How to know how much weight a Trailer/Truck can handle w/o damage

Is this a company truck? On top of all already mentioned fuel usage might contribute to the estimate.

 

Maybe the guy wants to stiff you out of that 150? What does the boss want? Whats everybody else loading at?

 

Your vehicle assuming it's a Class 8 18 wheeler in a 5 axle configuration is capable of loading to the Federal 80,000.

Find a Cat scale. Weigh empty with you, your stuff, fuel full. That is your tare.

Minus the 80000 gives you exactly how much you can put on whatever trailer you got.

In my day with either a T2000, Century or FLD120 I can figure on between 46000 to 49000 into the box. Maybe even touch 50K if I am light on fuel with the century and somethng other than the usual Great Dane.

That also depends on where I am, what scale. If am near Roanoke, Knoxville, Memphis in particular, Vicksburg, Arizona etc I'll be very careful to be at 80000 when I get there.

Today's tractors have become obese. As in heavy. People here are talking taking 45000 as if it is maxed out. To me that's not quite a full box. Things and times change.

 

You're making this a lot harder than it really has to be.

Trailers are rated for a maximum carrying capacity by the factory that built them.

What did the owner say when you asked him how to load?
As long as your truck is at a legal weight for the area you're hauling,
load the way your boss tells you to load.

Keep yourself legal and keep yourself safe but either haul it the way they want you to or go find another job you like better.

 

Exactly! I get paid percentage too, in addition to hourly.

I’m a bulk tank hauler. My loads are pretty much 79,500. Although, there is the occasional 82k of fly ash because they overload me. Frankly, I don’t care as long as I’m not going across any scales.

But, I know exactly what the weight rating is per the manufacturer. Duh, it’s written right on the tractor and trailer.

 

Canadian and Michigan trucks run 139,900 and 140,000 gross regularly with B-trains. Aside from higher cumulative rear-end wear (unless you get 46k rears and a 2050 drivetrain), nothing happens to the truck pulling that heavy.

Granted, you shouldn't be pulling heavy with a weak motor and line-haul drivetrain, but aside from suspension and tire wear, it shouldn't damage the trailer more than normal if you are loading it to max it's rated for. But running over gross could land you with a fat ticket from the DOT if you aren't running a 105,500 setup in states that allow that.

The trailer in my signature is a 1350 MAC pneumatic. It says right on the side it's rated for 60,000 lbs. No way I'm getting that in the tank and running legal, but it'll take it.

 

Find the information tag for the truck and the trailer. They will have your gvwr listed on them. But the short answer is load how the boss tells you.

 

Equipment is under rated but you don't want to get caught heavy. My LTL loads out of Toronto were generally 160K on 5 axle trailer on Friday nights because scale were always closed for the 750 mile ride home. I was usually loaded to the max with totes of flour/ore and they would fill remaining room in trailer with LTL freight to put me overweight. Never had any issues.

 

I spun the chamber, put the gun to my head, pulled the trigger, and it didn't go off, so it must be a safe game to play!
Everything has a limit, trucks are rated to a certain design weight, and calling the mfr will only get you that number, due to liability issues. There is a safety factor, so occasionally overloading it isn't going to make it break in half, but it will accelerate failure. You're biggest concerns are probably tires and brakes, both of which will be very hot at the end of a run.
If you leave the shipper knowingly overweight, and are involved in a fatality accident, I hope you can afford a very good lawyer!

 

Not sure the price where your at. But those loads cost around $1200.00 in North MS. And that was 25 years ago. Got caught with 92,000 lbs, coming out of the woods. Load of logs, one load will gross 75,000. Load the same looking load the next load. And be 102,000.
That 92,000 lb load, tool all my pay for a while. And I'm sure if and when you get caught. The company will tell you, sorry you should make sure its legal. As I'm sure you had scales to weight out on before leaving the yard?
Like you I got paid 25% of the gross pay to the truck. And I hauled a lot of loads. That was over gross, but we had no way to find out the weight until hitting the yard. Or DOT pulling us on the portable scales.
Back then a overweight ticket did not hurt us other then the cash. I'm sure today its different. And if so could take away your job. Or have a wreck, and the Lawyer will own you and the company.

 

5 axles in mass is legal for 104,000 gross, can go up to 7 axles in NY for 117k, I’ve regularly dumped spread axle frameless trailers well into the 120s and even a few 130+, your loads sound fine

No points on an overweight just a fine but still play at your own risk