Why I Love a Spread Axle Trailer
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- Why I Love a Spread Axle Trailer. Spread Axle Trailers offer versatility and save a lot of guess work for the truck driver. In this video, Dave shares his experiences with spread axle trailers and why he's particularly a fan of this trailer axle setup.
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Hello there Big Strappers. so glad you took the time to drop by and watch today's video. What have been your experiences with a spread axle trailer? Love to hear your views.
I hear guys talk about a "Canadian spread" and I believe they are talking about a rigs drive axles. I don't know the why or what about it though.
@@kizerbread that’s the 72” spread on the drives. I don’t remember if it’s 39000LBS or 37500LBS on that spread anymore though.
Australia we just run tri- axle trailers mostly.
For a begging driver, what companies would you recommend to start with?
Did the lettuce king use a spead axles?????
Had an Old Timer at TMC show us how to walk the spread axel flatbed sideways. With the truck 90° to the trailer, move the truck forward and backwards a few feet each time while flipping the dump switch on and off. You're changing which axle has the bulk of the weight, therefore the pivot point.
That was always a lot of fun.
I love hearing the stories , just makes me imagine how things were.
Not a trucker but love your videos man I lost my eyesight when I was a little kid to retina blastoma but when I could see I always used to wave at the semi trucks going by I used to love looking at the Peterbilt and Kenworth now I collect models MIs to be able to know what they look like
I got leaf springs on my flatbed with spread axles and let me tell you, when that sucker's loaded down, I don't even attempt backing into tight spots. That thing binds like crazy and feels like a u-joint could snap at any moment when you're jack-knifed backing in a tight spot. I did a couple power-only loads a few years back with flatbeds with air bags and tandem axles and that bad boy turned as smooth as butter. The two things I hate about spread axles is that binding and that they will absolutely chew through a set of tires if you're doing a lot of local work. Seeing all that rubber on the pavement after a tight turn hurts to look at.
Loved those spread axel trailers especially when they were all light up at night. My uncle had one. It was 48 ft. Back in the 2000’s beautiful rig Red PETERBILT with black fenders, sleeper an the matching trailer. An if he was in the neighborhood after picking up a load he swing by for a quick visit an fill up his coffee mug.
Man I just got my cdl. I'm a rookie flat bed truck driver. You make the old days sound like FUN! Wish I was born 100 years ago and was able to live thru those times. Now everything is automated and restricted 😮💨
Here’s one for you Dave
My friend was hauling anthracite coal from Northeastern Pa to an Army base in upstate NY back in the early 80’s with an old single drive axle with a lift axle behind U-model Mack pulling a 26 ft Fruehauf bathtub coal bucket and he was hauling real real heavy and did the same trick on the NY scale . He’d dump all the air in the lift axle but not lift it to lighten up the steer axle then max the air in the lift to shift all the weight to the steer and trailer axles then dump it again to lighten up the trailer axles. He was always 10 to 20’000 over gross and never got a ticket
I was looking into spread axle trailers on the internet a couple days ago cause I was curious why they were that way. Glad to see this video to hear more on it 👍🏼
Backing a loaded flatbed spread axle In DC,NY,NJ,MD,PA,MA, and Northern VA will give you a bald spot in the back of your head lol. Especially when you look out your mirror and notice that your trailer tire is about to bust clean off the rim because you have to Alley Dock back into a Steel distributor warehouse that was built in 1925 😂😅😅
Dave always has the best stories back from the good old days of trucking!
I LOVE hearing about the way things USE to be!!!!!👍🏼👍🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼👏🏼👏🏼cause they SURE aren’t that way now!!!🥺. I say a prayer daily for my kids future!🙏🏼🙏🏼 love your input sir!!!👍🏼👍🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
The sliding spread axles are really awesome. The entire spread can slide to where the front axle is just aft of center.
I pulled one a couple of times. You can move a lot of weight on or off the drives, while still being allowed up to 40K on the spread
Hi Dave! I’ve had absolutely ZERO experience with spread axle trailers but this video really helped me to understand their real advantages to having them. Very informative, thanks sir. Great Dane trailers are my absolute favorites as well. They’re tough, sturdy, and they always ride nice and smooth. You can never go wrong with a Great Dane!
I have never pulled a spread myself but I have always wanted to buy one but never willing to put myself yet under a new trailer note. I watched a guy with a super nice spread axle van come into a place where I used to haul from a lot come in with his though. The unfortunate thing about the place was the concrete parking lot for the loading docks were all unlevel and some would actually shift with the weight of the truck & trailers. I was sitting in dock 1 waiting to get the green light to go when the guy came in brimming from ear to ear with his fancy new trailer. When he started backing up one of the slabs shifted causing his front axle tires to catch the edge and start pushing the tire inward. Before I could grab my cb mic and tell him to stop the tire broke off the rim. He was embarrassed as all can be in front of all of us out there. When asked why he didn't raise the axle he said he had not hooked up the controls inside the truck for the trailer because he was "ready to roll".
ouch
The good old days!!
