Discussion about weight and # of miles driven in a year

Sleep just gets in the way of work!

 

How are 97,000 lbs trucks going to make us o/o's more money? I just see it causing more maintenance, burning more fuel, and having to buy new equipment to stay competitive while the resale value on our current equipment plummets. Not to mention the additional deterioration of our roads and bridges. I only see the shippers and the big fleets benefiting from this change. Will the shippers pay better rates for the heavier weight? I should probably go talk to some older guys about what happened after the change from 73,000 to 80,000, if they made more money or not, but I'm pretty sure I know what the answer will be.

I'm not trying to start an argument about all this, I just haven't seen it discussed much on here and would like to know your reasons for supporting it.

 

Heavier trucks isn't the answer. We will be hauling 60k for the same as we are now!

 

If anyone thinks that more weight (97k vs 80k) will make you more money you should look at what happened when the western states went to 105,000. The idea of more weight will pay more money is BS. If this ever happens you soon will be hauling 97k for .82 + fsc.

 

Maybe try to resist combining them.

 

97,000 pounds is going to be complete HELL on the roadways. Has anyone ever driven along I-90 between Spokane and Seattle? Yeah, those deep tracks embedded in the pavement were all from oversized trucks. Notice the dry-van trailers going down the highway with at least 3-4 axles and the tractors with 4 axles. I met one driver who bragged about hauling 120,000 pounds as the legal max. I thought 80,000 pounds was enough.

 

I get paid by the pound. The way tractor and trailer are setup I do not damage roads anymore than a regular semi.

On doubles your allowed 12500 steer and 20000 on each of the other axles up to 80000 in CA. But in nev w/ a permit we do 92500 and still never exceed the axle weights. The extra 12500 lbs are not for free . I normaly carry 28 tons (56000) in Nev I carry 34.25 tons (68500), a load from Las Vegas to Battle Mountain pays me 27% of 32.00 per ton.

28 X 32.00 = 896.00 / 27% $241.00 on way vs 34.25 x 32.00 = 1096.00 / 27% $ 295.82. Now it takes me the driver the same amount of time to drive up there, I unload at a rate of 1000 lbs per minute, so it takes me 14 minutes longer to unload for $54.00 roughly. Yeah I would say its worth it. And your dual axles do more damage than the singles at least when cornering.

 

The example you give is apples vs oranges. What is your empty weight? what is a 5 axle rigs empty weight? How much is that multi axle vs 5 axle cost new? How much more fuel are you burning vs 80k? Tires? How much more is the tags per year? Your only looking at the extra $54 bucks. I know what happened to rates out west when the 105,500 law took effect.

 

Michigan and ohio is another great example. The rates are crap cause they can haul alot of weight up in MI. You can also permit loads for Ohio. I got offered a load for .90 up to 52k If you go over that the rate drops to .80 but goes on a 60k mini. Do the math.

Powder Joints, did you ever haul that stuff before you could haul all that weight?

 

My tare weight is 24,000. The company is many 178.00 extra per load. My fuel mileage stays in the 5.5 t 6 mpg. It does not cost any more than the tractor trailer that load 80,000 its the same tractor and trailers. I'm not talking about out trains that load out to 134,000. This is the regular old run of the mill tractor w/ a set of pneumatics . Rates have not changed because of load capacity. The tires since we dont pull the weight on every load, only certain load are loaded out heavy, it is hard to say, the tires are rotated off the tractor onto the trailers so it would be fairly tough to get a good read on that. If it were not profitable the company would not be doing the loads. But as a company driver your the incidental cost are the companies responsibilities not mine, so the part I care about is is 54 dollars more for the same amount of work and time involved.