Balancing Act

摘要

As a concrete fleet operator, Carolina Sunrock must deal with some unique issues affecting both safety and productivity on a daily basis. Graham Poole, vice president of the Raleigh-Durham, N.C.-based producer, explains that some states require construction trucks to have an extra axle, e.g., a tag axle, to redistribute the vehicle weight in accordance with bridge weight laws. "The problem is that concrete mixers have a high center of gravity to begin with, and tag axles exacerbate that condition," he says. "This means the vehicle is even more sensitive to rolling over. And when you lift that axle to enter a job site, more weight is put onto the rear of the vehicle, which can also unbalance it."