I've had a thing for big rigs since I was a kid, our neighbor had a giant purple Kenworth T900 with the split grill and a spread axle flatbed with the shiniest diamond plate toolboxes in between them. Thanks for the info, always wondered why they made trailers like that.
I run a 49ft spread tanker sometimes. You really have to be careful to not scrub/peel your tires.
Don't see them anymore in Australia. Tri axle with boogie drive. Here in Northern Territory Australia we have lot tri prime mover . Cheers mate
I pulled a spread axle dump wagon in the late 80 s we used the same trick to get on and off the PA turnpike in way lower class saved lot of money 👍🇺🇸✌️
One big disadvantage [if not used to it] backing it into a spot at truck stop at night
Great Content as usual, Need more guys like this in the industry
I have a Great Dane tandem and it’s built right, but mine was badly neglected. I thought I could eventually make it into a spread but thanks for letting me know. I’ll get the right trailer someday.
Great story. NEat insight into what was going on back then.
Six bag blast systems are the ticket for spreads. Those spread reefers look pretty good behind long nose trucks, we got lots of em in here lancaster pa and few top notch fabricators that build some wicked truck and trailer combinations
I love my spread axle flatbed 10'2" the way to go.
Used to get away with dumping my air up until 2013 when I got out. Hardest part was remembering which one to do first. Worked every
time.
I'm new to your channel sir. I just wanted to say that I really enjoy your content and it's very informative to those that are new to the industry. Plus a lot of your uploads can be a good reminder resource for us gear jammers that have had trucker butt for awhile now lol. But hey, the subjects that you bring up are phenomenal !!!
We only got 3axel trailers in sweden, i think they are the best kind, are even those with stegring axels
I was working for a guy out of Fargo. Went to Utility in Marion VA. picked up a new 53' reefer had a double slide Canadian split. Closed it was 6 ft open
It was 10' and change. I ran out of Cincinnati. I LOVED IT. but it disappeared to Fargo. I pull a 9 ft airride spread ISO tank chassis from time to time.
Awesome ride. I run Alot of 9 ft or 10 ft tri-axles their heavy around 11000 lbs
But any container you want it'll haul.
I pull a 48' flatbed split axle trailer for my company. I have to say I don't miss have to slide tandems back and forth. A couple things I have trouble with is the turn radius. like you said they are hard to turn around in tight areas and they don't pivot and kick over as well as other trailers.
you just spilled the beans Sir. Now everyone is going to do it.
I did some live haul with turkeys with a spread axle a few times, they pull fairly smooth
Thanks, I learned a lot in this video 👍
Another great video Dave! Keep them coming
I never pulled a spread until I began hauling steel in the late 90s... That was when I learned about flatbedding. Now that I run a heavy-haul truck or hauling wind blades, it's an entirely different ballgame. I never pulled a reefer (blech lol) or dry van with any spread but have often thought it would make things a lot easier to axle out. With all the permit loads I run these days, everything's legal but just a time-consuming inconvenience to go show off all your measurements on the permit in the scale houses (unless it's one of the old school scalemasters with a sense of humor lol).
My buddies father built custom trailers back in the 80s. A few of the steel horse who pulled out of the Fairless works had him build custom flatbeds and all the dump valve went into Mufflers under the trailer. Those guy's loaded really seriously heavy. Well over 100,000 pounds minimum, but they could make them dance over the scales when they got on the Pennsylvania Turnpike headed west. I forget where they were going but it was all coils going to Ohio or somewhere
I too love the spread axles. I run them with a flat bed. Definitely a better ride and running steel it is wonderful
great dane best trailers around,and dot did hate those speared axle trailers with a passion
They sure do love them rode so much better and I like the look
I bought an old utility reefer spread 53, and converted it to a drive van. I always beat the other drivers in the company because I never have to scale out and I’m never overweight. Get home an hour earlier since I don’t have to slide axels and it rides smoother than a tandem. Only downside is I can’t legally drive it through California with the long spread
I have a log trailer that has a 10' 4" spread and I just finished building a 40' container chassis with a 9' 1" spread. Easy loading and good ride. The chassis is great because you can't open a sealed container and adjust the weight. With the 9' 1" spread my axles always come out ok. With the log trailer I can run 86,000 lbs gross and keep my axles legal (12/34/20/20). I don't know why anyone would run anything else.
