• Thank you for visiting HeavyEquipmentForums.com! Our objective is to provide industry professionals a place to gather to exchange questions, answers and ideas. We welcome you to register using the "Register" icon at the top of the page. We'd appreciate any help you can offer in spreading the word of our new site. The more members that join, the bigger resource for all to enjoy. Thank you!

Dump Trucks

Status
Not open for further replies.

Red Bank

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
323
Location
North Carolina
I had to go to Jacksonville Fla last week and on the way back Friday to NC I drove through the I-95 construction in southern Georgia during the day and noticed that in Northern Florida and Georgia that I saw only tandem dump trucks. In Florida I saw two single axle tractors pulling tandem dump trailers that were around 16 foot long. Some of the dump trucks had the high flotation tires on the front axle but were tandems. Is the laws in Georgia and Florida that strict? I have a tandem Mack that around here is a bit of a relic, if I had a tri-axle I could get more work. On I-95 the trucks were hauling fill dirt, gravel, and asphalt. It just blew my mind seeing nothing but tandems-around North Carolina a job like that would bring out the big boys with 4 and 5 axles. Is it like this elsewhere in the country?
 

woodee955

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2006
Messages
53
Location
centerville ga
Red Bank, from what I have learned it goes purely on weight. You could have as many axles as you want but it won't allow you to carry more load. I know around middle Ga area the companies run alot of trailer dumps. The paving comp. run those short tri-axle dumps and the sand and rock haulers run regular length tandem trailers. I asked a driver that was bringing us rock one day about it and he said the trailer dumps allow a few more tons than a tandem dump truck, thats why they are used more often. I might have my info a little wrong, its all word of mouth.
 

Boophoenix

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2008
Messages
86
Location
TN
Around here if you sub to anyone you almost have to have a tri or they aren't enterested. I always found it odd in a way as alot of the tri's don't have the same size beds but isn't as important as the number of axles.

Mine is 20 cyds and if not careful they will over load me. Which I don't like to much, but it's a fact of life unless you scale it in which case you'll likely not get a call back again.

If I had my way and could pick the jobs I wanted I would turn mine into a tadem and limit the getting stuck. However with work as scarce as it is I have to deal with the tri tadem issue. I have a friend I run with some now that use to sub his truck out for the same rate I get and would bet he would be lucky to have a 15 cyd bed. Which means if I ever spec a bed new it won't be a 20 cyd. would probably only drop down to an 18cyd though just for the side rail clearance.

One of the mid sized paving companies around here will run a tadem. A lot of there company trucks if not all are single axles with a tag. Which works fine if I reacal what I heard correctly and a lot of the paving work around will only let you haul 15 tons. I'm not certain of that though as that is not my scope of work. Hauled my first load of mix last week in 12+ years of hauling.
 

rino

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
176
Location
Barberton, Ohio
Occupation
Drive steel bed Dump Truck for a paving company
Here in OH most run 6 axles! With each axle there is additional tonage, but nothing like a strong arm, or rear trailing pusher. Because the strong arm adds lenth to the wheelbase, it also adds more tonage than the front mounted tag/pusher axles! Again this is in OH. Each state is different. There are even a few 7 axle straight trucks, and tandums pull quads in the 30 ft range!
 

2109 Stang

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2006
Messages
83
Location
Folrida Keys
Red Bank I'm going to speak as a Floridian ,the single axle tractor with tandem trailer in Florida, if it has 36 ft wheel base , can legally gross 73,280 lbs ,with a light weigh combination, I have hauled 25.5 tons of dirt, the trailer that you saw probably is 22ft dump bed ,but the frame is 28 to 29 ft long to accomplish the 36ft W/B.

Here in Florida the max for a straight truck is 70.000# with a third axle ,if you ad more axles all you doing is adding weight , a tandem max gross is 65,780# but thats with the 445/65R 22.5 high flotation tires on the steers at 21,780 # on this axle along and 44,000# on the tandem ,Florida allows 22,000# per duals axle or 44,000 per tandem "not on interstate hi ways" ,but I've never known of anybody that has been ticketed for this ,since there is a lot of this on the interstates .

I hope I didn't confused you with this .
 

