APU Weight Exemption on Which Axle(s)?

That's true, but the times I have been over 12,000 on the steers, no scale master has come out to check the sidewalls nor has one come to check the door jamb to verify I had a 13,500 lb axle.

 

If you have an APU, you must carry,,,,last I knew anyway,,,,a document that accompanies the APU, giving you the exemption. It is for Gross, and gives you around 500lb exemption. This is all from memory.

 

Again, no.

It is vague in it's wording, but more importantly, it is only federal "GUIDANCE" not a federal MANDATE. So it's up to the states to decide if they want to incorporate this into their enforcement statutes. But I have had CMV cops let me go due to having an APU while being about 80,600 pounds, a little "over" here and a little "over" there. Between the APU and the story about just recently topping off fuel, he was cool about it all.

 

The last list that was posted on here. Not all states allow. Don't know if it's been updated since. It was posted on here a few years back. I think it was off a ooida websight.

My last FL was rated for 13 on the steers. I would think all the FL's are speced that way now. And I think the rears were 19k each. I'd roam around the country with 12.8 on the steers except in Oregon.

One T660 I drove was 18k on the rears.

I'd have to look again to verify but I think the w9 I'm in now is 19k and it has a drop axle. But I don't know how matched the info would be though. It might have been beefed up for all I know and never had the label swapped out.

 

Why are you listening to anyone who says their company states ... it is only the limits of the axles as per the lowest common denominator (axle or tires) and the driver's discretion on how to load the truck. The driver makes this determination, it is their responsibility and not the company's.

 

I apologize if I was wrong in my statement, but i assure you, I did have the paper I speak of and it didn't get pulled out one time. The paper did come from the company who's authority I was running under, and it is this company in which the information was given to me.

 

It’s starting to make sense now. My truck’s steer axle is rated to 12k. My drive axles are rated to 40k, or 20k each axle (images below). My truck is from a refrigerated fleet where I only hauled 80k gross. I am going to guess other fleet trucks have similar specs. In my case, it is reasonable to place the excess gross weight on my drives and not my steer axle. My drive tires can handle 5,675 each as a “dual,” or 45,400 with all 8 tires. The stickers below were on my driver door and the door frame.

 

The big fleet I used to work for also had an APU weight exemption document in their permit folder, but it was just a letter from Thermo King headquarters directed at all Thermo King sales dealers. I keep that same document in my permit folder along with OOIDA’s article about it and an article from the US Department of Energy explaining it, in case I ever need to show it to the DOT.

Map of the State Recognition of the Auxiliary Power Weight Exemption | Department of Energy

Vehicle weight exemptions for APUs, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

 

Looks like 6 states don't allow the added weight.