3 crates weight distribution

Discussion in 'Flatbed Trucking Forum' started by TheDudeAbides, May 18, 2017.

  1. TheDudeAbides

    TheDudeAbides Medium Load Member

    374
    455
    Dec 5, 2014
    San Antonio, TX
    0
    I've got 3 crates to load tomorrow on a 48' flat with a 10' spread. One is 23k lbs, the other 2 are 8.5k lbs. my truck is light and last empty scale ticket shows 10.5k on the steers, 11.9k on the drives and 8140 on the spread.
    My first thought was heavy one on the back then the 2 light ones in front of it. Then I started thinking heavy in the middle and now I cant make up my mind. Saw the crates, look pretty much the same size with the big one being slightly larger but estimating it'll take about 40' of the deck. Any opinions?
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. KeithT1967

    KeithT1967 Road Train Member

    1,458
    1,542
    Nov 12, 2008
    Springfield, Ohio
    0
    My truck is heavy and you'd have to set that 23k lber on my bulkhead for it to matter. Stop overthinking it. If you have to tarp set them up to make it easy to tarp, if not then just do the 23ker in the middle.
     
    TheDudeAbides Thanks this.
  4. TheDudeAbides

    TheDudeAbides Medium Load Member

    374
    455
    Dec 5, 2014
    San Antonio, TX
    0


    Thanks. Yeah I'm def overthinking it because used to being able to slide the tandems and adjust if necessary. Also, this one is just barely OD too so I'm gonna have to go into every scale. And no tarp thank god, lol
     
  5. Zeviander

    Zeviander Road Train Member

    4,886
    36,995
    Jan 23, 2015
    Winnipeg, MB, CA
    0
    You have a spread? One foot back from centre. Big one in the middle, small ones on either end.

    My truck is 11,400-12,500-9,000 with a triaxle, and we load up to 45-46,000 one foot back from centre and it usually scales out around 11,600-31,500-35,000.

    You can get into the finer details, determine the load's "linear weight" by taking it's weight and divide it's by it's length, then get them to move it the desired amount to get it closer to perfect, but I find running as low as 30,000 on the drives in winter (in Canada) is fine. Closer to 34,000 is ideal, but we don't live in an ideal world and shippers aren't that cooperative.
     
    TheDudeAbides Thanks this.
  6. Pedigreed Bulldog

    Pedigreed Bulldog Road Train Member

    7,737
    14,424
    May 7, 2011
    0
    I've found that (for my truck and the trailers I pull), finding the center point between the king pin and the mid-point of the spread works out perfectly for the front timber on a coil rack. In other words, 1' behind that is where I want my load centered for a balanced ride...puts my drives and trailer axles within 500# of each other. I usually tell them "center the load here", because they all seem to want to load it heavy to the rear, and the farther forward I tell them to center the load the closer they get it to where I want it.

    For the load the OP talked about, center the heavy crate wherever you decide the "middle" of the trailer should be...then the others on either end. Should be fairly balanced and pull easy enough.

    Personally, I don't like having my trailer more than 1000# heavier than my drives, and prefer the drives to be a little heavier than the trailer IF possible without being over-axle. It is also easier on the trailer tires going around corners if you don't load them any more than absolutely necessary even though it is "legal" to do so.
     
    TheDudeAbides Thanks this.
  7. xsetra

    xsetra Road Train Member

    5,198
    7,149
    Aug 21, 2011
    0
    40' of deck. 2'mt first small box 2'mt. Big box 2'mt small box 2'mt..
     
  8. Zeviander

    Zeviander Road Train Member

    4,886
    36,995
    Jan 23, 2015
    Winnipeg, MB, CA
    0
    Why have space in between them? Now the rear two aren't blocked against forward movement and will need a second strap for the first 10'.
     
    kylefitzy and Pedigreed Bulldog Thank this.
  9. street beater

    street beater Road Train Member

    4,578
    20,669
    Apr 18, 2014
    cold as hell, MN
    0
    He would need more than 1 no matter what. Weight and divisible
     
  10. Zeviander

    Zeviander Road Train Member

    4,886
    36,995
    Jan 23, 2015
    Winnipeg, MB, CA
    0
    I meant he could cut out two straps out of the total if the crates are butted up against one another. Leaving space just makes for extra work.
     
  11. street beater

    street beater Road Train Member

    4,578
    20,669
    Apr 18, 2014
    cold as hell, MN
    0
    Gotcha, but being divisible and concidering the length of each box, how is going to eliminate a few straps?
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.