Mack185

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2009
Messages
62
Location
Mo
When I drove in GA, it was tandem's only. Truck was around 23,500 lbs. empty and you could cross the scales at 64,000 lbs, no more then 55,000 lbs. on the interstate though I think. When I was in Mo I drove a tri-axle and I could cross the scales at around 79,000 lbs I believe and the truck was about 30,000lbs empty.
 

Orchard Ex

Super Moderator
Joined
Jul 6, 2005
Messages
1,051
Location
Southern MD
Thanks for the info! It just amazes me why every state seems to do things differently.
One size doesn't fit all. I'm really glad that the states get to decide whats right for local conditions, climate, major industries, road maintenance needs etc. Think how well those spring thaw weight restrictions that I've heard about up north would go over in Florida. :)
 

trucker68

Active Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2012
Messages
30
Location
dallas texas
I had to go to Jacksonville Fla last week and on the way back Friday to NC I drove through the I-95 construction in southern Georgia during the day and noticed that in Northern Florida and Georgia that I saw only tandem dump trucks. In Florida I saw two single axle tractors pulling tandem dump trailers that were around 16 foot long. Some of the dump trucks had the high flotation tires on the front axle but were tandems. Is the laws in Georgia and Florida that strict? I have a tandem Mack that around here is a bit of a relic, if I had a tri-axle I could get more work. On I-95 the trucks were hauling fill dirt, gravel, and asphalt. It just blew my mind seeing nothing but tandems-around North Carolina a job like that would bring out the big boys with 4 and 5 axles. Is it like this elsewhere in the country?

Georgia law won't allow axles that can be lifted. That is why you only see tandems. It is a retarded law. Nowhere else in the country has such a stupid law. I suppose it was written before they had steerables and caster control pushers. They are still stuck on stupid. I can see there reasoning back when pushers were raised when cornering to save tires but now with newer style pushers it would be a negative for the truckers to raise pushers
As for the sunshine state they also have antiquated weight laws. These laws have been grandfathered in for decades. They allow big payloads on these lame axle configurations. They could be hauling bigger payloads and be easier on the roads and bridges by conforming to the federal weight laws like most of the rest of the country
 

trucker68

Active Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2012
Messages
30
Location
dallas texas
Here in OH most run 6 axles! With each axle there is additional tonage, but nothing like a strong arm, or rear trailing pusher. Because the strong arm adds lenth to the wheelbase, it also adds more tonage than the front mounted tag/pusher axles! Again this is in OH. Each state is different. There are even a few 7 axle straight trucks, and tandums pull quads in the 30 ft range!

That strong arm is the hot set up. It goes by the fed weight law and is under weight on all axles while giving you the biggest payload of all. It also doesn't damage the infrastructure
 

trucker68

Active Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2012
Messages
30
Location
dallas texas
One size doesn't fit all. I'm really glad that the states get to decide whats right for local conditions, climate, major industries, road maintenance needs etc. Think how well those spring thaw weight restrictions that I've heard about up north would go over in Florida. :)

One size could fit all.. it's called the federal bridge formula. It allowes bigger payloads by requiring the truck to have a bigger foot print. This formula was used to design the fed interstate system. It was very well thought out and works equally well everywhere. There may be an exception in northern states for spring thaw but I doubt they will apply that in Florida. There only reason I know of for local laws is local lobbies and politicians.They line there pockets by keeping things the way a local special intrest group wants them
 

Orchard Ex

Super Moderator
Joined
Jul 6, 2005
Messages
1,051
Location
Southern MD
This formula was used to design the fed interstate system.
Construction on the Interstate Highway System started in 1956. The Bridge Law didn't come in until 1974. Your timeline is off.
There may be an exception in northern states for spring thaw but I doubt they will apply that in Florida.
Hence the phrase "One size doesn't fit all"...
There only reason I know of for local laws is local lobbies and politicians.They line there pockets by keeping things the way a local special intrest group wants them
Or maybe local conditions, terrain or materials. The whole world isn't the same.
 

mitch504

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
5,776
Location
Andrews SC
Personally, I absolutely hate the federal bridge law. In the dump truck business it produces some awfully impractical trucks.
(I don't want to shock anybody, but, I don't think the federal govt. necessarily has practicality as it's first priority when writing regulations.)

