Good stuff here... thanks for bringing up the topic. The biggest thing an officer will focus on is tire ratings and whether or not they have been exceeded. For example, my Ram 4500 has a 16,000 lb GVWR, yet has six 19.5" tires rated at 3,800 lbs per tire... equaling a max load capacity of 22,800 lbs. The Ram 4500 and 5500 are nearly identical aside from a few additional leafs in the spring pack, and both share the same tires and axles from the factory. The 5500 has a GVWR of 19,500 lbs. That said, I commonly exceed my GVWR sticker weight by a few hundred pounds, but NEVER the actual printed tire maximum weight rating. I have been told by officers and other senior drivers that the biggest issue an officer will have is if you are over your tire weight rating, OR over your registered weight for your combination. So that is something to add to the conversation here and ponder on.

“Don’t watch just one channel.” This is essential advice.

As a CDL Truck Driver looking to get into Hotshot and hours into youtube videos. This is by FAR one of the most accurate, VALUBLE and informative videos out there!!!

This video should be shown to all beginner drivers. Your break down of it all was spot on and easy to understand

I am retired OTR commercial CDL w/40 yrs. For us it seems simplified. We think in terms of: STEERS 12K max, DRIVES 34K max, and TRLR. TANDEMS 34K max. All that adds up to 80,000 gross. To simplify even further, shippers know what pallets weigh and what load configuration to use, i.e. "double, single, double, single and the rest of the pallets double". Full truck loads are typically 22 to 24 pallets. Again, shippers know exactly what to do. When you bump a dock and walk in, the first question the loader asks you: "does the trailer have a reefer unit?" (last thing they want is to reload you). If you plan on doing hot shot, the info in this video is "PRICELESS"!!!

Beautiful, as a 21 year and over 2 million miles flatbed driver I wish I would have been told this 21 years ago, (I've known this for years) I'm saying this is spot on very helpful information and I deeply appreciate you sharing

Coming from semi flatbed in the past I've been searching for a little clarity on this for a few weeks now so I really appreciate this content.

You're absolutely right. I bet you there's alot of people who don't get weight and how to do the math to stay legal

Really interesting stuff. I would like to see more on this topic of understanding weight management and choosing the best truck trailer combo with that a priority

Excellent breakdown & explanation. Easy to understand and calculate. I also appreciate the warning you gave up front. Not everything you hear on KZfaq is accurate. Your info is. Thanks for giving us true info & especially taking the time to shoot & edit this video.

I have no experience with a 1 ton dually, but I can tell you ABSOLUTELY, when you hook up a trailer to the tractor (on an 18 wheeler) it WILL increase your steer axle weight.

It could be a bit confusing for any new comers but very well said and makes perfect sense if you've been hearing and reading about weights for a minute. My setup right now allows for 3500 on drive axle (tongue weight -front of trailer) and roughly 13k on the trailer axles. Total weight on trailer 16.5k (my trailer GVWR is 22k).

Best description - break down ever ! Thanks Load Mizer. Really enjoy your videos. So thanks for sharing. It's most appreciated.

Hey Goodman, It's been a while I am following on your videos. You have a hidden talent in you as far as a good English conversation is concerned. I like your unique voice, fluency and the eloquent nature of your speaking. This is something that is missing from majority of truckers, those who have attached their video clips to the You-Tube channels - at least I haven't come across with. Your speech delivery is not only absorbent, but quiet instructive- Congratulation! I want to hear regarding "Car hauling" and pay rates if you could elaborated on this issue when time allows. Thanks.

THANK YOU!!!! I have spent three days trying to find out HOW to figure what I can put into the bed of my 2001 Dodge 3500 Truck. NOW a Video that helped me figure it out! I have looked at MANY, and none covered Payload in an understandable way. THANKS!!!!!!

You make it so simple to understand and that makes us safer. Brother you are Godsent! Thank you so much.

An important thing that a lot of new drivers overlook is the tire rating. You may be able to haul 26k pounds but if you have only 7k lbs tires then remember to balance your load accordingly or you will be over weight on your tires.

That’s a good morning class with my morning coffee. I will watch again to take notes. Thanks man!

Thank you! Thank you! I'm just looking at starting a hauling business, and when I looked at the regulations, I kinda scrunched up my face trying to figure it out. You made it very simple, and very clear! Thank you for taking the time to explain this.

Great video and explanation. I only disagree with one thing: as you load your trailer, your front axle on the truck WILL get heavier because the gooseneck hitch in the truck is typically mounted in front of center of the rear axle on your truck therefore transferring weight to the front truck axle. That’s why gooseneck trailers are so much safer than bumper pull trailers.

