Scale assistant

Smart Tandem / Scale Assistant

Estimate a trailer-tandem slide, then use a reweigh ticket to calibrate the next move for this load.

Smart Tandem / Scale Assistant

First estimate. Then calibrate the load.

Start with your first scale ticket for a recommended move. After the reweigh, enter the second ticket so CDLMath can learn the actual pounds transferred per hole and calculate any further adjustment.

First scale ticket weights

Enter your first ticket here and keep these weights unchanged when adding a reweigh below.

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i
How to count the tandem position
  1. Find the frontmost usable locking-pin hole on the slider rail—the one closest to the tractor. Call that position 1.
  2. Count each usable pin hole toward the trailer doors.
  3. Enter the locking-pin position when the first ticket was weighed. Keep this starting position unchanged when adding a reweigh.

Trailer rails and carrier markings differ. Use this front-to-back counting method consistently, confirm all pins are seated, and verify that the calculated target position actually exists on your rail.

position

Enter the position before your first slide. With a reweigh, we calculate the new position from the direction and holes already moved.

Axle and gross limits
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lb
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position

Federal Interstate limits are generally 34,000 lb per tandem group and 80,000 lb gross, subject to Bridge Formula and exceptions. The 12,000 lb steer value is a common planning target—not a universal federal steer limit. Use the limits that actually apply to your equipment and route.

Always reweigh. Pounds per hole is an estimate. Load placement, suspension geometry, fifth-wheel position, fuel, and the trailer can change the actual transfer.
Recommended tandem move
Fits the axle and gross limits entered
Forward 8 holes to position 5

Position 13 → 5 • toward tractor • moves about 2,000 lb from drives to trailer

← Slide toward tractor
Forward / tractorBack / trailer doors

Current / latest ticket

Steer12,000 lb
Drives36,000 lb
Trailer32,000 lb
Gross80,000 lb

After estimated slide

Steer12,000 lb
Drives34,000 lb
Trailer34,000 lb
Gross80,000 lb
Current position
13
Target position
5
Forward room
12 holes
Rearward room
87 holes
Per-hole estimate
250 lb
Total transfer
2,000 lb
Transfer basis
Rail estimate
Scale consistency
First ticket
  • Reweigh after the slide before continuing.
  • Confirm the new tandem position meets every state’s kingpin and bridge rules on your route.

Position 1 is the frontmost usable locking-pin hole. Forward means toward the tractor, decreases the position number, and shifts estimated weight from the drives to the trailer tandems. Back means toward the trailer doors, increases the position number, and shifts weight to the drives.

Use the first ticket to plan, not to guess forever

Enter the steer, drive, and trailer weights from the same scale ticket. CDLMath checks the axle and gross limits you enter, looks at the holes available on the rail, and recommends a whole-hole move. Forward means toward the tractor. That normally takes weight off the drives and adds it to the trailer tandems. Moving back does the opposite.

The starting position is counted from the frontmost usable locking-pin hole. If your rail ends before position 100, open the limits panel and enter its actual rearmost usable position. The result will stay inside that range.

The reweigh is the useful part

A pounds-per-hole preset is only a first estimate. Trailer geometry, hole spacing, suspension, fifth-wheel position, and freight placement all affect the transfer. The 250-pound and 400-pound choices are labeled as planning assumptions, not universal specifications.

After the first slide, leave the original ticket and starting position in place. Check I have the reweigh ticket, enter the new weights, the net holes moved, and the direction. CDLMath measures the transfer shown by those two tickets and bases the next move on the latest weights. It also rejects a reweigh when the direction is backwards, the gross changes too much, or the calculated position is outside the rail.

Example

The first ticket shows 12,000 steer, 36,000 drives, and 32,000 trailer at position 13. After six holes forward, the reweigh shows 12,000, 34,500, and 33,500. That move transferred about 250 pounds per hole. The current position is 7, and the next estimate is two more holes forward to position 5, putting the tandem groups near 34,000 each.

If both tandem groups already fit the entered limits, a slide may accomplish nothing useful. A trailer-tandem move also cannot remove gross weight or normally correct a steer-axle problem.

What the result means: it checks only the axle, gross, and rail limits entered. It does not verify equipment ratings, tire ratings, Bridge Formula compliance, state kingpin or tandem-position rules, permits, or every route restriction. Confirm the pins are seated and reweigh after moving.

Written by Kev, an active regional CDL driver.

Sources