All right, I'm not sellig the truck ... Instead, I"m buying a stepdeck!

[tracer]

Yeah, that's right. Tried to sell my yellow monster but noone was biting at least at the price I wanted. So I decided to follow Allan's advice about staying motivated ("switch to platforms!") ... Talked to our fleet manager about flat freight volumes. To my surprise he said a stepdeck might not be such a bad idea. We talked in the morning, and he then discussed this with other managers and the verdict delivered to me by satellite was "We decided a stepdeck would be better for you than a flat!" Hurray!

So, I'm looking for a good stepdeck. Will try to get something with 8' upper deck and minimum 40' lower deck. The front axle slider is the company's requirement. New combo ones go here for about $36k. Because so many guys got out of flatbed, there's a ton of good deals on used and new trailers.

I"ll be pulling freight mostly between US and Ontario, Canada with occasional runs to Alberta and B.C. Hence, the front axle slider requirement.

Any tips on choosing a stepdeck would be greatly appreciated.

[rank]

Yeah, that's right. Tried to sell my yellow monster...
I missed that. Were you getting out of trucking?

Will try to get something with 8' upper deck and minimum 40' lower deck.
Good luck with that. 99 out of 100 are 10' or 11' up top.

Because so many guys got out of flatbed, there's a ton of good deals on used and new trailers.
Shoot I haven't seen any. Been looking for a 53' combo with a 17.5 rims and a 27' drop for 2 years.

Any tips on choosing a stepdeck would be greatly appreciated.
For me it's a 53 combo with a maximum 36" deck height or nothing.

[tracer]

[b]Tried to sell my yellow monster...
I missed that. Were you getting out of trucking?

Had an idea of investing the truck sale proceeds into a small 4-plex; living in one unit and renting out the other 3.

Will try to get something with 8' upper deck and minimum 40' lower deck.
Good luck with that. 99 out of 100 are 10' or 11' up top.

I'm thinking of getting a brand new one. This way the plant will make exactly what you want. But the salesperson I talked to today said 8' might be too close - the trailer can hit the rear of the truck. He promised to play with numbers and then get back to me (my truck's wheelbase is only 230" and my 5th wheel slides, naturally).

Because so many guys got out of flatbed, there's a ton of good deals on used and new trailers.
Shoot I haven't seen any. Been looking for a 53' combo with a 17.5 rims and a 27' drop for 2 years.

I'm confused by all these 'drops' and deck heights numbers. How do you measure a drop? From the upper deck to the lower deck?

Any tips on choosing a stepdeck would be greatly appreciated.
For me it's a 53 combo with a maximum 36" deck height or nothing.

I like 53' too ... with 53 ft length do you think it'd be better to have a tridem or tandem?

[kelgar50]

Hmmm 53ft yeah thats a good idea if you don't plan on hauling heavy or going to states with a bridge law CA comes to mind.Everybody I know that had 53' steps hated them you can't legal them in ca for instance unless you have a light load because you have to run closed tandem and then it puts to much weight on the tandems(remember anything over 48ft has to have a 40' king pin setting....king pin to center of rear most axle)if you spread it out you can make weight but then your over bridge.And have you ever watched how bad the back of the 53' trailers twist and turns while loading or going down the road for instance.Thats not good on them.Have you tried to slide the axle on one yet with a load on the trailer yet thats always fun(helped a guy with a 1 year old trailer do this once).And don't forget the best yet the cust. will see the extra deck space and add more to the load and not pay anymore on the rate.It's great they get to move more freight volume per year and less trucks used over a year.Wow what a great concept all this does is hurt us and make for less avl. freight for us to pull.
This how I feel your views may differ I didn't intend to start a fight just stating some facts.
But really what do I care im selling my step deck and tractor and going to find something else to do I have young kids I need to be with and I been doing this for 13yrs it is time for a break.

[robertt]

I'm not positive on this but I think it's Western trailers that custom builds Drop decks. I'm sure a "custom" built trailer is going to be a pretty penny...or two, but if you want something specific such as deck height and upper deck length and are willing to pay for it, it might be the way to go. Keanne and Thummels (sp?) website talks about them, you might want to check that out. They are a trucking company out of Iowa that pulls reefers and step decks. You can google them to get to their web site. I also saw a TMC pulling one that was parked at the local Wal-mart here and it was pretty schnazzy. Lots of little things that looked handy. I pull a drop deck where I work, a Load King with folding beaver tail, and it weighs a ton, actually a few tons. Hopefully somebody can come along and give you a little more help than I can. Good luck, hope it's a start.