Again it's about control not safety not stopping not weight but money power and control well done 💪

This is great information. I sell new Chevy trucks for a living, and I have a Class A CDL in Pennsylvania. I have many customers that need to see this video. I try very hard to educate my customers. In Pennsylvania, the DOT will automatically add the GVWR of your truck to the GVWR of your trailer, which puts many of my customers over 26,000 GCWR. Even though a new 2020 Silverado 2500HD is rated for 18,500 gooseneck...you can't hook 18,500 to the back of that truck! The GVWR of a new 2020 Silverado 2500HD is 11,350 for a diesel. Add the 11,350 to the 18,500 tow rating and BOOM you're automatically at 29,850 GCWR. The DOT doesn't care what the truck is rated for. They assume Maximum Capability at all times. The assume the tow rig is at full GVWR before you hook to the trailer. Also keep in mind the GCWR of a new 2020 Silverado 2500HD is only 27,500 lbs. So Chevy and the rest of the truck manufacturers are basing their towing off of an empty truck. Sure, and empty 2020 HD Silverado is ~ 8000 lbs for a 4x4 crew diesel shortbed. 8,000 curb weight + 18,500 gooseneck = 26,500 lbs...so you're under what the tuck is rated for, but you still need a Class A. Lastly I totally agree that de-rating the GVWR of a new trailer simply cuts down on what you can haul. It subtracts from your payload. The empty weight of the trailer doesn't change. I realize you're trying to stay under 26,000 GCWR...but if they put you on the scales, you're trailer will be overloaded if you load it like it's a 25K trailer that you derated to stay under CDL. Sorry for the rant!

Non CDL hotshot will never overload there axles. I am a CDL hotshot when I cross the scales the weigh master does not care about the door tags. They look at the sidewall rating of the tires. My GCVWR is 34,000 and I license to 32,000 and I never haul over 30,000 lbs. Where non CDL hotshots get in trouble is when they get over 26,000 they mostly likely will be shut down. As a CDL hotshot I will get an overweight ticket. I won`t be shutdown unless I am way overloaded. Another good video. Thank you

Really good info and easy to comprehend for the new guys. I would add just 1 item on there which is tire rating. I have had friends that got put out of service more than once for having 10 ply tires while hauling 3 f150 and because their tire rating was surpassed they had to remove 1 vehicle to continue their trip. Keep up the good info much respect 💪👊🇺🇸💰

In PA if your are non cdl(RV or horse trailer). Dot doesn't even actually weigh you. They go by the stickers on the truck and trailer and check tire ratings. You can be pinched even for hauling an empty trailer.

This is the best explanation on this subject I have seen on youtube...thank you.

Probably the best video I've watched. Thank you so much.. I will save it and watch it a few times.

I am thinking about getting in to hotshot I have a class a with 5 years experience no tickets this information was very helpful thank you oh by the way I’m a new subscriber great videos keep it up

I seriously had so many questions. You answered all of them!

About time I find a decent breakdown video of this topic. Thank you. Definitely gonna help with what trailer to purchase. I messed up and bought a 2500 that max’s out at 10k on the truck. Gonna be hard to find a trailer I can pull/haul with to stay legal

I spoke with a DOT officer and he told me they can't give you a ticket if you are over the GVWR of truck as long as you don't exceed the GCWR or the max capacity of your tires

Excellent narration of the math from different viewpoints. It gave me a fresh perspective, as someone who works for a commercial g.c. and the trailers we haul, probably incorrectly. Thanks again.

Don't forget you can permit for the extra weight and the ply count of your tires can affect that as well

I know this was a old video but super helpful man appreciate it definitely looking to review some more of your content

This is beyond clear buddy! Great job and thanks for clearing up all the confusion! Stay safe out there

Best description I’ve ever heard!

This is a question ive been asking myself and seemed like people where just pulling what the trailer was rated for but i knew there was more too it. That rear axle weight probably is a lot different on a single drive than a dual drive axle also.... Man this was super video thank you!

WOW What a great video. I have saved this and will refer back to it. They didnt even show us this stuff in the school where I got my CDL A. They breezed over it like it was nothing. Thanks so much for your series of videos. You dont waste, meaning you respect, the viewers time and not go into a lot of happy happy useless garbage. I dont think I have ever hit the bell to be notified about any channels I subscribe to......I will hit the bell for your videos. Your vids are VERY informative, Thanks again.

Thank you for this video !! Now I know what to look for when picking out my truck and trailer Thanks again

Great advice, I have watched over 50 videos and I look for the consistency. Great advice.

