Oversized load-hauling companies must understand the intricacies of shipping heavy loads, including weight distribution. Ensuring heavy-duty trucks and loads comply with state and federal trucking regulations is also important. But how do you ensure equipment is distributed evenly? This article explains weight distribution, the importance of evenly distributing equipment weight, and what happens if an equipment load is too heavy.
What is Weight Distribution?
Weight distribution is simply how the weight of your equipment or cargo is spread on the trailer to ensure safety and stability when in transit. Understanding the weight limitations your truck and its axles can handle is key to reducing accidents, load shifting, or oscillating during transport.
In addition, it is crucial to understand different trailers and their axle variations so that you can choose the right trailer depending on the size of your equipment. Heavy equipment trailer transport companies have different trailer transport options for shipping any type of heavy equipment.
One of the common components equipment hauling companies use to ship oversized loads is a dolly trailer. Dolly trailer transport is often preferred for shipping loads exceeding legal size limitations.
Making Sure Equipment is Distributed Evenly is Essential
Improperly loaded trailers pose dangers to the driver, other motorists, and road users. Also, poor weight distribution within a trailer can cause other problems, including increased stopping distances, likelihood of rollovers, and minimized vehicle stability. So making sure equipment is distributed evenly is essential for the following reasons:
Trailer Stability
The trailer’s stability on the road is vital to prevent it from tipping or swaying in transit. Even weight distribution ensures the trailer is stable and easy to control.
Minimal Wear and Tear
When there is an even distribution of your load weight, the trailer, axles, tires, and suspension experience minimal wear and tear.
Adherence with Regulations
States have strict weight limit regulations that heavy equipment hauling companies should follow to prevent legal issues.
Secure and Controlled Maneuvering
Properly distributed load allows for controlled and secure maneuvering when navigating busy highways, uneven terrain, or sharp turns.
What Happens if an Equipment Load is Too Heavy?
The weight of the equipment should be evenly distributed across the axles and wheels of the truck without exceeding the maximum support capacity, as indicated by the chassis manufacturer. But what happens if an equipment load is too heavy? Here are some of the implications:
- Reduced lifespan of your tires
- Poor handling, mostly in challenging driving conditions
- Increased accident risk due to swaying and tipping of the trailer
- Violation of weight distribution regulations leading to fines
Additional Trailer Axles for Overweight Loads
The truck axle distribution is essential for safe trucking. Unless otherwise stated by the manufacturer, the 60/40 rule applies when it comes to trailer weight distribution. 60% of the weight should be at the front of the trailer and 40% at the back. Truck axles help rotate the wheels and support your vehicle’s weight—the more axles, the more weight can be loaded onto a truck.
Adding extra trailer axles helps provide additional support and distribute the weight evenly, reducing the strain on an individual axle. Also, the trailer becomes more stable, making it easier to maneuver through challenging terrain. To ensure the weight is evenly distributed, you should first understand the weight and dimensions of your load and determine the best way to distribute it.
In conclusion, heavy equipment hauling can be complicated without the right resources and adequate knowledge on properly distributing weight on the trailer. Besides avoiding legal implications, proper weight distribution is key to efficient and safe oversized load transport. Whether you want to ship your heavy equipment or are a heavy haul driver, you should consider effective weight distribution for a secure and smooth transit.
