For Jeff Sutton, hauling construction materials is about moving the most payload in the fewest number of trips and doing it within the bounds of size and weight laws.
Sutton's family-run company, Sutton Trucking, is based in Archie MO. It has to comply with four sets of weight rules: federal limits on the interstate, state restrictions in Missouri and Kansas, and municipal laws that apply to a commercial zone spanning a 50-mile radius around Kansas City.
“We haul cement, powdered products to make concrete, and aggregate in and out of Kansas City's commercial zone, where the allowable weights are higher,” Sutton says. “We needed a truck that was productive and legal both inside the zone and outside of it.”
Within the commercial zone, the maximum weight allowed is 22,400 pounds on any single axle and 36,000 pounds on a tandem. On interstates, trucks are restricted to 20,000 pounds on any single axle and 34,000 pounds on a tandem. The actual gross weight allowed depends on the distance from the first to last axle.
“To give Jeff the most productivity possible, we needed to stretch the length of the outer bridge to the maximum allowed for a straight truck,” says Jeff McQuillan of MHC Kenworth in Kansas City, who helped Sutton develop his spec. “We had to make sure the inner axle spacing met the bridge requirements as well.”
The answer is a Kenworth W900S Super 16 dump truck. The unit has six axles: a set-forward steer, two steerable pushers, tandem drives, and a load-bearing booster axle that swings down from the dump bed to the pavement on two hydraulic arms. The result is an outer bridge of 35 feet 6 inches and an allowable 75,500 pounds GVW under the federal bridge law.
The booster axle can bear up to 13,000 pounds and helps cantilever weight onto the steer axle. On many straight dumps it is difficult to transfer the load forward and fully utilize the front axle capacity. The booster, aided by the elliptical, tapered shape of the dump bed, does the job. The Kenworth W900S, with its set-forward axle, maximizes the overall length.
“With all the axles on the ground, the Super 16 dump lets us scale almost 24.5 tons of payload,” Sutton says. “You don't have to send two trucks out when one will do. In fact, the Kenworth W900S Super 16 basically does the same job as a tractor hauling a 40-foot frameless end-dump trailer, which scales at a little more than 25 tons of payload. Yet it's more maneuverable and costs less to insure.”
Sutton counts on McQuillan to work with the body maker and Kenworth's engineers to create a truck that's productive, legal, reliable, and innovative. He's looking to add a seven-axle, Kenworth T800 Super 18 dump capable of 80,000 pounds GVW and a full 26 tons of payload.
To learn more about MHC, phone 888-MHC-TRUCK or visit www.mhctruck.com.