Weight question, slightly over on the steers?

You are incorrect. If the axle rating and tire rating allows more than the weight on the axle it's perfectly legal and if the scale man is in a bad mood he's going to need to find something else to get you on.

Even if the state has a lower maximum than your axle/tire rating, as long as you are on a designated Federal National Highway System road (Interstates and many U.S. Highways), the state must allow you to load up to the federal standard. They can only enforce more restrictive axle loadings on non-Federal state and local roads.

 

I’ve never worried about being over 12k on steers. 20k is the rating for any single axle, be it a drive, steer or axles spread far enough apart. Always knew that tire rating had to be met. To my surprise, my steer axle rating is 12k. So technically, I guess I’m limited to 12k. I think my Firestone’s steers are rated at 6750,maybe? So together that’s 13,500. Does me no good if axles only rated at 12k.

 

Look at all the trucks owned by the training companies- Schneider, Swift, JB, Werner, etc. How many of them had axles rated for more than 12k?

And as to putting a 10 foot spread on a set of drives - how many trucks is that going to be a thing? Outside of show trucks it would make more sense to add a third, lift able axle.

 

Higher weight ratings then the 12,000 has been around for 60 years or more.
from 1965 Rockwell Manual. Options for all Peterbilt truck models. The aluminum beams were rare but common back then to make a tractor weigh 10,000 empty.
My ‘67 was spec’d with a 13,200 FE900 back when 10:00-22 load range F’s were the big rubber.

 

Indeed they do, at least where I went to school. I was also unaware you could be over 12k on the steer tires as long as they were rated for it.

 

I’m allowed 20k on a steer

 

You're supposed to progressive shift, not load.