spread axle vs. tandem

It's two questions. tandem vs. spread and spring vs. air

tandem vs. spread

The advantage of spread is most states allow 40k on a spread axle vs. 34k on tandem. This allows you to load with a little leeway on placement without having to slide tandems. With a fixed tandem you would have to place a heavy load perfectly to balance between drives and trailer axles. The negatives for spread is scrubbing tires when making tight turns.

air vs. spring

Spring ride is generally considered worse riding (more bumpy). This isn't entirely true, spring ride equipment can ride just as good or better than air ride when loaded heavy, but when empty or lightly loaded it will be more bumpy. With spring your suspension is tuned for one specific weight. Air bags adjust to whatever weight you have on. Also, some customers will only load air-ride equipment.

 

Loved the air ride spread!

Never slide tandems, just place load center of trailer... If not concerned about gross weight forget CAT scales, your good on weight distribution.

With air ride/spread, can add switches to dump air out of front or rear to reduce scrub, and helps w/ backing also.(don't roll through state scales forgetting the switches!!!)

 

Actually, I had the centers of the trailers we pulled figured out. I would load the center of the load about 2 feet to the rear of that mark. This would put a little more weight to the rear, which was fine with a 10 foot split.

On time I was picking up a 30,000 lbs load. Knowing that my rear split only weighed 9,000 lbs., I could have put 100% of the load on the rear of the trailer if I wanted to. I told the loader to put the back of the load a couple inches hanging over the rear of the deck (2" or 3"), and then work their way toward the front from there. I ended up weighing 37,000 on the split, 11,000 on my drives, and 8,000 on my steers. Let the trailer hold the weight, and cut my tractor a break

 

When you put too much weight on the trailer and not enough on the drives you are then dragging your load and not pulling it. Trucks are made to pull, you do more harm then good putting 37k on the spread

 

Not to mention a lack of traction in the winter months.

 

I had a guy explain it to me like pulling a hay wagon with your pick up and pulling hay on your gooseneck trailer

 

Forget the wagon and go drive a school bus. You'll make more money lol

 

A spead won't bounce up and down like a pogo stick either. a nicer ride.