Truckers had it good back in the day. Well.... nothing lasts forever. I'm just a steering wheel holder, but I love to drive
Plus they look ultra cool...
Appreciate this. I am worried I will tear the tires to shit on a spread axle when I am backing, but was told loads for flatbedding would require much confined backing.
I like that truck stop 50,000 silver dollar
i love a spread axle stainless reefer pulled by a nice 280 inch wb long nose truck!
best of trucking right there.
but not in tight docks lol
Long wheelbase, 10’2” spread with air dumps on both axles. Load it and go. !!!
Was it the apple king? Let's hear some more stories about the lettuce king. He's a funny guy. I don't see how a "dump valve switch" would work on a rolling scale anyways. They are way too slow to react and transfer any weight, especially on a 3 mph rolling scale. Good luck with that!
Some great advice as always!
It's kinda surprising to me that spread axles with a steerable rear axle haven't become common place
Can you guys do a proper video about loading and more in depth about tricks with dump valves, lift Axel's, loading etc. with a spread Reefer. Also using a 48' vs 53' spread nowadays??? Thanks!!!
Agreed, flatbed spread here Always walking the Dog
In reality there needs to be more axles on trailers. I look at European, Australian, New Zealand and Asian trucks. The steerable axles are cool too. B-Trains and twin 35's with restrictions would be nice if they became useful in all 50. But the 4 wheeler driver would need to go back to school.
Cool stories brother 😎 🇺🇸
I've seen that truck and trailer... beautiful
Great story. Thanks.
As always the boss is right ‼️
Here in Canada it’s illegal to have the axle controls in the cab.
You can only raise and lower the axles from outside
I’m surprised they didn’t start out with a lift axle in the rear that automatically came down when it sensed weight. Then you could have a very sharp turning truck with a very long tail swing. Some of the tanker trailers have a lift front axle and they have just a standard two axle set up. It saves fuel and makes turning easier. You can also go the reverse the set up and raise the front axle and just pivot off the rear one.
My current flatbed is a Great Dane. The "Big Dog" of Chicago.
In California the weight on a spread axle depends on the distance. Anything less than 5 feet is a tandem 34,000 pounds. A 6 foot spread is 36,000 pounds an 8 foot spread is 38,000, 9’6” or more is 2 separate axles 20,000 each. Also in California if your rear axle is closer than 40’ to the king pin it drops your drive and trailer weight limit to 28,000 and your gross limit down to 72,000
Get a tridem. That's all we run
What is the advantage?
@@Avant-GardeFarm more weight. Less sliding
My axles slide independently. So that wide spread is possible on my step deck. Too bad they are illegal in western canada
Never had an issue with loading a 53 reefer going to Cali and the truck needing to change his axels. If you know how to load you know. If your crap at your job your a robot. 1 ton pallets always double the front single the next pallet and double all the way to 53 close the doors your done. Had a 57 foot beet truck to load once. That was interesting.
I loved mine when I had it I wouldn't have anything else
Nice 👌
Doesn't it cause a lot of tire wear when taking sharp turns? Also making sharp turns harder? We have the tri axle trailers here, and on a hot day the tires will break apart asphalt when making sharp turns.
They also load heavy loads on them here in South Africa, something like 30 metric tons on a single flatbed trailer with a tri axle setup.
I used to do that trick in the Ohio toll road
Lettuce king strikes again
Nice ride but I'm not a fan of the flat top bedroom or a spread without a lift on on or both axles. Stand up bedrooms are easier to get dressed and undressed in , and the lift axle makes it easier to back and turn tight without peeling tires off of the rims.. just a thought 🤔
I pull Stepdeck and that’s all I’ve ever pulled was spread axle.
The real reason he likes spread axle trailers, is because he can crawl under and get a better look of all the air lines and chambers of the trailer.
Just make sure you purchase a $30 Spread Axle Permit for Florida. An easy $100 fine into their pocket if you don't!
The problem is ...you can tell the shipper all you want about loading your trailer ....and if you are lucky he can speak English ....and after that ...they still don't give a crap how they load your trailer....
Is it true British Columbia does not allow spread axle trailers? Please clarify
Main thing is you can put 40k on the spread saving you on drive tires.
💯✌
They are a lot of trouble but they ride nice for sure
What in the merica
If They only caught up to ppl like u telling the dot❗️
Did he mention that you can haul ass on icy roads with a spread axle?
40,000 on the spread love them to death, flat bedders dream. Platform scales killed the dump axles.
I know exactly what scale he's talking about. Haugen Montana