Weight distribution ?

tknight

Veteran Expediter
Is there a formula for weight distribution, I was wondering how to accurately loosely figure without getting scaled all the time how it gets spread out between front and rear, as on my truck I have less than 750 left with full tank of fuel?
 

eporter801

Rookie Expediter
It's pretty simple to figure out how your weight is distributed between your axles.

Let's imagine you have a 10 foot load that weighs 10,000 pounds. Let's also assume that your load isn't heavier on one end than it is on the other, meaning that it's own weight is distributed evenly among it's 10 feet. If you place that load halfway between your drive axles and the center of your trailer axles, The weight will be split exactly (more or less) in two, leaving 5000 pounds on your drive axles and 5000 pounds on your trailer axles.

If you then split the distance between the center of your load and the center of your trailer axles, that would equal 1/4 of the distance between your drive axles and your trailer axles. If you center your load on this 1/4 mark, you would then be left with three quarters of your weight over your trailer axles and 1/4 of the weight on the drive axle(s).

Does that make sense?

In my experience, I have found that the "1/4 away from the trailer axle" point (or 3/4 away from the drive axle point) is the best place to center your load's weight, all the way up to your maximum carrying capacity without going over any axle weight limits, assuming you purchased the proper equipment for what you intend to haul.

I'm posting a link to a simple drawing that very clearly depicts how to calculate a "moment in weight" or how the distance from center effects weight distribution.

www.pilotfriend.com/safe/safety/images3/10.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: TDave

Tobster317

Expert Expediter
Owner/Operator
I always load the ligher stuff up front and the heavier towards the rear axle and door. If I only have two skids I load it on the back. No formula but Thats what I do.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TDave

str8trk

Expert Expediter
Owner/Operator
The first imperative is to scale your truck empty @ max fuel with all of your typical gear and driver on board. Second imperative is to mark the center point of your rear axle(s) on the inside of your box. While there will be variability from truck to truck and load to load, "heavy in the belly" is generally a good rule of thumb.
 

schwanman

Expert Expediter
Also you can mark the inside walls of box for center of duals or single axle. We used a orange spray can. One skid center on orange line.
4 skids 2 in front and 2 behind. A lot of times we just told loader to center on line.
 
Top