To haul bigger loads. A straight 8 axle trailer can haul 13,000 per axle, plus 32,000 for the drive axles and 18,000 for steering axles for a total of 154,000 gross lbs(77 tons). If you are hauling doubles with three spread axles (steering and two trailer axles - 18,000 each), four tandems at 32,000 each you could haul 91 tons (gross). As you can see these rigs have more wheels, but less pressure on the road per each wheel. JS
@01haggy Things are not much better here. Most states only allow 80,000 lbs. on five axles. Michigan and many parts of Canada have used 9 to 11 axles since the 1960's. In fact in the 60's and early 70's Michigan could use 13 axles, The turnpike from Chicago to New York you can pull two full lenght trailers on parts of the turnpike since the 1950's. I was a private funded highway in it's early years. JS
I drive a 70 ton fuel/gas tanker in Michigan, and yes we do have to lift some of the axles, if we don't it could rip an axle of the trailer, peel a tire off the rim, damage the fifth wheel, brake the truck frame, or damage the trailer. Yes we do need more videos of Michigan heavy haulers. In Australia there bigger though!
@LR3DISC So that they can haul more. Drivers are more productive with no extra damage to roads because the load is spread over all axles. They can haul more then twice as much as 18 wheels.
@senyko Ok, that is a heavy load. I'm from East Coast of Canada and the Gross Weight is usually around 50 tons. Some places must run pretty big HP trucks to get a 50 ton load. Good videos. Thanks for the info.
johnsenkenn: If the axles are tight together, then it is 13,000 lbs per axle. A spread axle of 9 feet and heavy steering axle is 18,000 lbs. Drive axles and other tandems are 32,000. With four tandems, three spread axles (and steering axle) makes 182,000 lbs or 91 tons gross. JS
@01haggy No, they do not steer. On corners they will lift three axles and drag the rest. Back in the 70's, they had some that would steer but it didn't work out. To much maintenance I think. JS
True, some of these big rigs might have to make a good big turn to keep the second trailer from hitting the curve. But I think the roads are big enough to handle that.
@calboy5858 Yes and no. While the lower axle weights (13,000 on any given axle in the combination, and 18,000 on front axle) allow for slightly more braking power, they do require more room to stop, because, well, they weigh 70 tons. As proof, given the lower weight axle requirements, the brakes and tires last about twice as long as the standard 5 axle combo.
@pirson28 Actually, the longer rigs with some spread axles can deliver around 65 ton. Check out, "Michigan and Canadian trucks". On that site check all comments section and you will find more info. JS
@pirson28 OOPS! You were already in the Michigan-Canadian truck site. On timeline 2:11 is a truck from Ontario, Canada and on timeline 4:30 is a truck that can deliver 65 ton. JS
I called these Rigs, Monster of the road. They are bigger then the Trucks in the USA. The trucks I see in the USA can't be compared to trucks there. But I wonder is the size of the trucks in Michigan there is a lot of straight roads out there other then the USA it have a lot of curve on the roads.
A truck that did a job like this is in a video I fould called " freightliner michigan special ". Those guys are almost as heavy empty as we are loaded. Think of the fuel and man hours saved in michigan. Why cant we all pull like that. AWSOME !!
@senyko Thanks. I wish some of the transport authorities in Europe were as broad minded, they wont even let B doubles run in UK, modern trucks over here are over 700 hp now, and only pulling 44tons (97000lbs) on 6 axles, but are capable of pulling much more. Great video.
@calboy5858 It depends on where they are registered, as the trucks in Michigan tend to pickup the first 2 axles and last axle on an 8 axle trailer can be picked up and those remaining are dragged around the corner. This was the case in Ontario, where we may have up to 9 axles (Michigan allows 11), until recently, as these axles must now be steered. As for tire wear, it isn't much more the normal. And I also got the figure for weight wrong: it's not 70 tons, it's 82. 70 is Ontario.
best way to tell an ontario truck from a michigan truck.......here in ontario, we may not not register more then 9 axles total. in michigan, that goes to 11. although, michigan trucks with the full 11 axles may drive on ontario highways (for the most part).
These rigs go through our cities, downtown, country, same as any other state. The doubles are easier to manuver in tight places than a 53 foot trailer. JS
@INTIMIDATOR3FAN For a high tax union state, are roads are better than average. Much better than New York or Pennsylvania as an example. These heavy trucks have been used here for over forty years. JS
you're only allowed 32,000 on one set of tandems. not all of them. There is no possible way to get to 91 ton gross while staying within the length restrictions. Michigan is an axle state. There is no Max gross weight but you do have to be legal on each axle.
@caddy59 oh ok i didnt realize that they hauled that much more weight. what about when they turn wouldnt you wear out tires faster or do some of them turn, and are they harder to maneuver on site.
@senyko Well I don't know about the roads as I've never been there. But I seen in one of your other videos after my first comment that some trucks haul 50 tons of asphalt. Is that gross weight or just the weight of the load?
@pirson28 Proof of what? Roads or weight? Michigan is a high tax union state and these states have the worst roads. In my travel I would say that Michigan roads are better than say New York or Pennsylvania, but not as good low tax states. When Michigan started to allow multi-axle rigs (1960's) many were 13 axles. Later on they set the limit to 11 axles. JS
