Different Types Of Scales

There are three types of scales that you are going to use to scale your truck and trailer before you will need to be weighed by a weigh station.

a small space that will weigh one set of axles at a time. That you will be able to see the weights right away on a reader board.

A large one that will weigh the truck and trailer at once. That you will be able to see the weights right away on a reader board.

And a truck stop scale that will weigh all axles at once, that you are going to have to pay for before you can see you weights 

Sliding Your 5th Wheel

In most trucks, you are able to slide your 5th wheel. You would want to do this for a couple of reasons.

If you need to redistribute weight to the steer axle or the drives.

If the trailer you are connecting to has landing gear too close to the back mudflaps. They may hit each other if the 5th wheel is too far forward.

How to slip your fifth wheel

When you have a loaded trailer is nearly impossible to slide it due to too much friction.

1st you need to have an anchor to hold the 5th wheel. We will, the trailer’s kingpin lol. The trailer will need to have its brake set.

In order to remove the friction, you will need to remove the weight off the 5th wheel.

So how do we do that??

We lower the landing gear.

Will that be enough?? no, it won’t, we need to put all the weight of the trailer onto the landing gear by just lowering the landing gear til it touches the ground. Hop back into the cab and hit the suspension air dump switch. It will be next to the 5th wheel sliding switch and the interaxle differential switch. When all the air is dumped you will see that all the weight is now on the landing gear.

Now you will need to retract the pins that are holding the 5th wheel in place by hitting the switch called 5th wheel slide. Then releasing the truck parking brake allowing the truck to go forward or backward. And since the 5th wheel is connected to the parked trailer the 5th wheel moves.

Sliding the 5th wheel to the rear will transfer weight from the front axle to the drives and sliding the 5th wheel forward will transfer weight to the front axle. There is around 500 lbs per hole/notch, it all depends on how many inches each hope/hotch are. But I’m my experience it is around 500 lbs.

Once you have the pins where you want them you can flip the 5th wheel switch back, the pins may not be out yet so you will need to drive back or forward to that they will be pushed out power. You will know they are out because you can not move. Set the brake and check to see if the pins are out by looking.  If you try the same thing again till you know for sure that they are out.

Now because all the weight is on the landing gear you will find it very difficult to crank the landing gear back up. You will need to air back up the air suspension, they might take up to 30 seconds.

After you have all the weight off the trailer back on the 5th wheel you can now crank the landing gear back up and you have successfully and safely slid your 5th wheel.

Steps

Set trailer brakes

Lower landing gear

Dump air suspension.

Flip 5th wheel slide switch

Drive forwards or back to slide 5th wheel

Flip switch back again

Drive towards hole so pins come out

Visually check that pins are out

Raise air suspension

Raise landing gear     

First I will teach you the old way.

1. You drive onto the scale, stop when all the axles are on the scale and you are next to the intercom. 

2. Push the button. Turn off your truck so you can hear what is being spoken to you and that the other person can understand you.

3. The first thing that they will ask you is “1st weigh or re-weigh?”. You will say 1st weigh because this will be the 1st time you have scaled this load.

4. They will ask for your truck number and sometimes your trailer number. They have a camera on you and most of the time they know who you work for.

5. Once they have the weight they will ask you to drive off the scale and park and come inside.

6. Now you will have to wait in line for the cashier.

7. The will ask you a few things here, your company, truck and trailer number and in some states will ask for your trailer license.

8. Once you have made your payment of around $11.50 they will hand your scale ticket. If the weights are fine, you can carry on with your day.

9. If your weights are not to your liking, can slide your axles or your 5th wheel to adjust your weight.

10. Once you have adjusted your weight you can then go back onto the scale and do the same thing but this time when they ask you if it’s your 1st weigh of re-weigh you will say re-weigh and then she will ask you of your weigh number in the bottom left of the yellow scale ticket.

11. Once they have your weight you can then go re-park and head back inside and this time it will only cost a $2. And if you are still not happy with your weight you can still re-weigh for $2 more?12.00

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