getting my feet wet in heavy haul

Yep, your permit person will be pulling their hair out to start, But after they get it all plugged into the system it will be easy..
Just watch where your drivers start sliding the 5th wheel up an inch or two and then it changes your inner bridge. That can get you into a bunch of trouble.

 

Pm me your email and I can send you my old drawing of my 13 axle setup. It shows all the measurements
Inner bridge is center of tandems to center of rear axles

 

Opps rear axle of tractor center to center of lead axle on trl. is inner bridge
You go steer axle to lead axle lead axle to rear drive axle then rear drive to lead axle then lead rear axle to next axle then so on.
These are all on center of axle to center of next alxe

 

Some states will also want kingpin to center of rear axles

 

Distance between axle groups like from drives to trailer axles. Outer bridge is from steer axle to center of rear most axle, FL will require a minimum outer bridge for certain weights.

 

51' I think it is for Fl. Will state on your permit

 

Basic bridge law.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Axle_groups.svg

 

I am plated at 117 in Mn. It only costs an extra couple of hundred, so I just get it every year.
Ia,Ne,Ar etc only allow 20k an axle, but others will go more normally. Mn is a pain with their frost laws, as they will only allow 17k an axle when it's in effect.
The loads pay quite a bit better I have found, and % would be the only way to go for a contractor in that realm, not sure how you pay now.
You will have to put axle spacings down on pretty much every permit, and I think it's Ca that requires the kingpin measurement too IIRC

Martin

 

Nd, Mi. Nv. also have the frost laws too