Almost 100K on deck, popped a steer for the first time in my 11 years. Not fun! Got er in a safe spot after a hell of a ride š¤£
Posted by Iwytsmd7@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 80 comments
Dead_Namer@reddit
I find it crazy you need a gazillion axles on that trailer. Meanwhile in the UK we carry more load on 3 axles with super singles on any road with no permits.
Crazy that there is no damage at all, well done on getting it stopped.
BRICH999@reddit
i dont think thats accurate, with a quick search of uk gross weight limits. the highest configuration is 44t gross weight, you arent carrying a 50t load legally. OP can correct me if im wrong but this is a 50t load on a heavy truck and trailer, you are allowed up to 44t combined truck and load.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a74dbd340f0b65f61322ceb/simplified-guide-to-lorry-types-and-weights.pdf
Dead_Namer@reddit
Each of those extra axles weigh a ton or more. That's 5 extra axles which means you can carry more load if you are using just 3 axles. Also ,make sure you are not mixing up metric with US tons, there's a 10% difference.
BRICH999@reddit
Right, but in UK, it says max gross is 44t.Ā That's truck, trailer and load.Ā This guy says that steel load is 50t, meaning hes probably like 70t+ gross.Ā Ā
Dead_Namer@reddit
Is 45,195kg not the gross? That's what people usually post on here.
BRICH999@reddit
100k "on the deck" along with the weight of steel listed at 99,638lbs means he was carrying 50t of steel.Ā Not the truck, trailer and load weigh 50t
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
So awesome you felt the need to comment something irrelevant, but feel free to contact Michigan DOT and the appropriate legislators and tell them ALL about it š doubt itāll change anything.
Dead_Namer@reddit
No need to get defensive about anything. I was just pointing out how crazy that setup is.
thprk@reddit
That's a lot of axles. In Italy that weight is legal (sort of, limit is 44 tons but there's 5% tolerance) with 5 axles (2 on tractor and 3 on semitrailer).
BRICH999@reddit
44t is gross weight meaning the truck, trailer and load. this load is nearly 50t without the truck or trailer.
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the irrelevant comment š Feel free to contact Michigan DOT and the appropriate legislators and tell them ALL about it.
Starbuck_tim@reddit
Drivers side is the worst. Minimal damage. Good job.
MssMoodi@reddit
Great driving driver
afteralpha98@reddit
I was driving only 6 months and got lucky. I heard a hissing sound. It was my drivers side steer. It took about 15 seconds and I was flat. Even with warning the ride got shitty quick. Iād hate to see what itās like in a blow out.
brandmonkey@reddit
What was the experience like? What did you do to handle it? Popping a steer is my biggest fear with this job.
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
Felt a really rough shaking up front at first, which luckily happened before it actually blew, because it caused me to grip the wheel harder a split second before it let go. It pulled hard as fuck to the left, so I stomped on the accelerator and tried to steer right but it made the truck shake and bounce like crazy, my head hit the roof. (Iām almost 6 foot 4 and donāt run my seat on the floor like most weirdos in a Pete š¤£) Anyway, I relaxed my grip a bit and it pulled hard left again, so I just tried to hold it straight and that seems to help control it and prevent the shaking and bouncing, then I let off the accelerator and let the jake brake bring er down. Was hard to get the first down shift with one hand on the wheel, but the lower my speed got, the less it wanted to pull left. So if youāre in that situation, I just recommend hitting that accelerator, and just focus on keeping it straight, donāt over steer, and you should be good! Also, I wonāt assume youāre a driver who fucks with their phone while driving, but there are drivers who do, so let this be one of many reasons why we should all be leaving our phones alone while driving. Never know when a steer will blow out!
brandmonkey@reddit
I have a cab camera in mine with all the AI stuff so I couldn't look at my phone even if I wanted too lol but I wouldn't anyways. One of my biggest pet peeves is passing another driver or a 4 wheeler and they are nose deep in their phone. Pissed me off to no end. If it's a 4 wheeler I'll wait til I'm about halfway past them and hit my sir horn. Then I watch my mirrors as they look up and realize I'm beside them and start to panic swerve bc they don't know why I'm thinking. They usually put their phone down for a while after that š
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
I used to keep a paintball gun in the truck with me. Turned a few windows orange when encountering and passing truckers on their phones. Boss man said he would disable my ability to roll down the passenger window if he got another call š
Snappypants9@reddit
Was that is the Detroit area? If so I am pretty sure I saw you sitting there yesterday evening - I wondered what happened and was pretty impressed you got it off the rod safely! Either way glad you and the truck are okay!!
