Advantages of the 10'1" axle spread on a flatbed
 

Can someone give examples of when the long spread would be beneficial on a flat? I understand now it's a useful thing to have on a step like mine because the truck is too far ahead and you cannot center the load properly because of the drop. But on a flat you can easily put the load in the middle of the trailer which can sometimes be impossible on a stepdeck. In Ontario Canada a 72" axle spread is as good as 10'1" (gives you same weight rating, close to 40,000 lbs). The same goes for Western Canada. I'm thinking, for trips between Ontario, Canada to - let's say - Texas, and then from there to Western Canada, would it matter if the trailer has a fixed 72" tandem, or a 10'1" tandem with a front axle slider? The slider adds 250 lbs to the weight of the trailer and costs almost 3 grand. The only disadvantage of having a fixed 72" spread that I see is that it will be hard to sell such a trailer in ON, where almost all flats are 10'1".

There are some loads where it is hard to get the load centered on the trailer, so with a 10 foot spread you just load a bit to the rear and you know you should be good.

Don't order another trailer with some goofy axle spread, since it will be hard to sell and you will likely not be happy with it, why not just buy a fixed 10 foot spread and forget about western canada, many companies from ontario don't bother going there.


That is some good info on the 72 inch spread, we run a bunch of trucks with 72 inch spread on the drive axles, i guess thats why, so we can haul more weight, notice all the beer trucks in ontario run 72 inch spreads as well?

I'll have to check the book, but I'm pretty sure the 72" spread doesn't give you any more weight in western Canada.

In Western Canada, that's pretty much the maximum spacing you can have between tandem axles and still haul 17,000 KG or 37,400 LBS. So, whether you have 72" or 60" it's the same. But the 72" spread does offer a considerable weight advantage in Ontario, and probably in Quebec as well.

i hate going there too but shippers from texas are falling over themselves to find drivers that are willing and capable (truck wheelbase, trailer axles!) to go to alberta. here's a load i just looked up on our board:

legal load: 39,000 lbs,
must tarp
miles: 2,200
gross revenue: $7,250
trailer required: 48 flat

I believe you get 73 percent of that rate which brings it down to $2.40 per mile IF you had no empty miles to pickup the load. Then figure a 1000-1500 mile deadhead out of Alberta and whats left......$1.40-$1.65 per mile!!!

I've been trying to explain this to Tracer for a while....but he see's the gross amount and does these cross-country trips. I just hope they work out for him. As I've said before, I have been able to make the same amount of money running in a 300 mile radius as I did going 2,500 miles. But he also has ther Canada thing going, so I'm not sure how it will work for him.

If he didn't have the damn trailer payment, I could have gotten him a gig from Chicago to Ontario running tanks making about what he is now ;)

Well, either you do it wrong or I'm a bad student ;) But I know this - I don't care about what each trip pays to the truck. I calculated how much I need per month and then figured the GROSS per mile number I need. This is the number posted on the board when I book the load. That what I go by and I know this: in order to get ahead I need 10,000 miles at $2.31/mile, or 8,000 miles at $2.89/mi, or 6,000 miles at $3.85/mi. The less miles I make per month and week, the higher the rate the load should pay. It's just not realistic to assume you can consistently find loads paying $3.85/mi gross. I shoot for 3 bucks per mile, and that sends me across the country. You do what you gotta do. I would love to do 1,000 miles a week (one run to Chicago, IL and back) but in order to achieve all my objectives at that 4,000 miles a month I'd have to get loads ALL THE TIME that pay $7.22/mi gross.

You get to try out lots of different tire brands, as long as you do alot of tight turning.;)

Tracer, your numbers are flawed some where. Initially you want to gross $23,000 per month running 10,000 miles and at the end you want to gross $28,000 running 4,000 miles. Your fuel costs on 4,000 miles would be 60% lower so your revenue should be proportionately lower.

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