Heavy Haul Miscellaneous Thoughts, Ideas and Questions

you bought it!!!LOL

 

Yeah but using an overhead crane is about 1.5 hours faster and I am not tired at the end. But with the curfew, I could not get to the trailer place before they closed. Oh well at least I should sleep good tonight

 

We have a couple things like that, I usually back up and hook up my air lines and charge the system. Then when your ready to hook up you can hold the hand valve and back under, if it doesn't have working service brakes to hold it that's not s problem because I'm not pulling it!

 

Yep have done that but sometimes you forget about a particular trailer or have never pulled it before. Either way, if it did not work, the trailer would be on the ground because those front legs sit on blocks as it has no landing gear. Easier to deal with if it had landing gear where you did not have to worry about it dropping.

 

Heavy haul truck owners, we are preparing to purchase a a 7/8 axle set up. In all likelihood, both truck and trailer will be purchased new. We would be going with a 4 axle truck and a three axle trailer with a flip/stinger fourth axle. I would like to learn more about a sliding fifth wheel. I understand the general concept, but I would like to understand more about what it does in a heavy haul set up. We have stationary 5th wheels and set up our open deck trucks to carry 12-12500 on the steer axle and never have an issue. From what I have listened to, you all seem to indicate you need to utilize the flip neck and slide the fifth wheel ahead to carry additional weight on the steer. Is this only when you have a heavy front axle and are attempting to carry 12-20K on the front axle? I think we would also need the flip neck to move the load back if we have 4 axles deployed on the trailer. In this instance do you also slide your 5th wheel back or do you leave it centered so you can still carry something on your steer axle?

 

As you load the trailer heavier the position of the fifth wheel will be very important and will need to be adjusted when you put the lift axle down. If you leave the fifth wheel in the 3 axle configuration ( likely slightly forward of center between the two fixed drive axles) and put the lift axle down it will take weight of the steer axle.

As an example, my steer weight with my entire trailer attached but the lift axle up is about 16k. When I put the lift axle down that drops to lass than 14k and when loaded
To 11-12k.

With the light steer the 3 drive axles will push when you try to steer - an uncomfortable sensation to say the least. By sliding forward you move the weight forward to increase steer weight and there by overall possible gross weight. You need enough slide to accommodate as much neck as you can.

You also want to slide forward to reduce your overall length, this maybe the difference between an escort for length or no escort.

The flip neck will also help move the center weight forward in the well, helping you split the load weight front to back.

Since you are ordering make sure
you check on what your overall length is going to be and how that plays into where you run for escort requirements.

Hope this helps some

 

I have an 84 in slider, can go straight above my pusher axle if I had a longer neck. on a 7 axle setup if you are only going to gross 132000lbs usually directly above the front drive or 6in ahead center of front drive will work with a 13ft neck. that would be putting around 12000 to 13000 on steer. that is usually enough. even for 8 axle setup. a 60 in slide will work as long as you have far enough ahead to accomplish that. running as an 8 axle at 145000lb and up I like to load about 14000 to 15000 on my steer. it also depends on how you spec the truck out. (ie tanks forward or not) axle spacing's so on. running out west a 60in axle spacing will benefit, east 54in will do and get less tire scrub. spec on a trailer get a concentrated frame rating of no less than 110000lb in 12 ft. 26 ft well will do. hydraulic neck is the way to go period. the weight difference isn't that much of a difference when you are hauling heavy anyway. that is my opinion. I recommend to not go past center of front drive toward the back. you don't want your steer to get to light or you will have issues turning (front will have a tendency to slide especially on wet or slick roads) get an 18000lb front steer axle as well. it will have the bigger bearings and wont fail as easy as an 14600 or under axle will.

 

If you are Spec'ing a hyd neck - I would look very hard at ordering a trailer with detachable wheel area and ordering a rail deck to go with your flat deck. This would help you haul the heavier wheel loaders from/to the east coast ports and reduce your empty weight. It might allow you to haul some
Of the heavier RT cranes.

Yes you will need a more skilled driver than me but the rates may make it worthwhile to have in your inventory. I would have one for my trailer but ran out of budget

 

SH - think I would rather have more well - I know I fight that now - it's an 8 axle (closed 4) if I could be under 90' I would get 29' (actually that is what mine was)

If you are going hyd neck go all the way and get. Hyd flip neck - I have one and it is great