Weight question, slightly over on the steers?

I would run that weight with no worry at all.

 

I run the 5th wheel either fully back or anywhere behind the mid-point between the drive axles unless I have to adjust it for weight distribution. Every truck I've driven rides smoother that way. When I have to adjust it ahead of the mid-point it seems the motion transmitted to the tractor when running over a pothole is some up and down motion and a motion like someone slammed the driver seat toward the windshield.

 

The reason schools and trainers preach 12-34-34 is because before 2010 no one was specing trucks with axles rated for more than 12,000. It wasn't needed for most mega fleet applications, and mega trucks are a big part of the secondary market, so 12k was the max most trucks coulld have on their steers.

Emissions trucks are heavier, and the "creature comforts" (fridge, condo, insulation) all add weight too, so the met a fleets switched to 'h' tires and 12.5 k axles. But the instructors were taught x, so they keep teaching x, and the cycle perpetuates because new drivers who ask "why" either get told "because" or get labeled as know it all trouble makers.

Back in 2012 we redid our training test and one of the new questions was what is the minimum tandem hole setting for Michigan?

The first problem is Michigan had scrapped their kpra minimum 2 years prior. The second is even if the restriction was still in place, you can't violate it with a 53 foot trailer. Finally, we were no longer using only Wabash trailers, so hole counts were no longer acceptable for kpra measurements.

The test was written by 3 drivers and a 'curriculum expert'. It was full of things that were very germane back in the early 2000s, but were no longer apt. But they were taught it, so they thought it was important to teach it.

 

Saying 32K in the box is kinda heavy makes me giggle.

 

13,200. Good to go as long as you've got enough tire under it.

 

No.

 

46k in a dry van is a normal Monday.

 

An inflatable 'Big Mamma' is very light actually.
According to some of my friends.
No weight issues at all.