How common is overloading vans and Sprinters?

[OntarioVanMan]

I keep thinking that pulling a trailer behind a van is a really bad idea. That idea got reinforced the other night. Southbound on I-57, coming through Champaign, got hit by a snowsquall. High winds blew the snow across the pavement and made a nightmare. My van got out of sorts in one spot, fortunately nobody was alongside me or it could have been bad. I had a 25 pound box on board.

Now, imagine a cargo trailer adding to the festivities. You've hit a slippery spot, your van is skittish on that stuff to begin with and now the trailer decides it wants to lead. Does this sound like fun to you?

Even apart from that, I gather that a number of people who talk of towing a trailer have never dealt with trailers. Loading one properly is a bit of a trick. You want at least 10 percent of the total trailer weight resting on the connection to the tow vehicle, but not more than 15 percent. If the trailer's tongue is too light, the trailer will whip from side to side at highway speed and if it ever happens to you once you vow to never let that happen again. If the tongue is too heavy you're putting unnecessary strain on your tow vehicle. On the heavier trailers you'll need an equalizing hitch set-up because-- well, 10 percent of a 5,000 lb trailer is HEAVY and it's at the extreme rear of your tow vehicle. Loading a cargo trailer is a bit of a trick.

That is exactly why SD has their scaling at 8,000 GVW....they are looking for the Pickup and trailer combos....many ranchers transport cattle and hay around and overload and have unsafe trailers....

 

[westmicher]

Our 2006 3500 Sprinter, rated 9,900 lbs GVW, can carry about 3,900 legally. IF you had a newer Sprinter WITH THE 11,020 GVW OPTION, you could haul 4,500 lbs. However, these are literally unheard of in the expedite industry because a 11,020 GVW REQUIRES logs and a raised deck. I doubt there is one in expediting, although there are some in use as motorhomes.

 

[LDB]

I hauled over 3100 pounds in my one ton Chevy one time for about 15 miles. The BOL said 750 pounds. I knew it was more but it was two pieces and I thought 750 each perhaps although I suspected it was a good bit above that as well. I didn't imagine it was as much as it turned out to be though since each of the two cores was a little more than 100% over the total they claimed. I left it at the Express dock when the customer refused to pay the correct air fee. They got a s/t to take it back to the customer the next day. I can legally scale a little over 2700 so it wasn't insanely overweight but I'd never have agreed if they'd been truthful.

 

[tknight]

I just saw a 16' s/t load posted for 45000 lbs who want it!

 

[bobwg]

I had agent call me last Friday wanted me to take a 3 skid 2,900 lb load from St Louis out to Montana. I said sorry to much weight and going to a no frieght area. He said its a good paying load I said I am 8550 gvw my empty weight is 6100, so if you want to have them cut the weight down to under 2500 lbs and cover at least half of my cost to dead head back east we can talk. ended up getting a better load to Texas away from the cold and snow

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I had agent call me last Friday wanted me to take a 3 skid 2,900 lb load from St Louis out to Montana. I said sorry to much weight and going to a no frieght area. He said its a good paying load I said I am 8550 gvw my empty weight is 6100, so if you want to have them cut the weight down to under 2500 lbs and cover at least half of my cost to dead head back east we can talk. ended up getting a better load to Texas away from the cold and snow

Goes to show the differences and why dispatch does what they do.....that there load to Montana would be MY going home load...I;d thought I'd died and went to heaven....LOL.....I'd do it for normal fare.....

 

[LDB]

I had agent call me last Friday wanted me to take a 3 skid 2,900 lb load from St Louis out to Montana. I said sorry to much weight and going to a no frieght area. He said its a good paying load I said I am 8550 gvw my empty weight is 6100, so if you want to have them cut the weight down to under 2500 lbs and cover at least half of my cost to dead head back east we can talk. ended up getting a better load to Texas away from the cold and snow

Goes to show the differences and why dispatch does what they do.....that there load to Montana would be MY going home load...I;d thought I'd died and went to heaven....LOL.....I'd do it for normal fare.....

And that's exactly why there's no specific definition of cheap freight.