RADEMIS

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PLYMOUTH, INDIANA
I found this really dramatic example for people to realize the chances they take when traveling around semi trucks. Rademis
 

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And it will really make you think about that whilst in Michigan, where the max tractor trailer weight is 150,000lbs!

Those wonderful lobbyists managed to persuade the state reps in Lansing that it would reduce the amount of tractor trailers on the roads!

It has only resulted in the majority of the roads being in an abysmal condition and have you, at times, wondering if you are riding in the USA or some (very poor) third world country
 
Tony, you are all wet.......

And it will really make you think about that whilst in Michigan, where the max tractor trailer weight is 150,000lbs!

Those wonderful lobbyists managed to persuade the state reps in Lansing that it would reduce the amount of tractor trailers on the roads!

It has only resulted in the majority of the roads being in an abysmal condition and have you, at times, wondering if you are riding in the USA or some (very poor) third world country

Tony, I know you are a little bigger than I am, younger and undoubtly stronger but seeing as you aren't home and not within striking distance I'm going to disagree with you on all counts.

First off, the maximum allowable weight on Michigan Roads is 163,000 pounds distributed across 11 axles not 150,000.

Secondly, it wasn't the wonderful lobbyists that brought that about, it was the auto companies many years ago. They wanted their steel coils in bulk at their stamping operations throughout Michigan and went to the legislature and petitioned them for the weight gross weight increase and you probably don't know it but there a quite a few other states with very lienient weight limits just like Michigan. Our neighbors to the south, Ohio is one of them and there are a few out west that also allow quite a bit over 80K. The key word is permitted. In those states, just like in Michigan, you have to be permitted by that state to haul the weight. Michigan only recognizes 80,000 on 5 axles just like any other state governed by the Interstate Commerce Commission.

It's a scientifically proven fact that the per square inch of tire loading on a fully loaded 80,000 pound gross vehicle (5 axles, 18 wheels total) is actually less than a Honda Accord. The same holds true for a fully loaded Michigan 11 axle at 163,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (11 axles 42 tires total). The other thing about a Michigan special (and I've driven a lot of miles in them) is that there are brakes on each of those 11 axles so they will literally stop on a dime and give you change and that's loaded or empty.

Finally, the Interstate Highway system was conceived and built for the transportation of Military personel and equipment in case of national emergency and not for your convenience. All Interstate highways and secondary roads (if they are built to Federal specifications) are built to withstand in the excess of 200,000 pounds of loading on bridges and 200K of loading on the surface of the highway so long as it's evenly distributed.

When you get into the area of transportation don't forget what I teach. Besides, I have 37 years of experience under my belt.
 
Tony, I know you are a little bigger than I am, younger and undoubtly stronger but seeing as you aren't home and not within striking distance I'm going to disagree with you on all counts.

First off, the maximum allowable weight on Michigan Roads is 163,000 pounds distributed across 11 axles not 150,000.

Secondly, it wasn't the wonderful lobbyists that brought that about, it was the auto companies many years ago. They wanted their steel coils in bulk at their stamping operations throughout Michigan and went to the legislature and petitioned them for the weight gross weight increase and you probably don't know it but there a quite a few other states with very lienient weight limits just like Michigan. Our neighbors to the south, Ohio is one of them and there are a few out west that also allow quite a bit over 80K. The key word is permitted. In those states, just like in Michigan, you have to be permitted by that state to haul the weight. Michigan only recognizes 80,000 on 5 axles just like any other state governed by the Interstate Commerce Commission.

It's a scientifically proven fact that the per square inch of tire loading on a fully loaded 80,000 pound gross vehicle (5 axles, 18 wheels total) is actually less than a Honda Accord. The same holds true for a fully loaded Michigan 11 axle at 163,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (11 axles 42 tires total). The other thing about a Michigan special (and I've driven a lot of miles in them) is that there are brakes on each of those 11 axles so they will literally stop on a dime and give you change and that's loaded or empty.

Finally, the Interstate Highway system was conceived and built for the transportation of Military personel and equipment in case of national emergency and not for your convenience. All Interstate highways and secondary roads (if they are built to Federal specifications) are built to withstand in the excess of 200,000 pounds of loading on bridges and 200K of loading on the surface of the highway so long as it's evenly distributed.

When you get into the area of transportation don't forget what I teach. Besides, I have 37 years of experience under my belt.

Flip,

Greetings from chilly Norway.

I'm not out to tick you off, hopefully this can be resolved without our ages or builds being a factor, even if we have to agree to disagree on this matter.

Knowing your background like I do, I don't doubt for a second that you have likely forgotten more about truck legislation than I will ever know.

I am well aware how powerful the auto industry is in Michigan and theres little doubt the lobbyists retained by them were involved getting this through Lansing.

I can't fault your calculations regards weight per axle. I was just making an observation that the majority of roads in Michigan are in a lot worse condition that roads in other states I have resided in and visited. Inclement weather is also likely a factor but the larger tractor trailers have got to be playing a major part in the condition of the MI roads. You can go on until you are blue in the face but you won't convince me otherwise!

