50 Foot tri axle Wolson trailer, 102 in wide, 79 in tall all aluminum

You should be able to make enough with 5 axles to sustain yourself. I bid everything at 25 tons. If I have trucks that can haul more than 25 tons, that is just a little more that the truck makes. Don't buy more axles and length to make more money for someone else! The bulk industry is about making a living for the truck owners, drivers and the families involved. Know your break even point, bid your loads accordingly at a rate you can make money on and stick to that rate. We used to run multi axle trailers but went away from them because of limitations they cause and reduced fuel milage and added costs from extra axles. We found that we made just as much with the tandems running legal weights as we did with the higher weights and added costs. Just make sure you don't settle for a rate. Always ask if there is wiggle room, because there will be 99% of the time.

Times are tough out there right now but that does not mean you need to work for nothing or have to go spend more money to try to haul more weight. That is just my opinion!

I appreciate your comments that loads values are negotiable in the trucking industry. thanks for that update. I dont run for free. If you owned a trailer that made more revenue per load and hired an 0/0 to put a stretched truck under it, why would you not both make more $? Im doing now and its working out just that way. In fact he wants to buy the trailer from me now. He spent the $ to stretch his truck because he did the math. Its pretty simple, more tons = more $$$ when paid by the ton. I also have trucks with 5 axles and haul alot of 80K gross loads, they make about 20% less than the 7 axle trailers.

In the east... east of mississippi river it sounds like tripple axles/ pusher axles arent really a thing? (except michigan), sounds like too much red tape and i get that but we run then all the time in the wide open west, all over from state to state. It seems your axle envy is blinding you to simple math. lol sorry but it is. In Nebraska If you look you will see more hoppers with at least a tag axle than hoppers without on any given day on hwy 81 and interstate 80 etc. and youll see alot of hopper trucks with a steerable pusher

If your paid by the mile then it is what it is and yes its alot less red tape to just run 80K and i haul alot of those loads also. Thats why i have both setups, but if its available i dont understand the resistance to heavy permit hauling? is it that you think it will result in less loads? Thats a short sighted view and youll never keep direct customers that way. The math is proven over 5 years, its really adds up quick and we estimate the ROI in 6 months tops. I cant stretch and build trucks fast enough. Our experiences will be different as we are from totally different areas. maybe your experience differs from someone 4 states away in a differnt market, we actually bid loads here too! lol

for example, its really tuff to permit a 95K load into the chicagoland area, not impossible but prepare for some hassle, and you will get the chance to explain your permits to the DOT guaranteed! yep its a pain sometimes, i understand your perspective. thats why i run lighter and shorter 5 axle 80K gross or roughly 50K net setups for just that reason, not every load needs 95K, in fact 95K gross is a minority of loads but you cant serously be arguing that it doesnt pay more im the long run. Bulk loads staff themselves called me about my post on Heavy haul or heavy permit lanes they have a calculator also.

appreciate a spirited back and forth, im willing to see other perspectives and be wrong, thats how i always seem to learn! lol

Thanks

Thanks for the info, ive thought about that too. if your gonna go big, just go all the way! 51 foot cornhuskers are even lighter than 50 ft wilson by almost a ton. im running a couple 51 foot trip axe cornhuskers now on 4 axle trucks and they gross and more importantly NET sooooo much more $ per load/ week/month/ year. it just makes sense to me. Bulk loads is all about tonnage and speed when your paid by the tonnage. When paid by the mile it it is what it is.

I dont know why there is such a resistance to extra axles from 5 axle drivers and truck owners on this forum? Ive posted a few diff places asking opinions and thoughts, actually got a call from Bulk loads staff asking questions and thinking its a good idea to set up a procedure to help permit trucks. Most every reply from other carriers ive gotten nothing but what it would call "axle envy" telling me that hauling 7.5 more tons a load isnt worth it and how i shouldnt buy trailers that make more revenue, that a 5 axle truck will make just as much money. simple math is simple math. I also have trucks with 5 axles that haul 80K gross, there are plenty of those loads available.

Just an observation. Cornhusker makes an even bigger one but hauling around a 54 footer is gonna be tuff at some of the terminals, especially if im 102 wide and a 280+ inch wheel base on a 379!

Thanks

I have heard good things about wilson, they are quite a bit heavier than a cornhusker, but i agree im not a huge fan of the wide open design of the cornhusker, sometimes in a high wind pulling a empty cornhusker is like pulling it loaded! lol Dont know what a backhaul rate is? just try to find a load within 100 miles or so of the drop off and haul it back withing 100 miles or so of home base, is kinda the whole game. Direct customers is better than load board. I appreciate what you haul is your business.

thank you for actually answering the question, we have a person that prefers wilson over timpte and doesnt like conrhusker. May i ask what specifically you didnt like about the cornhusker? Ive had good luck with mine and really like the lightweight all aluminum set up. That said it does look to me like wilson and even timpte close off the outside better and the trailers are way more aero dynamic, i think that factors in even hauling bulk loads. Moybe we should start a best hopper brand thread?

thanks