Freight glossary / Compliance and authority

What is Axle weight in freight?

Axle weight is how much load sits on each axle group, and it is limited separately from gross weight. A tandem axle group is generally limited to 34,000 pounds on the interstate system. A trailer loaded unevenly can be legal on gross weight and still be over on an axle, which is fixed by sliding the tandems rather than by removing freight.

Also called: axle limit, tandem weight.

Related terms

• Gross vehicle weight
• Overweight
• Weigh station
• Weigh out