Have bridge laws (kingpin to rear trailer axle) lengths changed?

You beat me to it. Lol. Maybe it’s because I ran multiaxle combos in the NW so much and our actual bridge measurements determined our gross, but man it bugs me when people interchange these two terms.

 

There are times I have to roll with my tandems all the way back because our trailers have those g8ddamned mother humping pneumatic tandems. So if they are all the way back when I pick up the trailer, the pins very often won't release until I drive 50 miles or more. Sitting in the yard idling for 20 minutes doesn't work...banging the pins with a hammer doesn't work...I don't even bother trying anymore. Pins don't release on first try.... f8ck it... I'm taking off and will slide them en route. Our loads are usually light so no weight issues. And if there were...oh well. I'm not the idiot who ordered air tandems. I have railed against pneumatic tandems quite a bit over the years...I have converted no one needless to say. Dumbest innovation ever. A useless, counterproductive "improvement" for something that never needed any in the first place. I never had a problem getting mechanical tandem pins to release. Never failed.

 

My question is how do bull haulers even operate in Florida? Cause almost every 53' bullrack ive ever seen is well over the 41' to center specified.

 

You can buy an annual permit. I used to buy one for my 52ft spread. Used to be about $30 a year.

 

If you mean “air release” then hit the spaces, slides and pin tops with PB BLASTER during hookup.

Rock ‘em

And then get back out with the 3-lb engineers hammer.

It ain’t the trailer. It’s your lazy-as “brothers” who can’t be bothered to take care of the equipment.

If you’re going to be under that trailer a few days, get underneath in between and soak the extended pins and other moving parts.

The forklifts are fine. The trailer frame isn’t.
Get that “set torque” out of the rails. It’s four directions of movement is “trapped”.

 

I don't doubt that will be useful advice for some folks who haven't already washed their hands and thrown in the towel, etc. but '''air release'' has gotten all the time and aggravation it's gonna get outta me. I remain convinced that it has no upside whatsoever even when performing what should be its incredibly simple function properly (which is maybe a 50-50 proposition at best) is fundamentally inferior to the method it replaced, and it's manufacturers and buyers who foisted this stupid gimmick on us, not lazy drivers. A driver shouldn't have to diagnose, repair, maintain a chronically faulty mechanism that replaced a perfectly good mechanism for performing a ridiculously simple task. Unless they enjoy that sort of thing I suppose. I probably seem irate. LoL. Not with you or your answer obviously. With the s y s t e m, man.

 

I’ve had zero problem with air release. That aspect.

Not so with mechanical. Several have been way off.

 

FL actually gives you 22,000 on a single & 44,000 on a tandem. Ever see all the single axle day cabs pulling "FL spec" buckets? 78,000 gross on 4 axles.

 

Me thinks a guy should pay attention and know where his rig is tracking even if pulling a 6 foot u-haul.
There are lots of 53 foot trailers that have the axles at the back with no slide options, and are no trouble to get around without hitting anything.