According to weigh-in-motion data collected by fifteen states, the majority of 5-axle tractor-trailers on the road weigh between 33,000 and 73,000 lbs.Eleven percent of the tractor-trailers had weight recorded around 72,800 lbs and 10% around 68,300 lbs. Another 10% of tractor-trailers were on the lighter end of the scale – around 37,500 lbs.These data show that only a small percent of trucks on the road are near the maximum roadway gross vehicle weight of 80,000 lbs.Thus, most trucks are filling the trailer space to capacity (cubing-out) before they reach the maximum weight limit (weighing-out).

Distribution of Five-Axle Tractor-Trailers by On-Road Vehicle Weight, 2008
Image

Supporting Information

Distribution of Five-Axle Tractor-Trailers by On-Road Weight, 2008
Truck Weight (Pounds)Number of TrucksShare of Total
11,00000%
15,400200%
19,800801%
24,3001601%
28,7004354%
33,1008758%
37,5001,09010%
41,9009658%
46,3008808%
50,7008457%
55,1009008%
59,5009408%
63,9009658%
68,3001,08510%
72,8001,24511%
77,2005205%
81,6002302%
86,000801%
90,400400%
94,800100%
99,20000%
103,60000%

Note: Data are from these 15 States: California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington.

Source:National Academy of Sciences, Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, prepublication copy, March 2010, p. 5-45.
Original source: Federal Highway Administration, Vehicle Travel Information System, 2008.

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