46, 47 thousand lbs loads

Might be a little overweight on some but I know my dad's fld 120 and older flatbed only weighs in about 29 empty.

 

It's an email blast sent out to a large group of brokers saying something like.

This is our load list. Must scale 47k.
AL to WA
MD to FL

And the brokers pass that info over to the loadboards or enter it in them selfs with a combo flatbed/stepdeck.

 

Most flatbeds can scale anywhere between 48-50k, depending on the specifics of the truck or trailer.

Stepdecks tends to be a little heavier, many can still scale 48 but calling for 46/7 makes the load pretty accessible to almost anyone with a stepdeck.

 

The Volvo with ravens a little less than RD's rig. You could put 52000 pound coil onto it legally, and it's a midroof sleeper tractor. As long you are careful with the fuel maybe 2/3 full you can cross a scale with it.

But a Ravens is a covered wagon with a 10 foot spread, not a step deck. And the volvo is really light for it's time.

Reefer loads reached 49000 in some situations back in 2001 with our Century, the problem was we were a team and only loaded that much to be a touch over 80K when there are NO scales around.

It is my theory that trucks empty have gotten really heavy and heavier. And shippers are willing finally to pay more for less freight in the truck.

I think a short mack with a butler 40 foot tanker was only about 24000 on the scale empty prior to loading to 80K. That's alot of product. One company in Little Rock could care less what they put on me 110-130K was routine. Any time I took off a dozen thousand to save the wear and tear on that 9800 international the boss used to raise hell. (NO scales, run it dummy. etc) shows what little he knows of me or cares about the 80000 pound law.

The FLD I had from 1994 with a great dane 53 reefer came in about 32000 roughly. 46000 pound loaded into the box was common. If we took away some fuel we get as much as 48000 if not more in there.

 

Small sleepers can cut down on weight a little bit, but more importantly, we need space between the back of the truck and front of the trailer, this allows overhang off the front and it also allows room for a rack for chains and tarps and such.