Hauling Cat D8T

Need a tractor trailer set up to haul a cat D8T. Have no idea what size trailer I need and what type will work the best. I believe it weighs close to 90,000 lbs. Iowa is the only state it will travel in. Thanks

Are you talking about one specific D8T tractor here or D8T's in general..? If it's one specific tractor then you'd be better off posting the details of that tractor because attachments and optional extras could easily put 10-15 thousand pounds on the weight of the tractor and maybe leave you with a trailer that's undersized for the job of hauling that specific machine. If you have them, post photos of the tractor or let us know the Serial Niumber. The machine weight can be found from the factory system so long as it's still basically the same configuration as it was when it left Cat.

User123, we have a 50 ton Aspen lowboy (3 axle) and 4 axle tractor that works well for hauling a D8T. This is probably the minimum to handle the job. I believe that you can permit this in Iowa without any problem, other than you may be restricted from interstate travel. I am sure some of the Iowa members can add to the discussion!

Yair . . . (Big grin) Those tractors loaded *** backwards look strange to my eyes Oxbow. Nice rig BTW . . . all of it's nice. Cheers.

Scrub Puller said: Those tractors loaded *** backwards look strange to my eyes.. Click to expand... You and me both Scrub. We were always taught to reverse equipment on to the lowboy and drive it off.

Yair . . . Gotcha Nige . . . I think . . . which end are you coming from? (bemused grin) Cheers.

Quite often we had to load a certain way to make the correct axle weight work out.

I always drove them on so I could get a better idea of if it was lined up correctly, most of the time I was loading alone, then when it was time to unload, it was already straight and could be backed off. When I first started hauling dozers years ago, the old guy I worked with liked to have the blade at the back on an oversized load, and if someone side swiped you they hit the back of the track and push arms first doing less damage than hitting the blade corner first. Thankfully I never saw that happen in 45 years of trucking. George

While I'm Wisconsin based, we travel a few states. Here a 4 axle tractor and heavy enough 3 axle trailer can scale a stripped down D8t. To be safe, if go with a 4 axle trailer. Oddly, if you are adding a D8T, I'd think you or the dealer should know what's needed.

Scrub Puller said: Yair . . . (Big grin) Those tractors loaded *** backwards look strange to my eyes Oxbow. Nice rig BTW . . . all of it's nice. Click to expand... It's not *** backwards, I drove it straight on! Five reasons I prefer it this way Scrub, Trucker 1 touched on a couple: (1) Easier to get it on centered (2) By loading this way the dozer is higher and will go over some obstructions like guard rails (3) If a car does happen to clip you they don't get the pointed end of the corner bit in the windshield, but rather may get pushed away by the dozer frame (4) Might be a touch more aerodynamic not having the U-Blade facing the wind (5) It is a bit easier to see around the dozer having it further from the tractor Cheers.[/QUOTE] Nige said: You and me both Scrub. We were always taught to reverse equipment on to the lowboy and drive it off. Click to expand... Why? To each his own, but I always think excavators loaded with the boom facing forward looks funny. Often times it is a weight factor with excavators though, but a blade (motor grader) loaded facing forward just does not work on my trailer.

Yair. . . Some confusion here I think . . . you blokes (I think) are talking detachable goosenecks and I have never even seen one. Cheers.

blowerman said: While I'm Wisconsin based, we travel a few states. Here a 4 axle tractor and heavy enough 3 axle trailer can scale a stripped down D8t. To be safe, if go with a 4 axle trailer. Oddly, if you are adding a D8T, I'd think you or the dealer should know what's needed. Click to expand... Shows how things differ. Here a 3 axle tractor (6 x 4) and a 3 axle trailer would be more than enough to handle a fully-equipped D8T with a U-blade and multi-shank ripper. We always reversed the tractor on to the lowboy, so if we were loading over the back of the trailer the tractor would have the blade facing to the rear like Oxbow's photo, or if we were loading over the front using a detachable gooseneck the tractor would have the blade facing forwards. The theory was basically to get centred when reversing on to the trailer all you have to do is look out the rear cab window of the tractor. When it comes to driving it off it's straight on the trailer so you just drive straight back off again, despite the lack of visibility due to the blade being in the way. I can see why hinky axle load limits might force anyone to do it the other way round though.

Yair . . . . It's strange how different methods evolve in different places . . . . so if we were loading over the back of the trailer the tractor would have the blade facing to the rear like Oxbow's photo. Click to expand... In nearly sixty years of experience I have never seen a dozer being backed up the ramps of a rear loading trailer and (to me) there are probably several good reasons. Despite what Nige mentions I would have thought it quite difficult to get the darn thing centred. Loading front wards with a (lowtrack) is a piece of cake . . . you can mostly line up just by looking down on the inside of the idler. Once you know the trailer it is usually possible to align with the edge of a deck plank and we always used to take the machine right forward and rest the blade on the goose-neck to keep it clear of traffic and guide posts. I do understand the need to comply with regulations and, fortunately, we did not have to operate with such restraints. This pic. is already posted on here but here I am, good to go . . . . Cheers

Look at that old B-61,they are everywhere!!Man,those cabs were hot.Ron G

Scrub Puller said: Yair. . . Some confusion here I think . . . you blokes (I think) are talking detachable goosenecks and I have never even seen one. Cheers. Click to expand... Indeed we are Scrub, and a marvelous invention in my mind; simple operation and no wet kit required because of Honda motor, although much nicer with a wet kit. We used to load everything over the back, but it is quite hazardous with snow and ice conditions, plus no need to build a ramp for scrapers and such.

I used to load over the side using the snowbanks for "ramps".It can be a hoot no matter how you handle it with the snowballs clinging to your track pads etc.Just be sure that you are tied down good with chains and binders plus binders from the track pads to the lowbed.Ron G

We hauled a d8t u blade no ripper with a 50 ton 3 axel trailer and tandem axel tractor. Not for sure it was legal but we were able to get a permit with 50,000 on the drives alt how I don't thing we had that much.

blowerman said: Oddly, if you are adding a D8T, I'd think you or the dealer should know what's needed. Click to expand... Exactly!!

Oxbow can I ask what weights you have on the tractor. Problem with our truck is the neck is to short to put enough weight on the steer axel.

Ion 8 axles here in ontario we can get 178,238lbs on are float with the 6 down and 2 up we can haul 140,000lbs gross weights so 133,000lbs machine with permits or 84,000lbs machine with out special permits