Spread axle trailers do not have adjustable axles to shift weight so all loads must be loaded in the center of the trailer to avoid overweight issues.
Gross Weight: Maximum of 80,000 lbs.
Combined weight of tractor, trailer, driver, fuel, cargo, and equipment. Any truck grossing over 80,000 lbs. must have overweight permits.
Maximum Axle Weights- Spread Axle Trailers – A truck can weigh less than 80k and still get weight violations on individual axles. The weight limits per axle are listed below. Note that spread axle trailers can be up to 40,000 lbs. but cannot exceed 80,000 lbs. gross weight.
12K 34K 20K 20K
Steer Drives Trailer
Spread Axle Trailer Weight Troubleshooting Chart
| Problem | Solutions |
| Over Gross Weight | 1. Have shipper remove part of load. 2. Apply for overweight permits |
| Over on Steer Axle | 1. If the truck has an adjustable 5th wheel, have driver move the 5th wheel back. Each notch should remove about 500lbs from the steer axles 2. Reload cargo more towards the rear of the trailer. |
| Over on Drive Axles | 1. If the truck has an adjustable 5th wheel, adjust the 5th wheel forward. This will shift weight from the drive axle to the steer axel. (~500lbs per notch) 2. Reload cargo more towards the rear of the trailer. |
| Over on Trailer Axles | Cargo must be reloaded forward of its current position. |
Moving Cargo– If the weight of the cargo is evenly distributed, a 4-inch shift forward or reverse will transfer around 500lbs to the axle in the direction of that shift.
5th Wheel Shifts– Not all tractors are equipped with sliding 5th wheels. If the weight to be shifted exceeds 2000 lbs there will likely not be enough adjustment to fix the problem.