Formula for sliding tandems

you have an A&P right? So you remember the section in school about weight & Balance? when you had to find the balance point of the aircraft, and figure out if i remove a 20lbs radio from the ####pit and replace it with a newer 10lbs radio, what do i have to do to rebalance the aircraft? its the same thing here...




American Trucker

 

Lol,what he said.

 

still depends on how it's loaded.....

 

It doesnt matter whether we drive for Swift or not.We all pull trailers.Find out your hole spacing and use the formula we have given you for the hole spacing.American is right.600 to a 1000 lbs,per foot.Give or take depending on the freight.

 

250lbs / 6" hole - 3' from kingpin - 10' from rear trailer -(34,000lbs - gross per tandem) x 2 tandems + (12,000 - gross axle weight) < GVW / 3 = individual tandem weight. This is the mathematical formula



Now here is MY FORMULA. The trailer sitting on the tandems is just like a "see saw" pretend the center of the "see saw" is your balance. Move the tandems one side and the other side drops! just like adding more weight. What happens to the other side? It removed weight! Apply this formula to every axle and BAM! you got you size and weight figured out. The rule on the holes always stays the same. It's about 250 lbs for every six inch hole. 500 lbs per foot. REMEMBER THE SEE SAW EFFECT.

 

nope AT, actually I have a commercial/instrument and multi-engine rating lol......i fly 'em, i don't turn the wrenches.....lol....but, it does give me a better than average understanding relatively speaking for newbies of weight vs. payload and the concept of balance and where it should be....and as a result i have very few do-overs once i get them set...and it's also why i started from the beginning keeping detailed records of each trailer series and what the difference per hole is for a given weight lol

 

Much easier with a ten foot spread, no sliding, just load heavy to the rear and good to go.

 

Wow, that's gotta suck.. when yer in Phx next, go over to driver services and ask for one. Ask to talk to Summer, huba huba. You'll thank me later.

 

Swift has about 6 different trailers, different makes, models and years ... all got thier quirks.

This is really the only valued advice. Quite frankly it's more of an art form than a science. When ever you can jump up in the trailer, get a look at the load, see how the pallets are laid out, where the weight is at ... after awhile you'lle get a feel for it.