HOW MUCH WEIGHT CAN A TRUCK CARRY?? Explaining B-TRAIN Weight Laws In Canada And United States

I've had a lot of questions on how much weight I can carry with the B-Train trailers. Well it all has to do with axles and their spacing! I try my best here to explain it, but if you have any questions just ask in the comments below!

One thing I didn't say in my video is my empty weight is around 45500lbs, give or take about 1000lbs for fuel. my 6 axle trains can carry 137000lbs once in Michigan, which puts me about 91500lbs payload.

Here's a simplified version of the Michigan axle laws:

And here's the long winded Ontario axle laws:

[tomcatwarpup]

I'm only 16 and this video will help me when I become a trucker! Loved it, thanks👌👍

[erickline]

Excellent video! Really appreciate someone going through it so thoroughly. One thing you didn't touch on was the CA weight limits when running 6 or 7 axle B-trains. You mentioned that it jumps from 109 > 137 > 140 in MI when switching from 5 to 6 to 7 but kept comparing to the 139, 960 weight in Canada from the 5 axle setup. Keep it up!

[blauer]

And a lot of people think trucking is easy. The tire repair guys love B-trains.

[mattluther]

Definitely helps me easier to understand with the pics lol. Being a new driver of only 3days n with a company who throws u under the bus definitely helps.

[bmdbigfeet]

5500kg on steering, 17000 on drives or tandem, 24000 on tri axles. Standard, no permits in most Canadian provinces.

[nighttrain]

recently loaded alcohol in nebraska going back to toronto for hand sanitizer, tandem tanker, got all loaded up scaled out at 79, 800, i was half full of fuel, left there and seen a no name truck stop with dirt cheap fuel so i couldn't resist and filled up, i knew i was over, in my head i knew once i got to half tanks again id be good, got to scale in illinois on 80 where it almost meets 294, open, driver weigh, if u know that ccale tgey axle weigh ya, i stopped put window down, was instructed to move forward etc snd stop again, im lookin at my fuel gage the whoke time and im back to about half tanks, finally gye says on speaker ur good driver but u better watch ur fuel, i felt like i won the lottery leavin lol

[BMack]

You mentioned the "10-1" spread.
Yes, it's 10'1". Axles more than 10' apart are treated as individual axles for the purpose of establishing weight, not part of a grouping. They're allowed 20, 000 lbs each federally or whatever the local law allows.
In reality it's still a tandem because the axles are equalized against each other, whether it be an air suspension with common delivery from one height valve arrangement or mechanical equalization through a center pivot beam as on a spring suspension.

[Tyler-xees]

Honestly this topic can be dicussed for hours. Takes alot to understand it unless you do it everyday. How your trucks speced and type of truck... Van haulers have it easy but when you get into multi axle configurations depends on trailer set ups old school steel vs aluminmum trailers 5 axle 6 axle 7 or even 8 axle. Spacing and axle configurations and ofcourse what the trailer is rated for in one area ! & what you are hauling too. None the less you did a good job !

[OriginalAzaeal]

In Canada steer tires= 5500kg(12100lbs) Tandem= 17000kg(37400lbs) Trailer tandem= 17000kg(37400lbs) = 86900lbs / In US steer tires= 12000lbs Tandem= 34000lbs Trailer tandem 34000lbs =80000lbs according to my CDL school but he didn't explain the canadian part very well.

[stephenroberts]

US Weights on an Interstate basis: 12, 000 lbs. steer, 34, 000 lbs tandem drives and 34, 000 tandem trailer. Intrastate varies state by state.

[deepaksaini]

In Canada, the Super B's can gross 63500 kg, i.e 140, 000 lbs. Thats for the typical western Canada unit with 1+2+3+2 axle setup.

[Clerrance]

Not a lot of info for this type of setup. Thanks a lot for making it simple and easy. Great video! Thanks man

[MrJimsparky]

Interesting Video
Here in Australia, We call your B-Train a B-Double
Weights here are roughly 6t - steer axle, 16.5t Bogie axle & 20t tri axle
Semi trailer setup- 6x4 Prime mover & tri Trailer = 42.5t (93696 lbs)
B-Double setup - 6x4 Prime move, Tri A Trailer & Tri B Trailer =62.5t (137788Lbs)

[deepaksaini]

In Canada, tandems can go upto 37450lbs i.e 17000 kg and tri axle can go 52900 lbs i.e 24000 kg. In western Canada, BC, AB, SK, MB, spread axles are illegal.

[bigbear]

Great informative video!!! Yea, it's a little confusing to me but this is the first time I have heard these axle weight laws explained & you did a real good job with it. Nice drawings too. What a few may not understand is that these are legal weights without any special permits. Michigan does has some strange laws & not just trucking laws.

Keep up the great work. Stay safe & healthy out there.
Spoke to ya later, I'll be 10-10 on the side, Ka moan.😎

[Catluke]

Those axle weight laws in the US/Canada are really crazy. I'm glad we dont have those scales all over place here in Europe like over there. If they pull you over to have a look at your weight at all, they just have a look at your gross weight and thats it. If there would be such a strict control of the axle weights here, many would get in trouble, cuz we dont have sliding fifth wheels and the biggest part of the trailers doesnt have any sliding axles\tandems too. Only lift axles are common here. So you would have to get every load pefectly in place when loading it.

[rashadrandle]

Thats pretty cool. Here in texas we can get 60k lbs for a tridem and 20k lbs for a single axle group and depending upon tire and rim size you can go as far as 22k lbs on a steer

[gearjammingevents]

Brilliant video I have a kenworth over in the uk that was imported from Canada and never understood why it has a gross weight label of 63, 500kgs in the door whilst the hole time I though us and Canada ran the same weights of 80, 000lbs which is like 36, 500kgs.

Nice one 👍

[Myneighborhoodsolution]

Good explanation. Thank you for doing the legwork to straighten this out for us.

[crazyjack]

As i'am from Michigan and a son of of a trucker I understand michigan axle law and canada laws and another thing to note as what I know is in the US for spread axles they messure center to center and in canada they messure from the end of the one tire to the other so a US 9 foot spread will turn into a 8 and 6 or something spread