Weight distribution for DOT regs

Scaling axles is just as accurate as weighing the whole truck. When you have multi-axle combinations over 100 ft. long that is the only way to get GVW & bridge weights. Unless you can find a 100 foot scale or longer.

 

I thought so too but they told me at a scale in a gravel plant in Cleveland it wasn't . It may have been true with that particular scale .

 

You can almost bet that pit scaled weighed heavy. Do you see how that would benefit the scale owner? Seen it in a lot of places that are not certified and haul their own material.

 

CRE also has a module on it, that goes into detail, during phase 1.

 

The problem with axle weighing on a platform scale is distribution of weight to the load cells.
When you put your steers on the platform, you're applying most of the weight to the end load cells. As you move on, you move weight distribution forward, but unequally.
Load cells work as a 'team', distributing the weight information to the meter where it's converted to a weight value. The logarythms (spelling) don't allow for off balance to that degree, so you'll likely weigh heavy on the steers, but accurately on the total.
Single axle scales are much smaller and work fine.
But axle weighing off a platform is certainly much better than no scaling!

 

Sliding the tandems redistributes the weight. It is necessary sometimes because of regulations, 12,000lbs drive wheels, 34,000lbs fifth wheel tandems and 34,000lbs rear wheel tandems with a total of 80,000lbs. If your over 80,000lbs total or over weight on any of the tandems or drives you could recieve a hefty fine. I use to pull a "grain hopper", sometimes called a "hopper bottom" and I was primarily worried about going over 80,000lbs. It's easy to overload and then you will lose valuable time dumping off some grain in order to lower the overall weight. Tandem weight was not an issue at the scales, but that part was just my experience. When I pulled dry vans and reefers sometimes the load was overweight so you gotta be carefull. But what do you really do? When at the shipper read the weight on the BOL, add it to the known weight of your tractor trailer. What is the sum total? If it's close to 80,000 lbs then hammer down. Don't forget the weight of 200 gallons of fuel if that is the situation. I use to load with an empty tank just to make it past a scale. Another option, probably much more common, is to weigh your truck right after you load, move your tandems to even out the weight distribution (34,000lbs per tandem) and/or if your overweight go back to the shipper and raise hell... lol! They love that by the way, but they really need to know. An adjusment there at the shipper is much easier than out on the road say at a DOT scale. Bottom line, close to 80,000 is usually ok, but try to be precise.

 

I guess that's the difference between getting your CDL at a school or at a company. We had 3 weeks of classroom training and all that was covered because after all you do haul freight. That's just one more thing they are putting on driver trainers. That's why they call them puppy mills, because all they care about is the bare minimum knowledge for thousands of dollars in exchange. Not a fair trade off. Classroom training is cruicial for a good foundation for a student before going on the road. The only place they get classroom training is at the CDL school. Another reason for a student to get their CDL at a community or technical college.

 

Believe it or not it's not a requirement in the schools as it's not a question asked in any drivers licensing test! I taught at Alliance in McDonough, Ga way back in 1995/6 and we never even touched on it! I even asked why and that was the answer.

All the schools needs to teach is to pass the written and the driving tests and nothing else. The rest is taught by either a trainer or on your own.
Me on the other hand, during several lunch periods would tell the students to meet me on the field IF they wanted a little more instruction outside of what the school had to teach.

The easiest way to show or tell you how to understand why it works is this.
think of a see saw that you played on at the park. The 5th wheel and the tandems are the fulcrum point. Add weight to one side and the result is what you see. It gets heavier/lighter on all 3 axle groups.

Put this ^ with this ________ across the top and this 00 behind the ^ and 00 at the far right OR look at my sketch.

So, to remove weight off the steers you would do what?.....look at it..... slide the 5th BACK or the tandems forward. Correct. See it in your mind or draw it on a piece of paper. The same happens with the trailer tandems. Slide them froward towards the front and you add to the trailer tandems and remove it from the 5th wheel and the steers. Backwards and it adds to the 5th and steers.

A tip from 32 years of trucking:
The first thing I learned to do was when given a new truck to drive I would ask if I could fill it with fuel and explain that I wanted to get a few net weights of the truck and I'll pay the scale ticket. It's so I don't get any over weight tickets and that usually worked! This way you know the exact weight of your truck and trailer AND know how much weight you can load.

That is one of the most important numbers you need to know outside of your drivers lisence number! This way you can go into that shippers office and answer the question "How much weight can you handle" honestly!

Before you do your first information scale, fill the truck to the top with fuel and reefer if pulling one. First slide the 5th wheel to where the nose is about even with the mud flap that's in front of and over the drives. A good focus point or slide it into maybe the 3rd or 4th hole from the front. We all know that the steer axle weight is 12,000 max unless the tires allow more. But why tempt fate by crossing a scakle then getting pulled around back to discuss with Mr DOT the finer points of hot and cold tire pressures and the manufactures weight chart on the side of the tire! Thats lost time the most important thing in the truck beside you! Those 15 minute marks on a log DO cost money! YOURS! Once I have that hole I need to be in I think I might have slid the 5th wheel 20 times in 32 years of driving. Drop a drive shaft one time and have to foot the bill your self and sliding a 5th becomes an ONLY WHEN HEAVY slide! You just might be able to burn off enough fuel before a DOT scale! That's were a little further down in this book will help you know how many gallons of fuel and where it goes will help!