FYI My BIL who is in the hauling business (he has four rigs) has had six tickets in the past two weeks, not for exceeding the max weight but for one of the axles being over the max permissable, some of these tickets have been $1200+. It looks like the Governor has really got he inspectors clamping down in an effort to get the state out of the fiscal mess it finds itself in.

Hope we get the chance to discuss this in a civil manner when I get home
Regards

Tony
 
I'm glad I'm at home and not on the North Sea

Tony:

You should know I only spout off here but I do know about trucking at least the State and the Department of Homeland Security think so.

I thought you were of to the Med not the North Sea. At least you aren't on deck. If you were, knowing the North Sea this time of year, you'd better be life lined all the time. If any sardines come flying past the porthole, grab some. I love sardines in olive oil.

What caught my eye was the scale that Rademis posted. People driving their cars should realize that basically they are driving an 18 gage steel coffin and take their driving as a serious responsibility not as simply a convenient place to talk on a cell phone, put on make-up, read a book or even masturbate. It's like the wreck on I-5 in the tunnel. Now it comes out that there were cars involved, in a clearly designated route for trucks only but the cars use it for a shortcut. I'd bet that a car was the cause or a contributing factor in the crash if they can ever find out. Now if the trucks were in a cars only road......

If you are in a car don't fool with a truck. You are gonna loose and loose bad. Just like us as bikers, we have to look out for cars, trucks, everything. That's why I don't like distractions like radio's or CB's or GPS units on bikes. All you have to do is be distracted for a tenth of a second. that's all it takes to become a statistic. At 60 mph, from the time you see an impending danger to the time your brain tells the proper nerve to contract the proper muscle is 35 feet under optimum conditions. That 35 feet you do absolutely nothing but continue at the velocity you are at unimpeded without taking any evasive action whatsoever. Then you have to take into account road conditions, traction, tire condition and brake condition as well as other factors like what the vehicle next to you is doing, your physical health, whether you have been drinking or doing narcotics. Every little thing increases that distance and that distance may be the difference between a successful evasive maneuver or a trip to the coroners office. I always doubted that statement, that is, until I took the Eaton Corporation's Defensive Driver Decision Making Course in Marshall, Michigan. It's the premier wet skid pad evasive maneuver course in the United States and I've taken it twice, once in a tractor trailer and once in a passenger car. I'd like to try it on a bike but not the Rock because I'm gonna lay it down plain and simple and I don't want to wreck my bike.

I deal with this stuff everyday. I have to teach this stuff and I show all the gruesome movies and still people think they are invincible in their coffins. They aren't. You aren't, I'm not.

By the way, that's as serious as I've ever been on this site.
 
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Flip,

Greetings from chilly Norway.

I'm not out to tick you off, hopefully this can be resolved without our ages or builds being a factor, even if we have to agree to disagree on this matter.

Knowing your background like I do, I don't doubt for a second that you have likely forgotten more about truck legislation than I will ever know.

I am well aware how powerful the auto industry is in Michigan and theres little doubt the lobbyists retained by them were involved getting this through Lansing.

I can't fault your calculations regards weight per axle. I was just making an observation that the majority of roads in Michigan are in a lot worse condition that roads in other states I have resided in and visited. Inclement weather is also likely a factor but the larger tractor trailers have got to be playing a major part in the condition of the MI roads. You can go on until you are blue in the face but you won't convince me otherwise!

FYI My BIL who is in the hauling business (he has four rigs) has had six tickets in the past two weeks, not for exceeding the max weight but for one of the axles being over the max permissable, some of these tickets have been $1200+. It looks like the Governor has really got he inspectors clamping down in an effort to get the state out of the fiscal mess it finds itself in.

Hope we get the chance to discuss this in a civil manner when I get home
Regards

Tony

I'm not gonna argue with you. Besides, you are bigger than I am.:D

Michigan, on June 30th of this year changed the way they were weighing trucks from considering an overweight vehicle based on the gross weight to considering axle weights and fining on the heaviest axle instead. Interestingly, very little of the overweight fines in Michigan go for road improvements or any road or enforcement related needs. 95% of all fines levied against heavy trucks go to the library system in the jurisdiction where the truck was phusically fined. Hows that for off the wall.:)
 
It's a scientifically proven fact that the per square inch of tire loading on a fully loaded 80,000 pound gross vehicle (5 axles, 18 wheels total) is actually less than a Honda Accord.

Me........... I'll take my chances with a honda accord. I already know I can **** near rip the rear axle out of a dodge avenger with a K1200LT Beemer
 
Confused or defused

It's a scientifically proven fact that the per square inch of tire loading on a fully loaded 80,000 pound gross vehicle (5 axles, 18 wheels total) is actually less than a Honda Accord.

Me........... I'll take my chances with a honda accord. I already know I can **** near rip the rear axle out of a dodge avenger with a K1200LT Beemer

For some reason, I'm not getting the correlation??:confused:
 
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