[solo379]

Originally Posted by ronjon619

I'm routinely over 12k on my steers. Sometimes 13.5

Well, you could be illegal in some states, and you are illegal everywhere, if your tires is not rated for that weight. I'm constantly over 12 on my steers too, but usually no more than 300-500lb.

[thebaldeagle655]

Pick up a Rand McNally Motor Carriers' Road Atlas at your next truckstop. Look at the weight charts for the states you will be running in. There are separate charts for interstate highways and other highways for each state.

Much easier to understand and a bit more accurate than some of the information we will give you as some of us may be giving the information for the areas we run in, not the areas you run in!

[BanditsCousin]

Originally Posted by solo379

Well, you could be illegal in some states, and you are illegal everywhere, if your tires is not rated for that weight. I'm constantly over 12 on my steers too, but usually no more than 300-500lb.

I too run over 12 on my steers. My Dad says it is a problem with T600's. But the axle and tire I run is rated higher, so it is all good. Then ya got my buddy who runs hhg with a T660 and a 132" ICT who called me up the other day and said "I have 15 on my steers, is that bad?" lol.

My other buddy who runs special products for Mayfower said he got hassled in Orgeon running a spread axle climate controlled hhg van and was over 20k on one of the spread's axles.

[GMAN]

Originally Posted by golfhobo

Oh boy... where do I start? :hellno:

Gman is mostly right, but partly wrong. As for YOU.... 2 times 17k equals 34k. So what are you saying?

Let's start from scratch. There is no such thing as a 17k allowance for EACH of two "closed" axles. It is a 34k limit for TANDEM axles, whether drive OR trailer.

GMAN says 17k for EACH of two drive axles. Not really correct. IF there were only ONE.... it would have a limit of 20k (not just 17k.) Just like the example of the spread axle trailer, any single axle by itself has a 20k limit. When two axles are combined in a closed tandem, the total goes down to 34k. (versus 40k.)

Steers are OFTEN allowed more than 12,000 lbs. Check your atlas, and you will find MANY states that allow 20k or the manufacturer's specs.

I think the O.P just wanted to know the total legal weight of the entire combination (originally.) Answer? 80k lbs. He didn't specify whether he drove a single or double screw tractor. I suppose there ARE spread axle 53' boxes.... but, I don't recall whether I've seen one or not. If there are.... he needs to specify in order to get actual axle weight limits like he asked for.

My biggest question is why he is asking US for this info? Don't they teach ANYTHING in CDL school anymore? :hellno:

The original poster asked how much gross weight he could haul on each axle. That is the way that I answered him. I have never had a scale weigh each axle on my drives or a closed tandem on a trailer that I can recall. And I have seen a van with a spread axle. There are also a few reefers with spreads around.

[Copperhead]

You can have over 12k on a steer as long as the gross is not over 80K and you do not exceed the load range of the tires and axle on the front. 20K in the RM atlas is the FMCSA stipulations, but you cannot exceed the load range of a given axle, so very few trucks except dump trucks, Log trucks, etc have 20K rated steer axles. For years I have on occasion had over 12K on a steer and I have never gotten hassled at a scale.... 49 states and Canada included. With common truck specs, I would not exceed 13K on a steer unless I was certain of the load limit of the axle and the tire rating.

[eplurubus]

The OP is vague with his question. We're all assuming that he's asking about the usual tandem truck/tandem (or spread) trailer setup and no overweight permits.

[quote author=rlhgpt]what is the total weight i can haul in a 53' box LEGALLY[/quote]

In South Dakota? As much as you want, permit not needed if you stay off interstates, and most importantly make sure to bridge legally.