In SC, off the interstates, vocational trucks can gross 35,000 on 2 axles, 50,000 on 3 axles, 70,000 on 4, and 80,000 on 5, as long as no axle exceeds 20,000 lbs. It is not possible to get an overweight permit for a divisible load.

I have a daycab CH Mack and a 24' aluminum frame type trailer that is legal for 26.75 tons. If I go to NC or Ga, I am good for about 16 tons. With this short tractor and short trailer I can back in places a triaxle can't. When I deliver to farms or construction sites, I have almost no worries about turning over. With a bridge law rig, there are many, many field entrances you simply cannot get into, thus it makes for a much longer haul for the spreader trucks.

I have a very short (12' body) tandem that is used mostly off-road. When I do use it on the road, I have a hard time packing enough limestone on it to hit 50,000.

Around here, it is normal to go 50 miles for limestone or sand, and 120 miles for granite, so that 26.75 is nice.
 

trucker68

Active Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2012
Messages
30
Location
dallas texas
Construction on the Interstate Highway System started in 1956. The Bridge Law didn't come in until 1974. Your timeline is off. Hence the phrase "One size doesn't fit all"...Or maybe local conditions, terrain or materials. The whole world isn't the same.

Yes that is true the bridge law was signed into law in 74 . But it was used to design the interstate. In 56 when they decided to build the interstate they passed one of the first federal weight laws. 73280. You may recognize that number because they still use a form of that law for state law in some of the northern states like PA. You will know when your in one of those states because the roads are destroyed. One continuous pot hole. In the late 50s they did a study to find out why the roads were being torn up. The result of that study was the federal weight formula. They didn't give this to congress until 64 and it was not passed into law until 74. But it was being used throughout the bulk of the interstate construction to design the bridges and pavement. And when enforced like it is in a lot of states the roads are in great condition.
 

trucker68

Active Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2012
Messages
30
Location
dallas texas
Construction on the Interstate Highway System started in 1956. The Bridge Law didn't come in until 1974. Your timeline is off. Hence the phrase "One size doesn't fit all"...Or maybe local conditions, terrain or materials. The whole world isn't the same.

There are exceptions for special conditions such as the spring thaw rules but that would be left to the states. As it should . But that exception lowers your weight and you would still be legal under the federal weight formula hence the phrase 'One size could fit all'
 

trucker68

Active Member
Joined
Aug 25, 2012
Messages
30
Location
dallas texas
Construction on the Interstate Highway System started in 1956. The Bridge Law didn't come in until 1974. Your timeline is off. Hence the phrase "One size doesn't fit all"...Or maybe local conditions, terrain or materials. The whole world isn't the same
Most local condition, terrain and materials are handled by equipment specifications. Not the weight laws I don't know of many exceptions where the federal formula isn't good for truckers and the infrstructure. In most all cases we could haul bigger payloads and ,not tear up the roads. Where would we be without the interstate and this country may not have the money to continue to repair it prematurely. I'm not saying we would not have to buy a pusher here and there but under the federal law most equipment to enhance your payload has a quick (ROI) return on investment
 

Orchard Ex

Super Moderator
Joined
Jul 6, 2005
Messages
1,051
Location
Southern MD
There are exceptions for special conditions such as the spring thaw rules but that would be left to the states. As it should . But that exception lowers your weight and you would still be legal under the federal weight formula hence the phrase 'One size could fit all'
I believe that when the roads are frozen solid in the north the weight limits go up also. Someone with actual experience up north will be along shortly to correct me if I am wrong. You do realize that you are contradicting yourself when you say that "the states could reduce limits for spring thaw" and "One size could fit all" right? By definition there would be multiple rules in place, just like we have now...

did you read mitch504's post? He cites some good examples.
 

bigbob

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
191
Location
Lee,NH
I believe that when the roads are frozen solid in the north the weight limits go up also. Someone with actual experience up north will be along shortly to correct me if I am wrong. You do realize that you are contradicting yourself when you say that "the states could reduce limits for spring thaw" and "One size could fit all" right? By definition there would be multiple rules in place, just like we have now...

did you read mitch504's post? He cites some good examples.

In some towns in NH during Mud Season, roads are posted for 6 tons, usually from March 15th to May 1st. The frozen road beds could support more weight in the middle of winter, but the bridges can't handle any more!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top