What is the average cost of adding a lift axle?

Hi everyone. I recently purchased an XL RGN Tri Axle trailer that extends. So it’s a heavy trailer. My question is how much would it cost to add a lift axle to my tractor?
Also, any pointers or tips on placement of the lift axle, type of lift axles anything and everything would be greatly appreciated. I have just a basic 2019 Freightliner Cascadia with 505 HP.

 

Honest opinion? Don't.

The frame is not strong enough. You also would likely need a new fifth wheel slider to actually be able to load the axle properly without lifting all the weight off your steers.

Sell the truck and buy one properly built for what you are trying to do. Start trying to load a general freight truck like it's a heavy haul truck and you'll find it will get very expensive very fast as things start breaking.

 

Thank you. I’m looking at getting a heavy haul truck but so far the price that my company wants to sell it to me is above market rate. Hopefully it works out.

 

Speaking for all the guys already doing specialized freight. We wish you would go do something else. We already have enough inexperienced people doing it and dragging it down. And from your questions you are another inexperienced guy just bumbling around from one thing to the next.

 

###### Elmer! Of course I'm inexperienced! And I see going into heavy haul as the pinnacle of my trucking career! I will be making a fool of myself at first, but the most important thing is it won't be because of securement nor safety. Any and all advice will and is greatly appreciated. I also feel your pain if the heavy haul sector is getting saturated but I have no control over that. I only can choose what I see as my best interest.

 

What? You’re trying to buy it from your company?

Leave HH to the professionals. Ain’t no room for flip flops and track suits.

 

I am going to offer advice - which is likely not what you want to hear - on the adding axles.

do you have a plan for what you are trying to achieve by adding an axle?

and just more weight is not a real
Good answer.

what areas are you planning on running?

What axle weights can you permit for legally (i.e. what is your steer rated for both tires and axles, what are your current tandem Axles rated for?

How much swing clearance do
You have on the neck of your trailer? Do you know why this important?

how much slider do
Have on your current frame? Where does it reach?

what is trailer rated for? Closed? Stretched? Modular? Fixed deck ?
Flip axle or fixed 3?

axle spacing?

hyd or mech neck?

all these things factor into whether or not you are just wasting money adding an axle to your existing freight truck.

if you can answer these questions - you will know where and what axle to add and what you expect to do with it that you cannot currently do as a 6
Axle.


I encourage you to know/learn what the proper rates are to haul stretch freight. Every step You take in The heavy haul segment carries increasing risk and needs to be rated to cover that risk. Time, knowledge, equipment investment and experience should be paid for. You are no longer providing a a commodity service- you are entering a specialized contract. Screwing up
Can cost unbelievable sums of money. Missed crane appointments, just hitting a low tree branch, improper load securement, high centering especially with a mechanical trailer ….on and on

anyway

why not spend time mastering 6 axle
Freight and learning the answers to the above questions- then not only will you have the required cash reserves but the skills to
Move forward.

or not

 

Thank you for this well thought out response. I am on home time and doing my research on the trailer that I purchased. I will reply to your thorough advice in two parts. In this response my trailer is
2020 XL-SPECIALIZED XL 90-MDE.
So 45 tons. It’s a heavy trailer because it stretches. It is mechanical and it stretches away from the trailer axles. So the 29 ft well is close to the drives. This has me worried because I only have tandems. My drives are 34k and my steers are 12.5k
The trailers last axle is a flip axle.
The company I’m leased onto and have been with for almost 5 years has only 3 RGNs out of 250+ trucks. They will dispatch me though my current dispatcher said he doesn’t have any experience with RGNs. Still not too worried I have a good familiarity with over size loads just not over weight. I do understand that a 900 mile load can end up taking 2 weeks to complete do to engineering reviews, time it takes to get permits, curfews, etc. And cost can range in the thousands for fees.

 

I got your Red Wings and Ariats buddy

 

I don’t do over size freight let me say that on the front end. I know absolutely 0 about it. Where my limited knowledge comes is building trucks and the expense of it.

Buying the truck you need verses making what you have work then deciding that still won’t work is something to look at. You will absolutely never recover the expense of what you put into this current truck. You will actually lower its value. Buying the truck you need verses building it is cheaper not only in the long run but the today as well