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Forget tridem stepdecks. Here's what I want to haul! Funny enough it looks like I don't have to modify anything on my 48 ft stepdeck, except I have doubts about the 61" axle spread.

The load I'm taking about is the above pictured John Deere 872G grader.

Here's the dimensions:

* Overall height: 10'5" (I can take 10'6" thanks to my 17.5" tires and 36" high deck)
* Length: 29'2" (my main deck is 37' long so I'm okay here)
* Wheelbase: 20'3"
* Weight: 38,240 lbs
* Weight on the front axle: 11,250 lbs
* Weight on the rear 2 axles: 26,990 lbs

Everything looks good except the weight of the loader! It IS legal but because the grader is quite long I think my 61" closed tandem would have more than 34,000 lbs on it, especially since the rear part of the machine puts 26,990 lbs on its rear wheels.

What do you guys think: do I need a 10'1" spread axle to move loaders like this between US and EASTERN Canada on a consistent basis or not? Unlike Alberta, both Ontario and Quebec award 42,020 lb rating to a tandem spaced at 10'1"

Ontario Tandem Axle allowable weights (by axle spread)

1.2 < 1.6m Max. 18,000 kg (this is my rating now with the 61" spread; 18,000 kg is 39,600 lbs)
1.6 < 1.7m Max. 18,300 kg
1.7 < 1.8m Max. 18,700 kg
1.8m to 3.1m Max. 19,100 kg

I should be okay with that grader once I cross the border into Canada. I'm only worried about the US portion of the trip... Any comments would be appreciated... A trailer shop I found near where I live can move the front axle to the 121" position for roughly $5,000. According to Wilson, this will actually make the trailer much stronger. I'd probably save a little on empty weight too because they'd have to cut away a piece of the frame in front of the front axle.

Naturally I need to upgrade my chains from 5/16 to at least 3/8th and get the heavy duty ratchet binders.

Couldn't you put the loader on backwards so it faces the rear of the trailer? Then the heavy rearend would be more towards the nose/middle of the trailer taking some of it off the rear axle on your trailer and splitting it with your drives.

You should not have a problem with those units and that weight. Pull the front tires up near the step. That should work just fine with the weight. You could always back it on the trailer and leave about 5 feet from the step should be about right.

that will probably work, Do you have a empty weight ticket on your truck. I guess your trailer tandem weighs about 7000-7500. you can use your small chains, just put on whats required, don't forget to put one across the blade and the ripper if it has one.

My truck and trailer are fairly light. I know I can take 49,000 lbs if it's centered properly. Next time I have a load like this I should probably get a scale ticket when empty so I know where to put the grader or loader. Okay, then this 34,000 lb tandem should not be a problem with these loads. And basically, there's nothing wrong with my trailer (I thought I was losing loads because I don't have a 53 step or a tridem). Once I get 4 ft drop tarps, I should be able to cover much more loads. But this type of wheel equipment (loaders, graders etc) is really what I like dealing with. Call me crazy.

Gman, if you ever hauled loaders/graders like this, is it better to load them FACING the truck or facing the rear of the trailer? As many Canadian trucks, mine has a 235" wheel base; it's easy to overload the steer axle.

I find it's more difficult to back it on the trailer than it is to back it off the trailer....it's still worth a shot tho. Our 22.5 tandem steps tare ~9000-10,000 at the back axles. With a step, you'll need a loading dock at Pu and Del so some of these moves will require an RGN...nothin' you can do about that tho. IIRC, I saw one the other day that had the front tires on the top step. That should do it.

If you couldn't scale the trailer axles, and you couldn't get the tires on the upper deck, and you couldn't back it on the trailer for some reason......I wonder if you'd be allowed to permit the rear axle weight for a few lbs over? I bet the DOT would allow that. I've never heard tell of being over axle and under gross. That's a new one on me. You should make a phone call....that's a good one.

Check your 5th wheel position. Set correctly, you should be able to distribute your trailer weight solely between the drives and tandems.

It's the C-15 and the IH that makes the front heavy. The truck I just sold, with 300gal of fuel weighed 11,700# on the steers BOBTAIL!

That's a problem I run into occasionally. Basically I cannot take a load that occupies the entire lower deck if it weighs - let's say - over 40,000 lbs. Because the truck is so far ahead, most of the weight goes onto the trailer's axles and it can be over 34,000 lbs. I once hauled 3 11 ft bundles of marble countertop plates (all on the lower deck)... the weight was about 45K and when I scaled I had 36,000 on the trialer tandem, which is still legal in Ontario for me but is overweight for US. That's where a 10'1" spread comes in handy.