Why don't we see more spread axle trailers?
Just got back from a vacation in maryland and I got to see what the highways are like back there for once. They actually seemed a whole lot nicer than here in cali.
However, I noticed that most flats, whether they were step decks or not, were spread axle flats. From what I've read on here you can load more on a spread axle trailer. I've seen a few standard van or reefer trailers that are have the spread axles and I'm wondering why thats not more popular if you can carry more weight? Seems like its mostly a flatbed trailer option, but if its good for a flatbed then why not a van? Thanks, Kevin |
You could probably order it on any type of trailer, but it makes more sense on a flat bed or perhaps a reefer. You can't haul any more weight but you can put more weight on the trailer axles. A standard tandem has a maximum weight of 34,000 on the tandems. You are still limited to 80,000 gross weight. The spread axle is limited to 40,000 for the spread axle but it doesn't raise your gross weight limit. You are still required to keep your weight to no more than 80,000 pounds. Most flats haul steel. Coils in particular can be awkward to scale. It makes it easier when you have the spread. With reefers, the often make multiple pickups. That can make it difficult for them to scale. In this case, it makes it easier due to the spread axle.
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I'm afraid you're under a wee bit of a misconception there.
No matter if you have a spread or the regular tandems, you can only gross 80,000 pounds. The only way you can load more is to have more axles. However, loading a spread is a bit different than the regular tandems. With the regular tandems, your limit for a set of axles is 34,000. With a spread, you can have up to 40,000. However, you would generally not want to go much over 36,000 on the spread because many times, the weights of the axles is not the same. Neither of them can go over 20,000, and I have seen one at 22,000 and the other at 17,000. And, even though the whole rig was under 80,000, one axle was 2,000 over and it brought a fine. With regular tandems, you can slide your axles to make your axle weights legal. With a spread, you can not slide them. You MUST load it right. But you can not 'HAUL MORE" just because you have a spread. You can only have more weight on the spread, which MUST come off of the drives. 80,000 is still the gross. |
Also, spread axle trailers are MUCH harder to back than a standard tandem axle. I haven't pulled a spread axle in over 7 years and I would probably look like I just got my CDL permit if I tried to back one now.
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I liked my Reefer spred axles on a lot of my multiple pick and drop, because I had that little extra allowance to tail load, I didn't have with the sliding tandems.
Some accounts we had was forever doing a lot of action off the back, while I had a dozen pallets in the nose going a longer distance. You really have to do the math, or you can get caught over-weight. I made my best money for the aggravation though. A single pallet of product might pay about $500-$600 to the load. |
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Spread axles tend to chew up tires really quick on that front axle because it kinda slides sideways around corners. They also weigh more than a traditional closed tandem, as much as 1000 pounds IIRC. They do make a sliding spread axle but from what I have heard that is super heavy.
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the company im leased to most of our flats are spread axle and all of our stepdecks. when i hook up to a tandem flat i have a heck of a time backing it up since im so used to having a spread axle
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Spreads are lame. Thats why I have a tri-axle van with 4300cuft. 8)
I had 11,600 on the steers, 26,000+ on the drivers and 38,500+ coming out of the west :wink: Yeah, I'd like a balanced load, but with special products and motley dimensions it isn't easy. One guy at my agent has a spread with a dump switch so he can raise his forwardmost axle and back up easily. |
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