Scale!

You now have the weight of your combo. With a reefer maybe 32,000 pounds hopefully less or 48,000 in freight! If paid by the pound that's a nice number! Hills with a castrated engine not so much!. Depending on truck and trailer brand. You now know how much freight you can legally pull! If you want, later when maybe half full of fuel scale again! or just do the math knowing what fuel weighs! (300 gallons= 2190 pounds!)
Now go get a load and scale.

Now, contrary to popular belief keeping the weight "light" on the steers is not recommended by any tire manufacture and alignment shops. Heavy drives and tandems and a light steer causes the steers to bounce or skip causing wear. I kept my steers when loaded around 11,000 and up. It in my opinion made for a smoother ride and in wet or snow conditions had the weight on the steers to maintain better control but that's up to you. At 11,000 pounds it kept me from having to slide the 5th which is a PITA until you get experience working the clutch and fuel as sliding an inch takes an awful lot of practice!

To add a little more info here, lets go see where your weight gauge on the dash is and how to use it to your advantage and where the weight of fuel goes which helps in figuring fuel to distance. Hey, I get on these rolls and can't stop!

As soon as I could, after getting a new truck and had my first load which I hoped would max me out close to that 80,000k number I would go do the usual scale. BUT hoping I needed at least 75-100 gallons to top off.

Scale

Look at the weight gauge and then the tandems weight. How close to 34,000 is it? Real close or on 34,000? If it's ON 34,000 then make a mark on the gauge with a metallic ink pen or a small drop of fingernail polish. Unless you can remember the exact spot. Heck, even scratch a small mark but this is what you can look at and not sweat the question of "Am I over?" Now slide everything to where it needs to be then rescale. Shut off the engine! Does the weight look good?

Real quick look at the drive weight and take the weight and subtract it from 34,000 and take that number and divide it by 7.3 which is the EXACT weight of diesel fuel,. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you all hear 8 pounds but why use an average when in this case the actual weight is needed! (Google "how much does diesel fuel weigh and use it. but 7.3 never proved wrong for me in 32 years.")

OK, lets say you are good for 100+ gallons to top off or so close to empty that what you are doing is adding a little more knowledge about your equipment. Go top off with the engine off but look at the fuel gauge if close to MT and mark it also. Tell the fuel desk you are going to go rescale again so they don't think you're a drive off and rescale and park! Get the ticket and pocket it as this your company will ask stupid questions about and you can afford the dollar unless they hiked that price up again!

Guess what you just did?
You now know how much diesel fuel weighs doing a little math, you now know where all the fuel weight goes to the axles on the tractor (remember the above hint about later in here?) and you know how many gallons are left in the tank when almost MT! That one bit of info really helps when they loaded you heavy and you have to do extra fuel stops just to put 30 stupid gallons on!

At least you MIGHT not run out of fuel! Knowing where the weight goes on the steers and drives when fueling can be a help if needing fuel to get to the next stop so knowing that x numbers of fuel equals how much weight comes off a heavy axle on the tractor! I bet you thought trucking was easy! it is but there IS a little brain work also! I did terrible in math in school!

Should I stop now or keep going?

Next!

See those holes in the trailer? I bet you were told they are all 350 pounds. Well don't hold that as honest truth! It varies! yes you can use the 350 number as a guide to get the axles right but don't use it as a fact and drive off before spending another dollar for a rescale.
one trailer brand can be much different than another and if your company has a lot of different trailers always rescale if the weight are heavy and close! That dollar is cheaper than a overweight ticket. There ARE companies that refuse to pay for a rescale ticket OR even a scale if the weight is less than 42,000 pounds on the BOL thinking that,that little gauge on the dash is the gospel truth! I always scaled if the load was over 33,000 as we all know a lot of shippers have no freaking clue to what their product weighs or is trying to get a lower rate for lighter loads!

I can not begin to add up how many times I had a BOL with one number on it and scale and see that their number does not even come close to the scale ticket! I have even had shippers tell me that the scale was wrong! Tell them,Yeah OK I'LL be right back AFTER I FIND ANOTHER SCALE. They change their tune then and fix their "mistake!"

Anyway, those holes are an average which you'll find out after rescaling and doing the math of subtract 1st weight from 2nd then divining by how many holes you slid. I've had the same freight weight give different weight because in mixed freight just a light pallet or 2 can make that "average" number different. If you start with a better number of 275 or 300 both a good average between 250 and 350 pounds per hole you might slide only one time. This is one time guessing is a good thing!

In trucking nothing is ever exact so using a scale and learning where freight and fuel weight goes on those 5 axles is paramount to keeping out of the sights of DOT!

By the way...when doing your information scale stay in the seat! You are now part of the equipment and you need to be added to it!

OK I'll stop for now! I hope this helped at least one of you!

Weight is about the most important things we need to know in trucking!