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

 

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Supporting Information

Distribution of Five-Axle Tractor-Trailers by On-Road Weight, 2008
Truck Weight (Pounds) Number of Trucks Share of Total
11,000 0 0%
15,400 20 0%
19,800 80 1%
24,300 160 1%
28,700 435 4%
33,100 875 8%
37,500 1,090 10%
41,900 965 8%
46,300 880 8%
50,700 845 7%
55,100 900 8%
59,500 940 8%
63,900 965 8%
68,300 1,085 10%
72,800 1,245 11%
77,200 520 5%
81,600 230 2%
86,000 80 1%
90,400 40 0%
94,800 10 0%
99,200 0 0%
103,600 0 0%

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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