would I get a ticket?

ALWAYS a good idea when dealing with DOT!

 

They allow soome over for APU's and Deer Bumpers I would roll with that..., I pulled in last week 11700, 35600, 29xxx all green

Be Safe Out There

Captain Dave

 

Your only allowed 20k per axle on your spread,.. 40k over all. You still have to abide by the 12k steer and 34k drive axle rules. They often over look weight on steers,.. bone empty and full of fuel I'm 12,400 on my steers,.. have never been hassled over it. Its just the way the truck was deigned.

Moving the 5th wheel will only move weight between the steers and drives. For it to effect your tandems/spead,.. the king pin would need to move. Since the king pin cant move,.. it will have zero effect on the rear.

Do you have an air/weight gauge in your cab? If not,.. beg and plead for your company to put one in the truck. Once you know where 34k is on that gauge,.. you'll know where and how to set the weight on your trailer. The whole beauty of the spread is to not have to move or slide anything to shift weight to be legal.

With experience you will master this and know exactly where and how to load your truck. Never allow the shippers to load your trailer with out being right there watching them and having them put it exactly where you want it. Thats the beauty of flatbed,.. you control and say how you want it loaded. I've gone after pipe and steel and had shippers tell me how they were going to load my trailer. If I didnt like it I told the guy to get his manager,.. I explained what I wanted. If we couldnt come to terms,.. I leave. I value my personal safety and ability to transport a load safely. For one,.. I wont load steel pipe in a pyramid on my trailer. Other guys can and do,.. I wont. I always carry enough straps and dunnage to stack the pipe in layers.

You will learn fast,.. watch and ask other drivers. Never feel ashamed for asking. The only dumb question is the one you didnt ask.

Hurst

 

A lot would depend on where you were and where you were going. Hard to imagine a decent flatbed loader missing that bad unless this is some very odd freight. Me? I'd run it in most cases, depending on destination.

 

I've had issues at the scale house twice in 13 years. Both were less than 2000lbs over. One I got a ticket and they made me get legal before I could leave. The other they made me get legal but no ticket.
And I have never run my mouth at an officer.

 

There is no "12k steer axle rule" Steers are treated just like any other single axle, 20k max provided the tires are rated and inflated for the loading.