Very well explained. Weights are a trap for young players - have seen many fall victim to the "mermaids" in different places. There is one thing to remember though... If you go to court, check to ensure that the prosecution has a certificate of accuracy for the scale for before and after the alleged offence. One of the problems that no one has picked up on is this: When the scale is tested / calibrated by the scale company, they need to check different spots on the platform to ensure that any spot on the platform is showing identical weights. If this is not the case, adjustments are made to the signal that is sent from the base to the display in the scale house. By doing this, the zero to capacity reading has now been altered! Therefore, how can the prosecution walk into court with a certificate of accuracy when the zero to capacity has not been checked / tested and recorded before being adjusted? You also need to ask if all readings are recorded both before and after calibrations have been adjusted. This fraud / perverting the course of justice has been going on for over 70 years. Time it was brought to a stop!

Excellent information! I have been confused about this topic for some time. Thank you for the incredibly clear explanation! Ive been a big truck driver since 98 but I couldnt seem to grasp the weight regulations for hotshots. Looking to get started in around a month from now. Appreciate channels like yours and others similar!

Great job. Well articulated and well explained. The best video I've watched and I just watched 13 of em. A+

Thanks bro after the 4 views and several replays, I think I got it.

As a retired CDL driver the standard fcmvc assoc. Federal period regardless of ratings exc a non CDL driver can haul 26001 pounds regardless of licensing. Exc. With an air brake endorsement this can go up. For non CDL. Anything over the 26001 I'd an illegal load. As long as the tires capacity is not being exceeded that's mostly what you need to worry about. Other considerations are stopping regardless of load weight size height exc. If u can't stop it you are screwed. You must consider brake power and stopping ability without heating up or it's useless to haul if you cannot stop it. Good luck all

Have a 18k load of lumber (36’) booked for Monday, beginning to wonder if I can haul the weight. Never gone over 17k. F450 with 40’ pj 12k axels. Empty scale ticket is 19400, plated at 39k

That was a great explanation , how ever you left one thing out . And that is the bridge formula . And some state calculate that differently . I have a straight truck with 20,000 lbs front axle and 40,000 lbs rears . And yet my GVW is 56,000 lbs. I was told that in Conn. my truck can only weigh around 52,000 lbs . For me the tires are not the issue it is because of the wheelbase .

Thank you for the thorough explanation.

I am non cdl, thank you this information. Happy Thanksgiving. Take care all the time.

So, so true. If you ignore the numbers, they will have a field day with you. I picked up a load in Portland OR and the paperwork said it only weighed 29,000 total but when I ran over the scale, the scale said I was over 80,000 by 2,000 pounds on the rear axles. I got a fine and had to go in the box and redistribute the load to the front. What a pain that was on a hot day. Even after that, I was over gross by 200 pounds. I got a fine for that but was allowed to go. The next scale pulled me in for being overweight but I had them call the scale previous and they let me go. Always, always go to a Cat Scale or something similar before hitting the highway. In my case, the paperwork was wrong for the load and trusting my truck scale I thought I was legal on the trailer.

best analogy ! ...was my take on gvwr in a minute . other descriptions have only confused me .

Very nice video thanks for for explaining this i had to go back twice but i got it 100% thanks for all the good info keep up good work

Fellas the best thing to do is get a cdl so u can avoid a lot of this kinda stuff , great video driver be safe

Digging the format.. no bullshit n too the point... Keep it Kentucky!! Lol

Great explanation on this topic!

You always come with the good info. Thx Mizer. Keep em coming...

Hello, thanks for the video. You explained it well but I'm still confused. I have a 2019 F 350 with the same weight of your f350 and my trailer is 40ft by 8.5 ft with 2 7k axels. I'll keep watching your video until I get it. Thanks again.

This is so rare. You are so concise and you get straight to the point. What a hero.

and yet another great video!! Thanks again for all the great information! Keep it coming and Stay Safe!!!

17000 is light that’s pretty setup man!!

Awesome info. Thank you very much for providing.

Good morning I just watched the video you did on weight and man did that clear up my confusion thanks for the great info I hope I run into you out on the road some day so I can thank in person.. im Jay Halfmoon trucking

Very well explained. Thank you sir

Great ifo! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.

Great info ... can you make a video about how your weight also can cause the change in your license from class C to Class A! When in doubt call your state trooper...

You explained everything perfect! If you can’t do math this is probably the wrong profession for you 😂

Good video- but your front axle WILL be different than your 5200 number.. Load the trailer heavy into the bed- it will also raise the front weight slightly- add a bunch to a tag trailer without air bags and you will take a bunch off the steer axle. So even if you are under weight total- you can over load the front axle with single tires by putting way too much weight in the bed and airing the air bags up too much! Just the rear And height alone moves weight on or off the front axle. Travel safe.