[rank]

Yeah Tracer. Drop is measured from the top of top deck to top of bottom deck. Most steps with 22.5 rims are ~21'. 17.5" rims will be ~27" drop. We have a 53' tandem. Also have two 48's. Would like to get rid of one to free up cash for another 53.

Hmmm 53ft yeah thats a good idea if you don't plan on hauling heavy or going to states with a bridge law..

Don't they all have bridge laws?

...CA comes to mind.

screw them. their laws are funny. I dont go there.

Everybody I know that had 53' steps hated them....

Know of any combo spreads for sale?

And have you ever watched how bad the back of the 53' trailers twist and turns while loading or going down the road for instance.

Doesn;t worry me in the least.

Have you tried to slide the axle on one yet with a load on the trailer..

Nope. Don't bother with sliders.

the cust. will see the extra deck space and add more to the load and not pay anymore on the rate.

Not without paying any more he won't. Lotsa times I've got more money cuz they get an extra tractor on or whatever.

Wow what a great concept all this does is hurt us and make for less avl. freight for us to pull.

It helps me. Makes MORE freight for me to pull and more money.

...just stating some facts.

There is no such thing as facts. Only generally accepted consensus and widely held perceptions.

But really what do I care im selling my step deck....

Let me guess. It's a 48? So your post was a for sale ad? LOL. If it was a 53 I may have bought it.

[kelgar50]

Anything 48' and under do not fall under the bridge law.
Other states have bridge laws like ca one being la.
Yeah try to tell the shipper he will pay you more when he tries to add to your trailer...that doesn't work they will tell you to have a nice day so you will not make more.
Yes the twisting and bending of the trailer when the axles are closed on a 53' is very hard on them.
And no that was not a sales add.If it was a sales add I would have posted it else where and gave some details.

And as far as the statement about not being very many 8' top deck trailers around I haven't figured this out yet there are alot of those out there.But I do have a oppinion on those as well just my oppinon remember I think it is way to shallow I have and like the 24" kp it keeps the 5th wheel completely covered for one and you can spread the weight around better.I like to load heavy towards the front and work back.I also like having an 11' upper deck as well.
But like I said this is just me and everyone is different

[tracer]

Yeah Tracer. Drop is measured from the top of top deck to top of bottom deck. Most steps with 22.5 rims are ~21'. 17.5" rims will be ~27" drop. We have a 53' tandem. Also have two 48's. Would like to get rid of one to free up cash for another 53.

What tire size would you use and what drop would you prefer to see on your new 53' tandem, if you were buying one today? The Transcraft guy I talked to today said "we always recommend 22.5 tires because 17.5' will spin 10 times faster and lasts 1/2 of the regular 22.5. Plus they cost more initially.." I told him I got low profile 295 on my truck, shouldn't I have the same tires (at least) on the trailer to make everything horizontal

I think like you, rank. I want to buy a trailer that will make me most money by hauling long and tall loads. Would love to haul a grader/scraper. Wonder how long are those? Is 42' deck long enough for them?

[eplurubus]

Would love to haul a grader/scraper. Wonder how long are those? Is 42' deck long enough for them?

Can a scraper go on a step? I thought they had to go on a RGN, and not only that, but one that has some extra axles. The specs that I've seen for them have them weighing about 82,000.

[tracer]

I'm spec'ing a stepdeck trailer and the salesperson offered to use 4 steel rims for the inside and 4 alloy wheels for the outside. When I asked him why not use all alloy wheels, he said the weight gain would be "50 pounds only" but each rim costs US$250. I said, "Forget it then, it's not worth it". The weight of this 53 ft Transcraft combo trailer was 11,948 lbs with 22.5 tires (1/2 steel, 1/2 alloy). We then changed tires to 17.5 all steel, and when he sent me the new spec sheet, the weight shown was ... 12,279 lbs! Which means of course than 4 steel tires added 331 lbs. Can it be this high? I thought 17.5 tires were supposed to be lighter than 22.5s in the first place. So, when I"m spec'ing all 8 wheels as steel, the weight effect is 662 lbs! At least according to this salesperson's speck sheet. Actually, the first spec sheet had the same 53 ft trailer designed with 11' upper deck and 42' lower deck. The most recent spec sheet (with all steel 17.5" tires) used 10 ft upper deck and 43" lower deck (at my request). Could that have caused the increase in the weight of the trailer?

