Method for controlling axle load distribution of a vehicle

A method for controlling axle load distribution of a heavy-duty vehicle during a maneuver, wherein the heavy-duty vehicle comprises a number of wheel axles and one or more motion support devices arranged to adjust a relative axle load of one or more wheel axles of the number of wheel axles, the method comprising:

• obtaining a vehicle model and a tire model, wherein the vehicle model and the tire model are jointly configured to predict a tire scrubbing force in dependence of a vehicle state comprising a relative axle load distribution during the maneuver;
• determining a nominal tire scrubbing force for a current relative axle load distribution during the maneuver, based on the vehicle model and on the tire model;
• determining, based on the vehicle model and the tire model, a cost scrub force function corresponding to the nominal tire scrubbing force;
• determining, based on the vehicle model and the tire model, a cost maneuverability function corresponding to a desired effective wheelbase of the heavy-duty vehicle during the maneuver;
• determining an improved relative axle load distribution for the maneuver associated with a reduced tire scrubbing force by reducing a combined cost function of the cost scrub force function and the cost maneuverability function;
• and
• controlling the one or more motion support devices to provide the improved relative axle load distribution during the maneuver.