Let it ride?

That is the right right answer.

 

There is technically correct then there is operationally correct. Any tractor trailer with a steers weight anywhere near 20,000 is either way overweight or not loaded right. I picked up a load of beer in Williamsburg that was robot loaded without bulkheads once. My tractor steers were around 18,000 and the tandems was almost 44,000 pounds and the trailer tandems weight was very low. By the time budweiser got that load fixed the steers were right at 12,000. If you are close too gross weight and that load is say 33,500 on each tandem that only allows for 13,000 on the steers.

 

As VLar said this is a state by state issue as the FMCSA rules (658.17(f)) allow states to limit steer axle weights on the Interstate System. I know of know state that allows to load an axle beyond the manufacture rating although I would have to admite I have not checked them all.

NorthernMechanic posted this aboute DOT doing enforcement on this in another thread.

 

Call me crazy but we ran between 13,000 and 14,000
All the time in a w900 pulling a refer everywhere.
Including California.
As long as the drive and trailer axle were legal and the gross
Was under 80,000 lbs we never had a problem.
We were never even questioned about it.

 

The Pete 386 I had was never under 12,200 with the fifth wheel all the way back, generally closer to 12,500. I ran predominantly the west coast but covered all 48 and never got stopped for it. Even California and their infinite wisdom never looked twice. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

I am going to take some heat for this but after reading the OPs first post I saw something I want to comment on. A driver should never drop a trailer when said driver knows it has something wrong with it. If you can't get those tandem pins to release tell your company and get that fixed. I used to stop by our shop and got a can of spray and I used a big hammer on them. Sometimes it is just rust, but again sometimes the whole tandem carriage underneath is out of square or a pin is bent. Those tandems go through hell as it is with drivers that should not be driving hitting curbs and other fixed objects with them. Most of the trailers my last company used these pins were pushed in and out with air. The main reason I brought this is up though is I remember not being allowed to load once because I could not get my tandems slid all the way back. I had to leave the facility and go to a trailer repair shop 2 hours away and wait for several more hours. Please please don't leave a mess like this for the next driver!

 

12,000 is the legal limit in two States, Mississippi and one other I can't recall at the moment. 13,500 in Wisconsin and the rest are 20k or up to your tire and axle ratings which ever is less.

 

W900’s often have steer axles rated for 13,200 or 14,600.

 

Not necessarily. Depends on your axle rating. Many fleet trucks are stamped at 12k.

 

Your in error here. Yes some trucks have lower axle ratings. However class 7 and class 8 trucks are not this low. A fleet stamped at 12,000 is not going to be a class 7 or class 8 trucks. I don't think the subject is smaller trucks. This thread is discussing for the most part class 8 road tractors. In just about every case the weight limits are going to be a set state max based on a set weight or tire ratings not an axle rating.