[rank]

Would love to haul a grader/scraper. Wonder how long are those? Is 42' deck long enough for them?

We pulled a motor grader...Champion I think it was a few years back. For some reason I can't find the file on it, but I want to say we put it on a 48' tandem combo step with a 10'-1" spread. It was under 50,000 lbs.

I told him I got low profile 295 on my truck, shouldn't I have the same tires (at least) on the trailer to make everything horizontal

the rim diameter is matched to the trailer drop. The smaller the tires, the bigger the drop. The trailer is horizontal.

The Transcraft guy I talked to today said "we always recommend 22.5 tires because 17.5' will spin 10 times faster and lasts 1/2 of the regular 22.5.

I don't think the 17.5" rims spin 10 x faster than 22.5's. That's a slight exaggeration. The tire size should be ~245/75R 17.5, which has a circumference of ~100". By comparison, a 255/70R22.5 will have a circumference of ~114". According to my calcs, the small tires would spin 14% faster.

Take a look in the Truck Paper, Truck and Trailer and Truck Trader. How many small rim small rim combo steps do you see for sale? Not many. I have offered to buy several of them from different people and the answer is always the same; "No way, I wish I had more."

The bigger issue to me...and it is a big one, is braking. Those small drums and shoes are bound to fade alot more than the big ones. I *think* a tridem would be a big advantage in the braking department.

Also of concern, primarily with heavier loads in hot conditions might be blowouts. Those small tires aren't as likely to take the heat as well.

Finally, I was talking to a driver who pulled a 17.5" tandem on a regular basis about this and he'd had no problems with blowouts or brake fade. He *did* however, have an issue with parts availability. He once had to layover 3 days waiting for shoes or drums or something like that.

With all of the above in mind, I opted for the best compromise I could find, which was a 2008 Wilson CFD900 Road Brute with a 27" drop and 22.5" rims.

Click here RoadBrute Photo Gallery CFD-900 with Lowered Deck.

I love this trailer. I spec'd it new. It is a 11' + 42' = 53', with a 24" kingpin setback and 41' from KP to center of tandems. It weighs 10,700 lbs + tool boxes. No sliding axles because I don't run out west so it's just a waste of weight and money. It has been a money maker, but I am always looking for more (sigh). There have been a few loads that I have missed because the loads required a full 42' of 36" deck height, and alas, my wheel wells get in the way.

Plus they cost more initially.."

Wilson didn't quote me any more for smaller tires.

What tire size would you use and what drop would you prefer to see on your new 53' tandem, if you were buying one today?

For me, it would be a 17.5" rim. But only because I already have that Wilson with the wheel wells.

[rank]

I'm spec'ing a stepdeck trailer and the salesperson offered to use 4 steel rims for the inside and 4 alloy wheels for the outside. When I asked him why not use all alloy wheels, he said the weight gain would be "50 pounds only" but each rim costs US$250.

Yeah. When I spec'd mine I had Al on the inside and steel on the outside because 53' spreads like curbs so the Al rims don't last anyway. In our case, using the 50 lbs per rim, saves 1/10th of a ton but costs $1,000. I get paid ~180/ton so they save me $18/load. 55 loads and they are paid for.

The weight of this 53 ft Transcraft combo trailer was 11,948 lbs with 22.5 tires (1/2 steel, 1/2 alloy). We then changed tires to 17.5 all steel, and when he sent me the new spec sheet, the weight shown was ... 12,279 lbs! Which means of course than 4 steel tires added 331 lbs. Can it be this high?

Not necessarily. I went through this exact thing. Ever notice how tall the main beams are on a flat with a 60" deck height? They must be almost 2 feet tall. But as you lower that deck height as you do on a step, you have less room for those tall main beams. A shorter beam...(shorter webs actually), means that the beam won't be as strong and it will deflect or sag more under a load. So they need to beef up the beam in order to get the strength back. More steel in the beam = more weight.

