pounds, citation.

As far as the drives and tandems, there are allowances for over the 35,700, as long as total gross weight isn't over 84k.

So, in theory, if I am at 12,250 steer, 35,950 on drives, and 35,750 on tandems I should be legal.

Tonite I scaled my load and was 100 lbs under 84k, and distributed properly on all axles. Too bad I didn't get stopped. Knowing my luck I won't be that balanced if I catch the attention of one of the boys in the black SUV's with white hoods.