KINGPIN SETTINGS FOR A 53 Drop Deck with SPREAD AXLE

I wont say they cant or wont do that. In my opinion that would be a gross neglect of power. You loaded in a state that where you were legal. You have no choice but to pass through the state that has the 40' king pin to center law. I could see setting a precedent if that ever made it to court.

I've personally never come across that kind of scenario. DOT would have to be having a really bad day to push that on to a trucker. That or your attitude put them in a bad mood and they decided to show you what a real prick can do.

Personally if that ever happened to me, I would drop my trailer at the scale or POE, come back after they close, grab my trailer and finish delivering my load. Then send a lawyer to see them in court.

Hurst

 

Fl, ct, and CA are the only ones that regularly hand out tickets for it. Ct is 750, which is insane. Money grab

 

Correct. And Florida gives you 44000 on the tandem. Close the spread, and it will move @2000-2500 lbs to the traile axles. So if you were 38k on the spread, you should be somewheres around 40500 on the tandem. Like I said, good in Florida, but you're in a heap of trouble in California and Connecticut.

 

Don't load up the spread if you know you have to close it.

 

I travel NY, PA, CT, RI, VT, MD, DE, NJ, ON, QC quite a bit with trailers that exceed those wheelbase dimensions. In the last 20+ yrs we have been ticketed:
NY: 1 time. RT 22 in Peru, NY. No money. Just a warning ticket.

ON: 1 time. Hwy 401 at km 651 at the Gan scale. Not for wheelbase but for overall length. Verbal warning for being ~6 inches over.

QC: 1 time. The new A-30 bypass. Special QC law only allows you to pull a 38 ft trailer behind a truck with a wheelbase that exceeds 244". Written warning. Now I get an $150 annual permit that allows me to pull a 53. Also, 121" spreads are not allowed in QC on 53 ft trailers.

VT: Never but I do have a customer that told me the DOT sets up on his street.

I got so fed up with the BS that last year, I spec'd and took delivery of a sliding rear axle 53ft step that (so far as I know) is legal EVERYWHERE. The dealer tried to talk me out of it and the manufacturer I don't believe had ever seen dims like that before but it works for me.......so far.

Trailer dims are:
53' tandem with sliding rear axle
24" KP setback
40' - 0" from KP to center of rear axle when closed
52" spread when closed
124" spread when open