Great Info!!! Well said and very articulate. When you were listing the final legal weight you could carry on your set-up, I was saying to myself, "the load has to be perfectly balanced/positioned on the deck". It was like 5 seconds before you said "your placement has to be perfect". Load placement can also make you too heavy on one end of the deck or the other. Great point for any driver in charge of loading their own freight and keeping it legal for the folks at the scales. Ya can't slide those trailer tandems on a gooseneck........

You just saved me a lot of money brotha appreciate it!

As you know it gets pretty in-depth. My tank trailer has fixed place axles. Since I haul the same product my weight stays the same. I am overweight on my drives so I must move my 5 th wheel up to get weight to transfer to steers to stay legal. I can’t go to far up, if the distance is too short between my drives and trailer then I can’t go 34K on my tandems. There are also limits on what is allowed on each tire. It’s is more then most need to know just pointing out it’s a science that some drivers have to play. All I am saying is know your limits and always refer to the publications where you are running. It takes a few minutes to review, a single ticket can be the difference between a profit or lose for a load. I know you know this load, just putting out something for others to research.

And also remember it also goes bye how much your tires can handle too! Ask any dot officer

.Good video, but I would have to disagree with cheating the registration part. It's a loophole, but it's not illegal to de-rate your trailer so you can be under the combined weight for non-cdl hotshot. It's all about being legal and being safe. overall good info.

Excellent explanation

Also you should not go over the factory rated tow ratings and the factory rated GCWR. GCWR ranges widely even in the same model. For example, Ford F-250 GCWR is from between 19,500 to 30,000. Also, remember that older trucks are rated way less than the new trucks.

great video very good job explaining everything thanks I know I appreciate them

Thank you so much for your information . I really like your videos

Thank you!!! This really help. 😊

Pasadena , Texas loves to see you go by. The judge is real friendly but the DA and cop witness are not. The guy i drove for never learned you could derate the trailer or that the dealer derates the truck for cheaper title registration.

Great explanation! Thanks for that. When you're hauling for camper hauling companies, they require your truck registration to be 26k. How can that be when the truck has a GVWR of 14k?

That’s why I never understood derating trailers

Very informative bro!, thanks

VERY HELPFUL I am going to watch this video over again and write down notes for sure? For the apportioned tags for Georgia with a F350 my weight class should be 55,000?

This was a fantastic video

THANK, YOU FOR YOURE VIDEO AGAIN ILL SHARE YOURE INFOR WITH MY OFFLINE FRIENDS

Perfect! Thanks!

Great video! Very informative to haul perfect weight... my question is (empty trailer, fueled up) my steers axels are at (5,160) Drive axels are at (5,440) Trailer axels are at (7,460) Gross weight is (18,060) Can I tow 15,000lbs even though my truck can only tow 20,000? (GCWR 28,300) Sorry in advance if its a dumb question to ask...

Spot on!

There is no non CDL hauling once your truck or truck/trailer goes over the 10,000 lbs rating up to 26,000 lbs., which requires a D class CDL and a physical card.

say i had a single axle semi, and your same trailer, how could i determine then? im guessing id be limited by the trailer in that case? what if i had a 53' semi trailer, im GUESSING then the truck will end up being the limiting factor. but say i can "magically" get to 80000 pounds combined, with a single axle semi and appropriate trailer and the weights correct...am i good to haul it? ive never understood that aspect of these ratings. or say a pickup truck and say you had a trailer rated to tow up to 80k combined, and you could keep the axle weight correct on the truck, whats stopping you from hauling 80k combined?

Great information!

Very helpful. Thank you.

IVE GOT A 1973, FORD F-700 DUMP TRK 10FT BODY AIR BRAKES 5-SPD 2-SPD REAR AXLE 361. EMPTY WEIGHT 10-THOUSAND KEEPING DUMP TRK UNDER 26001 FARM USE NO CDL

Love the info thank you

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 u did a D### good job on this one 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

That definitely cleared it up for me appreciate that info

This is why I stepped upto an m2 business class Freightliner,

Great video. Thanks for the info.

I’m starting a hotshot with only a class b and this rattled my cage lol

Hey brother. I liked your video. Could you advice me,please?I got ram 3500 dually and a trailer(for 3 car hauler). So I registered my vehicle for 3400 pounds 14000 is my truck and 20000 my trailer. When I go into scale how they will look into my document?Will they count it as combination or will they scale it by axle?im so confused

Very informative!! Thanks !!