Weight rules and capacity question.

Dale,

I'll begin by saying that I run on 5 so I can only offer opinion and not experience with the subject you brought up. I'm also quite a bit older than you I think and have done various forms of this gig most of my life. My truck and high side weighs about 25800# full of fuel with me in the seat, so I can net almost 27T anywhere I go and I just run the Midwest/Plains states spot market because I want to come home every week. So that's the background for my frame of reference.

I think people are concerned more about the rate side of this than the road damage. Obviously more tires on the ground distributes the load on the road with the same effect as duals on a farm tractor, and the real problem is exactly what you hinted at-they rob the highway funds and spend the money on other stuff. We need legislation that prevents that in my personal opinion because it's OUR money (taxes) that is being misused. That would be a better thing for OOIDA to tackle, and yes I'm a member as well.

So I'll explain the rate part like this. I grew up in Ca. and even 30-40 years ago there, the intrastate freight moved on double sets. They're hard to park, can't back up and shippers/receivers have to be set up for them to make it all work. But Ca. has always been a VERY competative trucking market, so by axle weight and also when the 65' length law was in effect, doubles was the way to load 80000#. So the rates even back then assumed you had to net 50000# to make any real money and shippers (in the flatbed market anyway) wanted you to be able to load that. And they wanted the 57' of deck space to max out the light loads. I've been gone from there a long time, but I'll bet everyone still thinks along those lines and is very competative.

I think you have your own customers, and they are probably happy to pay your rate because you serve them well and with fewer overall trips with the big trailer. That makes perfect sense, but think about this. If I can net 27T and the rates should be based on 25T, I'm making good money for my investment in lighter (more expensive) equipment. But in reality, when things get ugly rate wise, I can haul at a "decent" rate while the 25T truck can't. If you and I are the two trucks in that same situation, you might look at it and say "the rate is too low, but I can still make the daily minimum I want so I'll do it JUST THIS ONE TIME" whereas I can't make it work at all. I'm not saying that you personally would look at it that way, but a lot of guys would and in fact do.

I spent most of my life in the flatbed business and used to haul a lot of roofing out of Phillipsburg, Ks. Roofing, like a lot of ag products, is cheap freight and always will be. You haul it because there's nothing else to haul where you live or because it gets you away from home into a better traffic lane. When I started hauling it, we actually used to have a weight based rate which was unusual but worked well for me. But over the years Prime showed up with their super light setups and now the rates are mileage based and they expect you to load 49-50000# for very average money. It didn't happen all at once, but over about 10 years. That's why I mentioned my age earier. In my 25 plus years in the business, the trajectory has produced more weight hauled for the same money on more expensive equipment. I think that's why a lot of guys don't want to see the multi-axle think grow, they're looking at it from a longer lifetime of experience and they feel like things will go the way they always have.

I hope I run into you one day on the road, I've enjoyed many of the things you propose and write about in these forums!

The truck and trailer are both 2017 models that I am second owner on. Freightliner Cascadia, 197 wb, small bunk, DD13, auto trans, super singles, every liteweight option right down to no passenger seat. Timpte 42x96x78, aluminum pin and sub, electric tarp, hydraulic doors, duals, 2 mounted vibrators. I have driven some good looking trucks in my lifetime, but at my age and with the hopper business being about weight/profit, I chose that over having a unique ride. I've had my fun over the years so I'm content now to haul what I haul and get 6.5-7mpg at 65-70mph.

I run on 7. I went to that set up because I could not keep up with demands of the feed mill I was hauling for at that time. Basiclly I now do 5 or 6 loads in 4 or 5 trips. I bid my freight at 26 ton, most can haul that. I do the frieght and the fuel for each bid. Keeps it fair with each of my customers. There are a few that wish it to be one number, and I accomidate them. I how find being able to haul more allows me to bounce a little futher to get better paying freight when nessary. I comfortably my big loads, 30 ton and more.

Jeff.....Are you running super singles or duals.

Hi I’m looking for a trucking partner to always ride together text me 661-465-2209

My how things change. 26 ton was the norm thirty years ago. If you had a flashy large car, you were highly successful.