Sliding tandems

LOADED MILES

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Nov 23, 2009
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What is the law on sliding tandems? How many pegs can you move it front or back of the 41 mark and still be legal on length?
 
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We have always kept the 41ft mark between the center of the front axle and the center of the back axle and have never had an issue. It allows you to move quite a bit.
 
If you have to ask you're already overweight LOL
I think overhang can't be more the 33% of the distance from your king pin to the center of your tandems and it's a little more involved then a hole this way or that but you should be ok 18" either way from the 41ft mark. Good luck.
If that sounds right to anyone else pls let us know.
 
Tandems

I believe that this can be quite a complex calculation based on the bridge law.
As a general rule never let the mudflap go beyond the anchor point for the doors on the side of the trailer. In the last ten years of running the South eastern USA, we have never had a ticket.
Then again we seldom run heavy and rarely get pulled in for an inspection.
We spend more time in New York State than anywhere else. In the case we run heavy and are over our gross permitted per axle (seldom), we have the driver run the trailer at the 41' mark. New York seldom has their portable scales out and can only speculate on your weight but will ticket you for being overweight.
 
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We run just about everywhere in the states and unfortunately we have a lot of loads that are close to the max, we follow my previous post and have never had an issue in 16 years.
 
For Canada and most states east of the Mississippi, it is max 41' kingpin to center of tandems. I have been with some large carriers and have seen very little enforcement of this (but I do see a lot of trucks running way beyond the 41 mark).
Personally, if I had to choose between overweight and length, I would take my chances and run a little bit past the 41 if needed to keep axle weight legal. Having said that, I do recall one of our trucks being charged 6" past (41-6) at Sarnia.
California is 40', kingpin to center of rear axle and of course they do take enforcement action.