I'm trying to determine the GCWR of my Freightliner. I need to move a few machines, one being a 28k pound excavator and a 40k pound excavator. I know the truck will move the smaller 28k pound machine ok, but how about the larger 40k pound machine? Truck is a 33kgvw, single axle, MBE900 motor with 9 sp trans. I don't want to abuse the truck, so if it's too heavy I'll get another truck to move it. I asked the dealer and he said that the gcwr whould be about 70k lbs, which doesn't seem right...
John,I don't know how GCWR is detemined,but I think that may be pushing it with a tag-a-long,pintle hook trailer. Assuming your truck is around 14K,and you'de need a 25-30ton tag-a-long trailer,to haul a 40k machine,the trailer mt would be around 10K. You'de be pulling aroung 50k total with a truck that weighs about 14K.I'd be worried with that much towed weight,through a pintle,that the load may want to control the truck. You'de also need 5K-7.5K tongue weight min. to be safe pulling it(10-15%)That's alot of tongue weight! That weight would be trying to unload the steers. Even if the truck were a single axle semi,a 50K load would be alot(trl & equip.) You may be fine,if you went real slow,but I'd be worried about loss of control,if something were to go wrong,at even moderate road speeds. That doesn't even take into account the "abuse" to your truck,that you were concerned about,either. Good Luck!
Thanks Jeff. That's what I had figured. I have pulled plenty of machines before, but none that heavy. For as much as it get's moved, I think I'll just stay with the low-boy tractor trailer setup.
You are going to need a tandem axle truck and lowbed to move the 40,000lb machine a single axle is too light. A 40,000lb machine is a 690 John Deere or Hitachi 200LC which gets move here on a regular lowbed a tilt tag trailer is pushing your luck.
Thanks LT, so what would be the most you'd recommend pulling with the single axle dump? Another contractor we work with has a JD 120, 28k pounds and that pulls fine. Is that about the limit?
A 120 sized machine is about max you want to pull with a pintle type hitch on a heavy single axle. I think you would really feel it with it bouncing the truck around plus the brakes would be a little underpowered. A local guy that I went to school with has a single axle 35,000lb gvw he pulls a 20 ton rated tag and its heavy behind the truck he carries a 12,000lb mini on it. He borrows the trailer so its why its a 20 ton which is overkill for a 12,000lb mini. But the trailer itself is heavy for the truck. Most excavation contractors here run 160 Deere size machines carried on 20 ton gvw tags pulled behind tandem axle dump trucks. You definatly can feel the weight pulling the trailer with the machine on it. We wouldn't pull that kind of weight with anything but a tandem. Most trucks are running 400hp and your dropping down into low range to pull the hills (10% grades).
You are right. I have moved a Komatsu 120 behind a L8000 ford single axle (7.8L 240hp ford diesel 5&2) quite a few times, and it is asking a bit much of the truck. I like moving it on the drop deck lowbed behind the Mack CH tractor much better, but some places we go you can't really fit the big lowbed.