Multi axle flatbed trucking in Ontario: 4 and 6 axle units up to 86,000 lb
Fission Logistics is a flatbed carrier in Mississauga, Ontario, that runs multi axle flatbed trucking on 16 multi axle curtainsides, 8 four axle and 8 six axle, inside a fleet of 80 trucks and 140 trailers. The 6 axle carries up to 86,000 lb inside Ontario and into Michigan, about what 2 tandems carry, so a heavy coil, ingot or steel order often moves on 1 truck.
Multi axle flatbed in Ontario at a glance
| Multi axle fleet | 16 curtainsides out of 140 trailers: 8 four axle and 8 six axle, based in Mississauga |
|---|---|
| Deck | 50 ft curtainside. Roof and curtain slide open for crane or forklift loading |
| 6 axle payload | Up to 86,000 lb (39,000 kg) inside Ontario and into Michigan. 76,000 lb (34,500 kg) into Ohio and Indiana |
| 4 axle lanes | Ontario and Quebec only |
| Tandem, for comparison | 45,000 lb (20,400 kg) at 80,000 lb gross, Canada and the US |
| Permits | No overweight permit up to 86,000 lb on the 6 axle inside Ontario. Oversize permits pulled in house by dispatch and priced into the quote. Loads above 86,000 lb quoted after a permit route check |
| Quotes | Within 1 business hour, 7 am to 5 pm ET, Monday to Friday |
| Dispatch | 24 hours, (905) 799 7900, press 1. Live GPS on every truck |
Why Ontario lets more axles carry more weight
Ontario sets truck weights under Ontario Regulation 413/05, Vehicle Weights and Dimensions for Safe, Productive and Infrastructure Friendly Vehicles. A semitrailer with more axles spreads the load over more tires and more pavement, so the regulation allows it a higher gross weight than a tandem. Our 4 and 6 axle units are SPIF compliant, so they run at those higher limits without an overweight permit.
A 53 ft tandem is built to the 80,000 lb gross weight that is legal in both Canada and the US, which leaves about 45,000 lb for freight. The 6 axle carries up to 86,000 lb of freight inside Ontario on a 50 ft deck, at legal weight for that configuration. On a cross border lane the tandem is the right truck. On a heavy Ontario lane it leaves weight on the table. The arithmetic is in why a 6 axle moves 86,000 lb.
What a 6 axle saves you
| Load | On tandems | On a multi axle |
|---|---|---|
| Max payload | 45,000 lb, 80,000 lb gross | 86,000 lb on the 6 axle inside Ontario and into Michigan, 76,000 lb into Ohio and Indiana |
| Heavy coil, Hamilton to a GTA processor | Often 2 trucks, 2 crane windows | 1 truck, 1 crane window |
| Ingot and sow bundles to the extruder | Often 2 trucks | 1 truck |
| Stone and pavers, quarry to yard | Often 2 trucks | 1 truck |
Fewer trucks means fewer dock appointments, less crane time and 1 delivery to receive instead of 2.
4 axle or 6 axle
| Spec | 4 axle (quad axle) | 6 axle |
|---|---|---|
| Units | 8 | 8 |
| Runs | Ontario and Quebec | Ontario, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana |
| Payload | More than a tandem inside Ontario and Quebec. Dispatch confirms the figure for your lane | Up to 86,000 lb inside Ontario and into Michigan, 76,000 lb into Ohio and Indiana |
| Typical loads | Heavy steel and aluminum to Montreal and Quebec City, Quebec port freight | Heavy coil out of Hamilton, ingots and sows, plate, pipe, stone |
Both are 50 ft curtainsides with the same securement gear as the rest of the fleet: chains, straps, coil racks, timbers and edge protection. You do not need to pick the trailer. Send the weight and the lane and dispatch picks it.
Freight that rides the multi axle
- Steel coil out of Hamilton and the GTA service centres, eye to side or eye to sky, on racks sized to the coil weight.
- Aluminum ingots and sows to extruders, where a tandem order is often 2 trucks.
- Steel plate and structural steel staying inside Ontario.
- Pipe, loose or coated, on a heavy Ontario domestic lane.
- Stone and pavers from the quarry to the yard.
- Machinery and dies that are heavy rather than big.
Heavy or oversize
A load that is too heavy for a tandem but fits inside legal width and height goes on a multi axle at legal weight, with no overweight permit up to 86,000 lb on the 6 axle inside Ontario. A load that is wider or taller than legal goes on an open flatbed, step deck or double drop under an Ontario Ministry of Transportation permit, and the width and height limits are on the oversize load page. A load that is both heavy and oversize is quoted after dispatch checks the permit route.
How to book a heavy load
- Send the weight per piece and the total, the pickup and receiver addresses, and the date. Use the form on this page or request a quote.
- Say how it loads: crane from the top or forklift from the side. The curtain and roof open for either.
- Dispatch tells you within 1 business hour whether it goes on 1 multi axle or 2 tandems, and quotes it that way.
- For a cross border load, dispatch files the ACE or ACI eManifest and your broker files under Fission's bond with written authorization from Fission.
- Ask for the Samsara tracking link and watch the truck come in.
Lanes
Most of this work runs between Hamilton and the GTA, Kitchener and Cambridge, London and Windsor. Heavy steel for Toronto plants and jobsites is covered under flatbed trucking Toronto. The 4 axle adds Montreal and Quebec City. The 6 axle adds Michigan through Detroit, Ohio and Indiana, and picks up heavy coil and plate at the ports of Hamilton and Oshawa. If you are paying for 2 trucks on an Ontario lane, ask dispatch whether 1 will do. Full regions are listed under flatbed trucking across Ontario.
Questions shippers ask
How much can a multi axle truck carry in Ontario?
On our 6 axle, up to 86,000 lb (39,000 kg) of payload inside Ontario and into Michigan, and 76,000 lb (34,500 kg) into Ohio and Indiana. A 53 ft tandem carries 45,000 lb at 80,000 lb gross. Send the weight and the lane and dispatch tells you which trailer it goes on.
Does a heavy load need a permit in Ontario?
Not for weight on our 6 axle. Up to 86,000 lb inside Ontario is legal weight for that configuration, so no overweight permit is needed. A load wider or taller than legal needs an Ontario Ministry of Transportation permit, which dispatch pulls in house and prices into the quote. A load heavier than 86,000 lb is quoted after dispatch checks the permit route.
Does the multi axle run to the US?
The 6 axle units do, into Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, crossing at Detroit. The 4 axle units stay in Ontario and Quebec.
Is a 4 axle the same as a quad axle?
Yes. Quad axle and 4 axle mean the same trailer. Our 8 quad axle units run Ontario and Quebec only.
Is the multi axle curtainside or open deck?
Curtainside, 50 ft long. The roof and curtain slide open for crane or forklift loading and close over the load, so coil, ingots and plate ride dry without a tarp.
Do you run lowboys or RGN trailers for heavy equipment?
No. Our multi axle fleet is 16 curtainsides built for heavy coil, ingots, plate, structural steel, pipe and stone. Send the piece and its weight and dispatch tells you whether one of our decks fits it.
Related
Rather talk it through?
Call dispatch with the load and the lane. They'll tell you which trailer it goes on, and someone picks up 24 hours a day.