What's with all the axles?

The ISTEA freeze put in place by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 had grandfathered exceptions which are listed in 23 CFR Part 658, Appendix C

Basically if a state had higher limits before the ISTEA freeze went into effect they may choose to use those higher limits but states that didn't have higher limits cannot increase theirs without requiring a permit of the federal highway system. Note it gets complicated in some western states that only allowed higher limits on some routes and those routes are the ones with the grandfathered increased weights.

 

Those Bull wagons with three axles are hauling the big boys to market.

 

Thanks for that. I wondered why it was so much more common in the NW.

 

The west coast works differently then the east coast.

Quite frankly. Given how many trucks don't take care of their brakes. I'd be afraid to be around 70k+ with tridem drives.

 

They can go 160,000 on 11 axles

 

Disagree completely 80k on five axles, twice the gross is 160k but that requires 11 axles. Do the math, the 5 axle is actually putting down more PSI than the 11 axle. The roads were built with the knowledge of their weight laws. The reason the Michigan roads suck is the road building industry in MI is rife with corruption and kick backs

 

Michigan's heavy trucks catch flak for roads, but they are few and far between

164,000k max, my bad

 

Sorry I didn't read through the entire thread so if this was already asked excuse me.

The question is if you can hold more in a van or a reefer do you really get paid more to haul that extra weight?

 

Unless you’re being paid by the ton or some such thing, no.