ASH515@reddit
Good for you. Keep on keeping on.
jecastro_2000@reddit
Popping a steering tire is my worst fear manš
Jacktheforkie@reddit
Remarkable that it doesnāt appear that much damage happened, looks like only a tyre and likely a rim, also thatās a lotta axles for only just over 45t, we run 44t lorries in the uk on six axles total
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
45 ton isnāt the max I can put on this trailer though. Our rates are based on 100,000 pounds. So if a load pays 1800 for 100K, we still get 1800 whether itās 45K or 120k
Jacktheforkie@reddit
I see
Bamfurlough@reddit
I'm glad you're ok driver. In almost 20 years I've only popped one steer. I was able to get it on the shoulder immediately with no serious damage.
The_Curvy_Unicorn@reddit
I bet youāre glad you were wearing your brown pants today!
Apmaddock@reddit
Are your axles 40k of that weight?
IIKoopaQueenII@reddit
How is he running that much weight on a divisible load?
ilovelabattblue@reddit
His empty weight is around 50-55k if I had to guess. Idk though, Iāve never pulled flatbeds. ām 63k empty on my Michigan set up but I have two steel decks and and a grapple loader
PraiseTalos66012@reddit
Assuming it's an 11 axle setup? Is it even worth it if it's that heavy?
13k per axle means 143k right? Or 148k if the steer is 18k+.
You get "only" 80k load. My lightweight sleeper truck is 28k empty, but we have daycabs as low as 25k, both those are 53ft dryvan. So 52-55k load.
Just doesn't seem like all that extra cost and weight and complexity for an 11 axle setup would be worth it to carry just 25k extra.
ilovelabattblue@reddit
Itās 13k per axle without a 9 foot spread, 18k with axles with 9 foot spread and one tandem axle rated at 32k. Those are the legal axle ratings on paper. It goes up to 169k legally , and most trucks are far less heavy than me empty. Michigan log trucks are heavy when empty and loaded lol I haul 60 ton loads usually
PraiseTalos66012@reddit
Ahhh didn't know about one tandem getting 32k. How do you get 169k though? 18k steer + 13k x8 + 32k is 154k, what am I missing? Is it one tandem on truck and trailer at 32k? That's 160k, still not 169k.
Anyway yeah 169k max and not 148k definitely explains how it's worth it.
ilovelabattblue@reddit
So you can only get 169k with a set of trains. The truck has 18k steers 32k drives, the first trailer has 5 13k axles, then the pup has 3 9foot spread axles at 18k each. Those pups bounce like no other with only a single axle dolly. Usually our dollies are 2 axles. The dolly on my set up is where I get my 32k tandem actually
BossHogg___@reddit
Thats a great save driver
MostOriginalNameEver@reddit
Zero damage? The fucking golden balls on this guy. Probably taught chuck NorrisĀ
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
Idk man, someone with golden balls wouldnāt say āfuck fuck fuck fuck fuckā 49 times before I got it over, then the 50th āffffuuckā was underneath a heavy sigh š¤£
MostOriginalNameEver@reddit
The 48th time was keeping that classic truck out the landfill !
imaguitarhero24@reddit
Actually I'm pretty sure that's proper technique
Tank_O_Doom@reddit
Along with the ass pucker ripping a hole in the seat.
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
well thenā¦crushed it š¤£
yarkboolin14@reddit
50/50 fucks
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
I usually have zero fucks to give, but today I had 50 š¤£
FloppyTacoflaps@reddit
Lucky to still have that fender
unftp-0@reddit
What does heat weight mean?
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
Heat weight is the estimated weight based on size of the bars, length and diameter, because some types of steel they ship out can be a little heavier when hot, then a little lighter when cool. Total weight is the actual weight when cool.
badmechanic12345@reddit
Ya kept dirty side down, you did good driver. Now, unclinch those cheeks and get that seat cover out, also change your pants and underoos
rydawg2727@reddit
Popped? Nah that bitch got thanos snapped lol
cleanuponaisle4@reddit
I am dreading the day that this happens to me. I know what to do in theory, but I guess I wonāt really know how I handle it until it happens. No way to simulate it in school. Hopefully there is no one around and it is flat terrain. Congratulations on cheating death.
robexib@reddit
Hey, it looks like the only casualty was the steer. As far as I'm concerned, that's a W.
