WEIGHT AND SLIDING AXELS

if you have an apu you can have 34400 on drives as long as your not over gross, except in ca, tn, ky, and i think ri

 

I prefer not to risk the APU tolerance, that is why I did not figure it.

I'll short the fuel first. Over axle is over axle.

 

I have drivers claiming it has happened, but never to me. No time that I was over 12,000 on the steers did a scale master come out and check the tire rating.

G rated 11r22.5 are 6,179, which is good for 12,300. 12,300 will give you wiggle room to get legal on the drive and trailer.

 

The last FL I had was rated for 13 steers. According to the door label. I think the tires were rated 6,750.

 

One thing is for certain. This truck has the 5th wheel waaay too far back. Get it moved and LEAVE IT ALONE. He’s likely got it so far back, his steers get lighter as he adds weight inside the nose of the trailer. Not good. Dangerous in fact.

But he also has to slide the trailer tandems forward some, too.

How I wish new drivers were better taught than they are. For now, don’t worry about “how much per hole” because this varies with a few other factors that vary from load to load. Get your 5th wheel in a better position first. Then just understand the trailer tandem weight transfer basics and work from there

 

I've never understood how you can lighten the steer as drives get heavier. 5th wheel would have to be behind center of drive axles. Would sure look odd. I suppose on some of those giant sleeper trucks the 5th wheel is tacked on right at the back.

 

Dang.....I wasnt in time......

 

It does look odd and certainly must be behind center. It’s no different then how you see 1/2 ton pickups loaded with dirt too far back in the bed and can’t keep it straight because the weight on the front axle is too little.

I don’t put anything past many out here, today. I see so much ridiculousness out here daily that nothing surprises me anymore.

I get it. Maybe at one time you pulled a single axle furniture van and had to slide it all the way back to keep from tearing off mud flap hangers. But once you come back to the real world, you have to move it back up ahead of center.

 

What I meant was most every truck on the road can you even slide it that far back?

I appreciate the stupid out here and when I am competing for work. Stupid out on the road keeps me out of the scale house when the officer sees by my equipment and weight and elog I only get called around on average once per year. The stupid benefits me when I'm courting new customers because I simply get the job at hand done with no issues for the customer. Smooth as possible. Then they see the value in paying me steadily and calling me first. Easy peasy.

 

I saw a bobtail tandem axle just yesterday in a truck stop in Washington where the 5th wheel was literally sitting directly over the rear axle. All I could do was SMH. Maybe he transported empty trailers??