Pusher And tag axle question

My experience is that the tags negatively affect your ability to make turns when the road is slick/snowy/icy, and that's the case when loaded or empty.

 

As for trailer tags when empty, I always raised them. Pretty sure the trailer would turn more easily with tags up.

 

I'd say lifts up when you're not hauling enough weight to justify using them. No point in wearing out extra tires when you don't need to.

 

Never have the pusher down when empty. There was a big warning label in the tractor that I used to drive stating that. What you might be thinking of is lifting the pusher (when loaded) when taking certain types of corners in bad weather. Had my million mile safe driver trainer point that out. Puts more weight on the steers to, hopefully, keep them from skidding/sliding. Not every corner. Just certain off-camber corners we had on one particular route. But after the turn, better drop the pusher back down.
Driving tanks, we also didn't drop the tag until loaded at least halfway or immediately after fully loaded, depending on the facility and/or trailer.
Both pusher and tag ALWAYS up when empty.

 

From my experience, axle lifts on the trailer will move weight either forwards or backwards (depending on position). For instance, on a tridem trailer with a front lift, you can see as much as 2500 lbs moved from the trailer to the drives by putting it down.

So if you scale with your lifts up, and then put them down, you may end up being over weight on one end (not likely with a pusher on the tractor mind you). Try to use them only when you absolutely need them to be legal (no point in using tires if you don't need them). Find out how much weight moves where when you have them raised/lowered and use that to your advantage.

 

Check your state laws, NY allows 117k on 7 axles, but MA only allows 99, if you load in NY and run to MA at only 99 you still need all 7 on the ground for the permit to be valid, as long as you can bridge the 80k I don't see why you would need all 7

 

i run 7 axles as well. pusher on my tractor with tridems with no trailer lift. where i run for divisible loads its bridge law up to 105,500. i don't run my pusher unless i need to. if i am 84k or less and loaded heavier to the tridem i leave my pusher up. i might drop it on a light load if they load me a little to heavy to the front. under 80 for sure run with it up. winter time ill load for having it down but if the roads are icy i pick the pusher up more weight on the drive and steers, unless i catch wind dot is ahead or i am coming threw area's there is a good chance i will run across one.

 

We just called it a drop axle and we only had that one behind the steers. It took weight off the steer when we loaded up to 105,000lbs. But any time we were empty we raised it. That axle would raise when we went into reverse. It was only a tag axle. It did not steer but it did follow in the turns. If you do not need to take weight off the steer then keep it up. You'll save on tire wear. We had 8 axle truck and trailer with the truck having a tank with two compartments. A 3200 hole and a 1600 to the rear. Then came a 20 foot draw bar then the 4 axle trailer. That had 3250,1550,2850 for a total of 12450 gallons. After awhile you didn't ever notice the extra weight and general size of the truck. That was all in Las Vegas NV.