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sliding tandems and fifth-wheels for weight distribution

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by corneileous, Nov 28, 2009.

  1. Nov 28, 2009 #1
    corneileous

    corneileous Road Train Member

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    Podunk, OK
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    Altho I cant move my 5th-wheel cause the air cilynder's been removed for max mileage, whats the average weight loss/gain in pounds per notch slid?

    Also same for the tandems on both Wabash and Utility reefers.... They taught us that a general rule for all was 250lbs per hole but is that formula only for trailers were the holes are like 5 inches or so apart? Some of these new trailers Ive pulled have the holes that are like 3 inches apart.

    I could do the re-weigh at CAT but thought this would be useful information
     
    corneileous, Nov 28, 2009
    corneileous, Nov 28, 2009
    #1
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  3. Nov 28, 2009 #2
    DragginMan

    DragginMan Light Load Member

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    As far as the 5th wheel, they vary. I had one where the locking pins were abt 2" wide, 1 per side, it slid 500lbs per notch. The one on my current truck has 2 locking pins per side, looks like a 2-pronged fork, it slides 250lbs per notch. The loads I haul, mostly paper rolls and scrap, makes sliding tandems mandatory per load, and its always different. I have a load gauge in dash that gives me a baseline on trailer load, then I look at my B.O.L. for load weight, and slide from there. I like to balance the weight personally, makes for a smoother ride. Practice makes perfect, but even then CAT Scale it!
     
    DragginMan, Nov 28, 2009
    DragginMan, Nov 28, 2009
    #2
  4. Nov 28, 2009 #3
    Tazz

    Tazz Road Train Member

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    They all vary.I use 500lbs per 6",then reweigh.That also depends on how the load is loaded.If all of the weight is forward of where your tandems are sitting,sliding makes less of an impact.


    I am confused by your statement "removed for max fuel mileage".What could an air cylinder have to do with fuel mileage?
     
    Tazz, Nov 28, 2009
    Tazz, Nov 28, 2009
    #3
  5. Nov 28, 2009 #4
    corneileous

    corneileous Road Train Member

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    Pardon me for thinking that here, most people would know what I was talking about.....

    The air cilynder has nothing to do with mileage; The company I work for started removing them so that you cant slide the fifth-wheel from it's "all the way forward" position. Quite frankly, if they didnt want them to move, why dont they just order their trucks with a stationary fifth-wheel.
     
    corneileous, Nov 28, 2009
    corneileous, Nov 28, 2009
    #4
  7. Nov 28, 2009 #5
    stepnfetchit

    stepnfetchit Medium Load Member

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    Monett MO
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    Tazz, I'm only guessing here, but companies buy a truck with a sliding 5th. They set the 5th then disconnect the air cylinder and remove it. They want minimum space between the truck and trailer. Better MPG, less drag. When they get rid of the truck they replace the cylinder. Haven't heard of anyone doing this for a few years, but it used to be pretty prevalent. They sure never advertised it, but they did it. They don't want an inexperienced driver sliding that 5th wheel. Frankly not too many know how to do it properly anyway.
     
    stepnfetchit, Nov 28, 2009
    stepnfetchit, Nov 28, 2009
    #5
  8. Nov 28, 2009 #6
    stepnfetchit

    stepnfetchit Medium Load Member

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    Monett MO
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    Trade-in Value- A truck with a sliding 5th wheel has more value. As I stated above there were companies doing that but haven't heard of one recently.
     
    stepnfetchit, Nov 28, 2009
    stepnfetchit, Nov 28, 2009
    #6
  9. Nov 28, 2009 #7
    corneileous

    corneileous Road Train Member

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    You are correct...

    My company just recently started this nonsence. From what Ive heard from the grapevine was too many drivers werent keeping their fifth-wheels as close to the cab as possible for mileage when overloading of the steer axle wasnt an issue. So they figured they'd do away with it all together and make them so you couldnt slide them.
    I highly doubt this is the case, but there might be some truth to what you said.

    When my wife and I were in the second portion of our training, we were by ourselves in an '07 KW W-900. Trust me, I got plenty of self-attained knowledge on sliding the fifth-wheel back and forth everytime I got loaded because it was so easy to overload the steeraxle. The only time i could run my fifth-wheel all the way up was when i was deadheading and even then, I was almost at 12k! The tractor by it self(no trailer at all) was around 11,8k on the steer fully fueled.
     
    corneileous, Nov 28, 2009
    corneileous, Nov 28, 2009
    #7
  10. Nov 28, 2009 #8
    corneileous

    corneileous Road Train Member

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    I kinda figured that but to my knowledge, they lease the trucks from Frieghtliner and turn them back in to the same place they bought them after about 3 years or when they rack up about 480k miles on the odometer. So, it would seem to me, that trade-in value doesnt propose an issue.
     
    corneileous, Nov 28, 2009
    corneileous, Nov 28, 2009
    #8
  11. Nov 28, 2009 #9
    Tazz

    Tazz Road Train Member

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    Yep gotcha now,I wasn't thinking it through:biggrin_25517:I thought most of the big boy's just bought fixed fifth wheels.

    Couldn't live without mine,way to many variables in loads for a "fixed setting" as it is I usually run around about 12,300 on the steers with anything approaching 43000 load weight almost all the way back:biggrin_25524:
     
    Tazz, Nov 28, 2009
    Tazz, Nov 28, 2009
    #9
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