Scaling, 5th wheel and trailer axles

You're kinda over-thinking here, DD. There's no magic formula. As long as you are at or under the legal weight it's fine. Only suggestion I have is load slightly heavier on the nose if your trailer has a slider. It's easier to slide up than back. Also, if the load is heavy don't load past the 48' mark on a 53. My personal thing is I scale any load over 35,000 or if I have any doubts about product weight as stated by the shipper. Get that GVW stuff outta yer head, that truck and trailer are good for 80,000. Just remember, if you go 34000 on drivers, 34000 on trailer, you only have room for 12000 on the steer axle. If either of your tandem sets are under 34, there us some room for more on the front end but that is limited to tire ratings. There are some states that allow more than 34000, such as Colorado and Wyoming, but not more than 80,000. Colorado will let anybody run up to 85,000 on secondary roads, up to 40,000 on tandems, but only 36,000 on tandems on interstate and then only 80,000 gross. Hope this helps. To address your 2nd question- sliding the 5th wheel forward will take weight off your drive axles and put it on the steer; sliding back does the opposite. Has no effect on the trailer. Find the spot where it works best, usually 3 or 4 notches back depending on make, and leave it alone

 

The gauge on the dash measures the weight on your drives. Once you get a load on that weighs 34,000 or close to it. You look at where the needle sits and that's your mark. If the needle ever goes above that mark, your too heavy. It'll save you the hassle of being loaded heavy at a shipper that has no scale. If you ever do flatbed work, most shippers don't have scales.

Think of the gauge on your dash as being your portable scale.

Depending on company and their speced trailers. Air ride trailers might also have a gauge. And they don't read the same as the truck gauge.

Adjust your 5th wheel so that your steers weight 12,000 with a full tank of fuel or close to it. And leave in that position. Never move it. throw 34,000 on your drives and that makes your truck 46,000. If you roll on to a scale and the truck ALONE weighs more then 46,000. The drives are too heavy.

Throw 34,000 on the drives and 34,000 on the trailer axles, that's 68,000. If your drives and trailer axles weigh more then 68,000. your too heavy. The load sits on the trailer, NOT the truck.

you know about your bridge laws already. California having the lowest bridge.

 

As stated you have three numbers to look at.
Steers - up to 12k
Drives - up to 34k
Trailer - up to 34k

If you are over any of these weights you are getting a ticket.

You shouldn't have to move your 5th wheel once it is set. When you have 34k on your drives you want 12k on your steers. Once you find this sweet spot it won't change regardless of what is on your trailer. All the trailer does is apply a certain amount of weight on the kingpin depending on how heavy it is and the balance of the load. Regardless of the load if you have your 5th wheel set to where when you have 34k on the drives you have 12k on the steers it will always be that way. Now if your drives are heavy and you have room on your steers you can move the 5th forward but you shouldn't have to once it is set right. Think of it this way. Pretend you have a huge weight balanced on your fifth wheel. You slide the 5th forward and backward until it is positioned perfectly where 34k is on the drives and 12k on the steers. That is where you want it.

Now to your trailer. When you weigh everything if your trailer axles are too heavy and your drives have room then slide your tandems back. This will take weight off the tandems and add it to the drives. If your drives are too heavy and your tandems have room slide them forward and this will take weight off the drives and add it too the tandems.

If both your drives and tandems are too heavy you have too much load and need to remove something.

 

DDLighttruck, what you were "told" in training was no training at all.

Many many threads here on scaling loads with great info.

Scale every load until you know what you are doing, and more, what shippers you can trust the weight they print on the bills.

I have air pressure gauge on the drives of my volvo. But I need to be rolling, steady throttle on even ground before the truck settles in and I get a good reading. Rarely is the number I see in the shippers lot the most accurate reading.

My company pays for scale costs. But the gauge on the drives helps me get the load balanced on the first weigh. On other loads that are not close to the 80K gross I can tell that if there is enough weight on the drives that the tandems are also legal, at their current length.

Mikeeee

 

You can go a couple hundred over on the steers without a problem.
I typically scale with 12,300 on the steers with full tanks and have yet to be pulled in for it.

Scale over on the drives or tandems by 300 pounds, and you will be pulled in.

 

a few states let you go 2000 lb over weight on drives or trailer tandems also.Depending on the setup.I see a few states let you ride up to 82000 gross

 

Not true! You can go over axle to a extent, but not the gross of 80,000 unless your permitted for weight

 

Set trailer brake. Release truck brake. Wah lah. Drive weight reading. No need to roll around.

Course. Level ground is a must. Otherwise false readings

 

Well yes there are certain ways to get some wiggle room but generally speaking those are the regs.