help with weight

Question.

My truck and float (spread axle) weigh 34,500
So i can only pay load at 45,500
Most shippers want 48,000

My truck is rated at
Steers: 14,500
Drives: 42,000

So what do i need to do to haul more then 80k ?
Some state let me register for 85,000 but some wont. Any sugestions?

 

Unless your hauling cars, lumber, sheetrock, or some heavy oilfield load. I wouldn't worry about it. Most loads are under 46. You can buy overweight permits but that's expensive. And some states won't sell divisible overweights. You're axle ratings are meaningless unless you're a heavy hauler. Your still limited to 34 on drives and 40 on trailer provided the spread is 10.2. Total gross of 80. Technically you can haul 84 with your spread. But anything over 80 requires overweight permits for most states. Basically speaking. Ask this question in the heavy hauler section. Others might have other answers. @Oscar the KW is a heavy hauler.

 

Federal says 12,000. Each state uses their own rule. Louisiana will let you go 13,000, California 12,500.

Don't forget you burn off weight before you go through a POE. I fill just after the Arizona scales and by the time I go across the NM scales, I know I've dropped 450 pounds of fuel. You will have to experiment to find out how much of that 450 is coming off the front axle. Do a CAT scale just before you cross a line and see how much came off your front axle and drivers. It's only $10.50 to scale. Good to do also in snow season so you don't cross a scale with 4,000 pounds of ice and get an expensive ticket.

My Columbia is set to where It's 1/3 on the front and 2/3 on the drivers. In other words if I have burned 600 pounds of fuel (90ish gal) I know 200 came off the front axle and 400 off the drivers.

Each truck has the tanks set in different places. Doing a few extra scales will prove to your self what's going on and it's tax deductible anyway. You're company might reimburse those extra scales if they buy your reasons like keeping their truck from getting an over ice ticket.

It takes experience to do a good educated guess to keep you out of trouble.

 

How much weight?
Im thinking setting the brakes is going to give you a cushion for error.
Slide tandems the best you can and roll.

 

New Mexico wouldn't bother you anyways. I don't think their scale actually works!

 

Aint dad da trooth!

 

New Mexico is more worried about running your plate to be sure you have your weight distance tax current, that and giving log book violations when their officer has no idea what he is talking about. Only time I have had trouble in NM was at the San Jon POE, once in 2004, my first time ever to NM, didn't have my weight distance permit (back when you had to have the permit in the cab), $300 cash on the spot for a temporary. The other time was in 2012, I was working in Albuquerque as a heavy tow operator, did a tractor swap for Ryder rental to Amarillo, TX and while coming back I was asked for my log book. Being a local driver I did not do a log except when outside the 100 mile radius, so I only has that day (as required by law), Officer Thrasher put me out of service, even after pointing out the FMCSA guidance that proved him wrong, and having Capt. Mayrand call from ABQ to tell him to let me go. It wasn't until shift change after midnight I was told I could leave, but by that time I didn't have enough hours to get back to ABQ, so I spent the rest of the night.

 

Years ago when the Shiprock, NM scales were still there, I came up and saw a sign "Park and come in". I did so and showed them my NM Tax ID card. I asked if they needed me to roll onto the scale.

"No, #### thing hasn't worked in like 10 years!"

 

Whenever they open the Vaughn scale, they use portables because the platform isn't used enough to keep it in working order. Gotta love a poor state like NM!

 

I dont know where you got 12,000 pounds from.
Most states allow 20,000..