CycleCaverns@reddit
If it is a violation to have anything over 80,000 ibs, why do they do this?
ilovelabattblue@reddit
Idk quite what you mean. Here in Michigan we are double that weight with correct axle configuration
CycleCaverns@reddit
I am still new to this stuff. In our books it said in Oregon and Washington that the gross weight of the load cannot exceed 80,000 ibs.
ilovelabattblue@reddit
No problem! In Michigan we have a ālegalā Max weight of 169,000k. I say legal in quotations because we donāt have an official max weight, we are whats called an axle state so it all depends on the axle configuration. Weāre allowed up to 11 axles. Though many trucks, like log truck drivers like myself exceed that max weight because as long as our load is even DOT will leave us alone if we arenāt way overweight on our axles. Iāve gone across scales with a DOT sitting there at 185,000 pounds and get left alone because the load is spread out even enough. Also maybe he didnāt feel like messing with me
Unhappy-Bag4525@reddit
Popped a steer in my first year going to mobile Al. I was scared
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
Hell man, itās terrifying even after 11 years. Never something you wanna deal with!
Train_Wrek_666@reddit
Glad your ok driver. šš
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
Thank you! I donāt drink very much or very often, but I feel I earned an extra one tonight lol when at home of course
Techwolf_Lupindo@reddit
Look like a low pressure blowout. I say that due to no to little damage to the fender/bumper, meaning the tread stayed intact. The sidewall was very hot and when it let go, very quickly destrengated all the way around, permitting the still intact tread to roll off.
I highly recommend a TPM system. I saw a good one made for trucking at MATS last week. I am going to invest in that one. Its about twice the price of the cheap car/RV ones on amazon, but has features the others don't. Like single loss and so on.
Inallahtent@reddit
That's impressive. I had my steers pop more than once and that split second of "awe shit & wtf" is real.
Especially when your trying to hit the shoulder...
Superb job driver ššæ
ghostxlx@reddit
Sir even though you said fuck a bunch of times, you blew this landing in the best way possible! Glad you are OK and stay safe!
acs0311@reddit
We run the big 425 on our steers. Iām super protective of those tires. I dread blowing one.
SupaDupaSweaty@reddit
I just did yesterday. Wasnāt fun. Currently shopping for a hood and air breather. Also buying 22.5in rims and going back to stock size.
BrandontheCDLguy@reddit
Hell of a job keeping it straight driver. Especially pulling that weight. And to not have torn up the fender? Go buy a lotto ticket.
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
Looks like the sidewalls blew out. The whole tread ring was in there wrapped around the drag link and axle lol
Dstunter18@reddit
Glad you kept control and thereās no damage
Exciting-Car-3516@reddit
Stay safe driver. I blew a drive tire in Indiana a couple years ago and it destroyed my equipment box and the side of a brand new (on delivery) trailer. Turned out it was a brand new tire with less than 3000 miles on it that was perhaps overinflated. Very scary. Stay safe driver
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
Terrifiying indeed, at least 4 people around me had to been like āAHHHH, OMG!ā Then i straightened er out, and got er over lol
Exciting-Car-3516@reddit
I will never forget the smell of burned rubber even before it exploded
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
Oh yeah, he pulled off the bad on, set it by the driver door, and I got an extra whiff when the wind kicked up lol
edsavage404@reddit
You didn't flip over that centipede, nice job
xoutlawtrucker@reddit
Glad you are ok. How many miles were on those steers?
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
Not sure on the miles, but it was sitting at 11/32 of an inch of tread.
xoutlawtrucker@reddit
I am just trying to get a ballpark how many miles steers have before they self-destruct. I had 80k on mine when the bands broke. Tire turned almost square. My truck was bouncing around like I was running over the ties on a train track.
Financial-Prize9691@reddit
I was taught to replace steers every 100k or once a year
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
Definitely a wild experience.
Both-Platypus-8521@reddit
Had 2 over the years, one with a cab over freightliner (no power steering) OTR with A bro in Sask. Another with a crane truck on local roads. No damage but hela inconvenience.
Iwytsmd7@reddit (OP)
Yikes man, thatās wild, glad you made it out of that shit!
NJNeal17@reddit
For those thinking he drove on them too long, I can speak from experience that *brand new* steers can blow!
Could be your first year in or it could take 11 years. You just never know! Sleep tight lol
NWdabest@reddit
Glad those fenders survivedā¦ and you too I guess. Hug your loved ones a little tighter next time!
fr33bird317@reddit
Glad you are ok and zero damage.