What is the maximum possible, load a typical 18 wheeler can carry

Biggest load it have ever heard of was one million four hundred thousand pounds

 

This is an old thread but the axles are designed to be the weak link. They are easy to replace and won't cause catastrophic damage when they break.

Although, drive lines go out too often.

 

1 million pounds... I have a PHD in Truck science... I know that with the new 2018 tesla, you can carry up to 2 million pounds but who knows when we'll get those #### trucks. I've already ordered 50 of them #### ###### tonkey trucks m8.

 

You can keep your precious PHD when state scales fail under you dropping into the basement.

To wit if you know anything at all about American Heavy Haul, you will learn there are limits to what can go onto the interstate system. In our area we see 150 ton loads of transformers several times a week going to St Louis way and that's about as heavy as we want on two particular bridges.

 

Yep keeps blowing that smoke in the air

 

Got permits for 92,000 from PA through NJ and NY on a spread axle. It had 20,000 limits on every axle, spread and drive tandem + 12000 on steers.

 

Ny can go 102,000 on a spread even for a reducible load (dump/tanker etc)

 

I once personally saw KW W900 pulling a set of hopper bottom trailers loaded with fertilizer tip the scales 186,360 pounds gross. Yes I remember the exact weight cause I was the one that was running the scale house that night at the fertilizer plant he was delivering to. It was a short local haul, and the driver had loaded himself with a large frontloader... That particular product he was hauling looks very simular to another, but weighs ALOT more per cubic foot. Driver said he about had a heart attack when he saw his airbag pressure gauge wrapped all the way around against the wrong side of the zero pin... Crept the 30 or so miles doing 25 mph... Helped him go over that entire truck and trailers while he unloaded... Didn't find a single thing damaged... The next day he had it very thoroughly inspected and they got the same result... No damage.

 

Millis transfer hauls up to 51,000 cargo by using “coffin sleepers” which are shorter cabs and just have 1 fuel tank on their regional trucks.

 

Sorry if my follow up here makes me sound like an idiot, but I'm new to all this. But I've heard that the engine and transmission, etc. of a normal 88,000 lb-rated truck can handle much heavier loads - well over 100,000 - but the tires and axles can't. Is that accurate?