The biggest issue I see with a lot of the common aluminum steps (Benson, Chapparal, East) is the deck isn't gusseted. Your combo, @Hurst, along with most steel steps I've see, have gusseting from the main-rail to the outer-rails, and that makes a world of difference on how the trailer handles heavier spot-loads. I loaded a 46,000lb. man-lift out of Moses Lake one time on a Benson 53-foot all aluminum. I stood at the back of the trailer and looked down the outer-rails, and the deck was warping and deforming under the tires. A 46,000lb. machine is a light piece of equipment, and any trailer warping underneath that was a junk trailer in my opinion. I didn't bother about the potential damage to the trailer because it was owned by the company I was pulling for. If they wanted me to smoke the trailer loading what they found, so be it, but, I'd never do that to my own trailer, and because I prefer flexible loading options, that's why I wouldn't run an all aluminum. Always said he would start finding cracks in the main-rail and warped decks if he kept loading his trailers like that.
I always thought the design on the Benson neck was absolutely horrendous. It didn't matter whether it was spot-loaded or across the entire deck, but, any time I put more than 42,000lbs on the trailer, the neck would crane downwards, at 42,000lbs of freight. That's a common, even on the light side, full load for a stepdeck, and it was warping and torqueing the neck.
I pulled a combo flatbed quite a bit when I ran local more handling crane moves. It was our last-resort trailer for crane moves, only used when we needed every open deck we could get our hands on. That thing was a joke compared to the others for loading large crane counterweights and boom sections. Hated using it and grabbed anything but it if I could.
I understand needing to keep weight down on the combination. Even though running lowboys you get used to 40-50,000lb empty weights, it's still a consideration for us. But, as my opinion goes, I'll give up a little payload (make it up on the tractor, you don't need a condo bunk, or a 15L to pull a step doing legal freight) so I know that the trailer is going to last and handle pretty heavy loads.
All Aluminum Step Deck
Discussion in 'Flatbed Trucking Forum' started by RJ Lopez, Feb 29, 2016.
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View attachment 134086 Here is my Mac with no supports from the frame to the rub rail & 53,000#'s of truck on it. The pics are of a Reitnouer and a Chaparral. The Reitnouer and Chaparral both have the supports from the frame to rub rail.
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SoDel, BigCam9670, GarretMc23 and 2 others Thank this. -
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I didn't think anyone made a deck without knee braces. That's crazy. We have Lode King, reitnouer and Wilson. All have them.
Last edited: Apr 2, 2016
Fast1 Thanks this. -
Mac will, when I ordered this trailer I had seen other Macs with out the braces & told my rep I liked the clean look with out them, he told me that's no prob they can build it with out them- not sure what they do to get around it but I seem to think they have it figured out.
rank Thanks this. -
Thanks- The Mac rep liked the pics also.
SoDel, Orangees, Ruthless and 1 other person Thank this. -
Second thought who makes the best all around step..? Hauling a little palletized , some bld supply's and a machine or two.....Last edited: Apr 2, 2016
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I could not tell the make of trailers in the photos . I thought the mac had the bow ....
I'm just trying to learn ....(just in case )
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