I'm not saying this is where the weight is coming from, but that's what I found in my case. I hope I explained this in a way that makes sense.

[rank]

Yeah try to tell the shipper he will pay you more when he tries to add to your trailer...that doesn't work....

Works for me. "Sorry, but that extra 5 feet of trailer is reserved for 2 skids in Binghamton".

Yes the twisting and bending of the trailer when the axles are closed on a 53' is very hard on them.

I must have missed the part about a closed spread. All my trailers are fixed spread so I wouldn't know.

[tracer]

We pulled a motor grader...Champion I think it was a few years back. For some reason I can't find the file on it, but I want to say we put it on a 48' tandem combo step with a 10'-1" spread. It was under 50,000 lbs.

wow, that means the grader was less than 38 ft long? i want to focus on hauling equipment and machinery later on, so maybe i don't need a 53 ft trailer?

I was talking to a driver who pulled a 17.5" tandem on a regular basis about this and he'd had no problems with blowouts or brake fade. He *did* however, have an issue with parts availability. He once had to layover 3 days waiting for shoes or drums or something like that.

that's what our maintenance VP said too - a lot of people have fears about braking problems with 17.5" wheels, but all wheels are designed with safety in mind; they must be able to stop the vehicle; otherwise they wouldn't be selling them.

I love this trailer. It is a 11' + 42' = 53', with a 24" kingpin setback and 41' from KP to center of tandems. It weighs 10,700 lbs + tool boxes. No sliding axles because I don't run out west so it's just a waste of weight and money. It has been a money maker, but I am always looking for more (sigh). There have been a few loads that I have missed because the loads required a full 42' of 36" deck height, and alas, my wheel wells get in the way.

I bet my sliding axle on the Wilson spec I wrote about in another thread adds a lot of weight I wish I could get a light trailer like that but our bosses say "slider is essential". Talked to our load planner and he said as long as I can take 47k to 48k lbs of freight he's happy. He also suggested I order the steel coil option because occasionally "you might need to pick up a coil". When I mentioned the 43 ft lower deck on my will-be trailer, he said it was "nice". Somehow I get the impression weight capacity is much more important for them than the longer deck on my step

[tracer]

Speaking of hauling machinery and equipment, I checked Caterpillar site, the equipment rental section, and one of their bigger "motor graders" listed (model 160M) weighs roughly 35,000 lbs; is 129" tall and 400" long. Which means - surprisingly - I don't need a 53 ft trailer to haul something like this. 400" is about 33 ft, right?, and 129 or 130" is just over 10 feet.. So, any standard 48 ft stepdeck (11 top, 37 ft lower deck) would be able to take this, right? What's more important than the total length of the trailer - I'm beginning to think - is the ability to haul lots of weight and ability to haul tall loads (thanks to the 17.5" tires and 34" height of the deck). What do you guys think?

[rank]

What's more important than the total length of the trailer - I'm beginning to think - is the ability to haul lots of weight and ability to haul tall loads (thanks to the 17.5" tires and 34" height of the deck). What do you guys think?

No doubt that a 48' will handle almost everything a 53' will. In my case, it was a question of why not get a 53? The extra weight of the 53' was a non issue. We can still scale 49,000. I have never turned down a load due to weight. The only 2 reasons I can think of not to get a 53'
1. the laws in certain states prohibit them, or at least make them impractica. Again, not an issue for me.
2. It'a alot easier (cheaper) to find a used 48'.

Off the top of my head, here are some legal, no permit loads that I've moved in the last few years that would not have worked on a 48'. I'm sure there's more than this, but these are the ones that come to mind. Keep in mind I don't do LTL. If you do LTL, that extra 5' can be a godsend.

2 loads of 60' steel beams
1 load of 60' long steel roofing
1 load of 60' long steel plate.
1 composter ~42' long
1 load of light standards, including a 59" long pole.
75+ loads of plastic tanks (we got our first load becasue they needed a 53' and they just kept calling us).
2+ loads of 4 tractors. 48's can only take 3 tractors.

For me, a carrier, in this world of cookie cutter trucking companies, a small guy has to separate himself from the pack and offer something that other guys can't. That's my opinion anyway.