Split Axle Weight on a 5 Axle?.... Why?

While I tend to agree with your point. Here is the deal; I know a situation where a gal got put out of service for having her trailer axels at 18k and 5k respectively. It was a light load, neither axel was over rated load, just a typical 53' van and 3 axle tractor with a light load. What got her stopped was the huge weight discrepancy the DOT estimated that the leveling valve was not functioning. That was the case and the reason she was put out of service and ticketed.

On the other hand a lot of older single screw trucks had a suspension system that favored the drive axle by 58% and the dead tag the remaining 42%. So at 34k the drive axle had 19.7k and legal. The remaining dead axle only held up 14.3k .

I have yet to see any law requiring that each axle of a tandem hold equal amounts of weight. There are lot of single screw setups with drop axle that functions as part of a tandem and cannot carry an equal amount of weight.

 

It happened to me today on a Michigan scale
4th axle 6,000lbs
5th axle 27,000lbs
Because bad suspension
I know now that the limit per axle is 20k,but i thought that applies only for spread axle trailes... Mine s tandem axle,so ill fight it and hope for the best. The thing is im still not sire if im at right or wrong

 

Tandems are usually 17k apiece...usually. If it were summer, you would have probably cooked your tires.