How to drive legal weight for California

be under gross

 

Ok...and?

 

80 K max. If you're pulling a 53 with a tandem axle, the maximum allowable kingpin setting is 40 feet from the kingpin to the CENTER of the rear trailer axle. It doesn't have to be 40 feet, but it cannot be more. They'll ticket you for anything over 40 feet. Of course, with that setting, 12/34/34 maximums, so when you get loaded, scale and adjust for the California setting. Triaxle trailer? Go to the California Highway Patrol website; the Commercial Division. IIRC, no kingpin setting restrictions for a 48. It wouldn't hurt to be perfectly legal on your logs.

 

Hopefully there is a mark on your tailer that indicates "40". This is the distance in feet from the kingpin, back. California says that the center of the rear axle to the kingpin can not EXCEED 40 feet. So start with the rear axle at the 40 foot mark. If you're trailer tandem is too heavy (Over 34,000 lbs) you have a problem and will likely have to get the load re-worked. If you're under 34,000 on the trailer, you can still slide the trailer tandems FORWARD to take on more weight and not violate the "40 foot rule"

That's as simple as I can state it.

 

The markings [if there] are generally on the driver's side along where the trailer tandems are. If you are pulling a 48 footer then this conversation is pointless because the 40 foot rule does not apply.

But if not, then you'll have to figure it out. Look at other trailers near you. I also assume you have a 53 foot trailer so pay no mind to the shorter 48 foot trailers that you may see. "Eyeball it" if you need to. The point is, on a 53, the 40 foot mark is significantly far away from the rear of the trailer. At least don't make it too obvious for California cops by traveling with your tandems virtually all the way back. That's a dead give away.