Please help me understand being chronically overweight

If flatbedding and your tractor weighs 19k with fuel and all your stuff, dont buy a trailer when completely outfitted puts you over 32k lb mark.

You'll want to be able to scale 48 if need arises to pull from weak area.
Just my .02

 

You still have to have enough axles to bridge that weight. You can't just put that on a 5 axle setup.

 

Yep you are. My tractor and our 4 axle trailer put me at 40k empty weight. You do not need permits in those states, you register for that weight. For instance, in montana you can register for 130k and haul that.

 

the general number on boards is 48. And that's what the brokers use. Most loads won't come close to 46k. the average empty weight of a truck and trailer with full tanks of fuel is 32k. Thus, the 48k for loads.

As mentioned above, those 65k loads requiring 53 flatbed. Will have 4 axles on the trailer and the truck better have a drop axle. And you better have the spacing between the center of drop axle to center of trailer back axle. That's called bridge and will determine how much you can haul. If your going to oregon though, that number will be lower on the bridge. by 2500 pounds.

A typical truck with a 48 flatbed will typically have a 10 foot spread, 80k is the federal number to which you have to start worrying about permits. The trailer can haul 40k on the axles. You're not confined to the standard 34K. That's 6k extra pounds. So you could technically haul 86k. But, because of bridge law. 84k would be your max weight.

Depending on the load would also depend on the permit. As stated above. A one item load that weighs the full weight. Would require a NON divisible permit. Any other load would require a divisible permit. And depends on the states. California and Arizona don't generally allow over 80k. So no overweight permit of any kind. Most, if not all, of the western states would sell divisible permits. As they are already allowing doubles that are in excess of 100k. ( tankers, bellies, dirt haulers )

And NO, there's no perma permit. Every state has their own rules. But if you know the states allow doubles, as they'll weigh more then 80k. They allow divisible permits. ( minus california )

 

I'll just reply to number 4. No, absolutely not. The govt is overly involved as it is. We don't need them getting bright ideas. I've heard guys say "they should make the shippers responsible for all overweight fines". NO. Sounds good in theory. But as hard as it is to get some shippers to load a trailer right, I sure don't want them to be able to say "don't worry about it driver, we pay the fine now anyway ". They'd just load ya any old kinda way. I've heard drivers say shippers should pay half the fine. Again, NO. Because the wonderful govt of ours would just double the fines and take the same amount from 2 parties instead of one. Just my 2 cents.

 

Containers used to have a permit issued for 99K but Ive hauled grossed over 135K and a stack of multi thousand dollar fines plus broken scale to prove it once.

In a covered wagon half fuel you can get 52,000 on there but with a aluminum ravens. With a steel one, it wont work. And usually it's going to hit a scale house at 80K or so give or take how much fuel you burn before you get to the one that is going to be a problem. Usually there is a CAT scale before you hit it. anything over 80K I bypass state scale. A few gallons out of route is better than hundreds if not thousands back in the day.

I once had 20 pallets in the nose along with a standard 17 pallet load full gross at 81K ground upgrade at only 17 mph with a Big Cam IV tipped the state trooper behind me thinking Im a little heavier than where it is usually a 23 mph pull on that hill below Williamsport PA, he zipped around, opened the scale in front of me and presto. I never used that hill again. I crossed over at sunbury and run the valley north ever since.

With a reefer and a team of two, I think I get worried if there was 45K or more in the box. Back to the old fuel game. Raton below Denver on 287 weighed us on individual wheels and it was very close.

Finally I offer this experience. It has to be seen to be believed.

I was in a R model with a 40 foot cement loaded to exactly 80K, legal gross for me in Maryland was right around 77800 at the time depending on wheelbase. Anyway there I was on the New Market Scales east of Frederick at 4 am in a howling storm being held 5 minutes at the platform while one Officer with about like 20 trainees pointed here pointed there point point point.

I was beginning to write my entire trucking future off when I got the green light. It was not a good day to be trucking. On top of that the customer when he saw me cursed and said now we have to stay while you unload no work today... imagine that.