How much weight can I legally haul in Virginia without CDL.

[sspencer]

a lot of people out there seem to be hauling just under 26000 GCWR and don't possess a CDL. On the DMV website it states that if whatever you are Hauling if the gross vehicle weight is over 10,000 pounds you need a CDL. Can anybody help me understand this

 

[Looking4new]

The gross vehicle weight is the weight of the tow vehicle + trailer + what is on the trailer = no more that 10,000 lbs with no Commercial Drivers License.

And you can't haul over 80,000 lbs on the interstate.

 

[bcp]

This page from the VA CDL manual has a flow chart to see what you need.



From:
http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/pdf/dmv60a.pdf

Bruce

 

[gwiley]

The gross vehicle weight is the weight of the tow vehicle + trailer + what is on the trailer = no more that 10,000 lbs with no Commercial Drivers License.

And you can't haul over 80,000 lbs on the interstate.

That is 10,000lbs limit for the TOWED vehicle, 26,000lbs for towed + power vehicle

 

[Will_C]

That's why trailers have a 9995 lb rating-so you can squeeze under the CDL requirement.

Will

 

[George2615]

That's why trailers have a 9995 lb rating-so you can squeeze under the CDL requirement.

Will

But in NY they changed the license requirements a few years ago. Now a regular DL can drive any vehicle / trailer combination as long as the GCWR is 26K or less. Va. hasn't caught up.

 

[Duwop]

I thought as long as it's not for commerce and you hold title to said vehicles no CDL is required.
In all states?

 

[Parkanzky]

But in NY they changed the license requirements a few years ago. Now a regular DL can drive any vehicle / trailer combination as long as the GCWR is 26K or less. Va. hasn't caught up.

So I have a 14k# GVWR trailer on order. In MI, my understanding is that I don't need a CDL as long as I'm using it to haul my own stuff and not for business purposes. What if I wanted to take my tractor to my sister's place in VA? Am I OK since I have a MI driver's license, or do I need a CDL because that's what VA wants?

 

[RandyT]

I laugh every time this comes up. The CDL requirement only comes into play when your F350 towing a gooseneck hauling your tractor with loader and box blade goes across the scales at 26,001 or more pounds.

If the combination of your truck + trailer+tractor doesn't weight more than 26,001 it doesn't matter what the trailer weighs. In other words your 9,000 pound truck can legally tow a trailer weighing 17,000 pounds without a CDL.

 

[Parkanzky]

I laugh every time this comes up. The CDL requirement only comes into play when your F350 towing a gooseneck hauling your tractor with loader and box blade goes across the scales at 26,001 or more pounds.

If the combination of your truck + trailer+tractor doesn't weight more than 26,001 it doesn't matter what the trailer weighs. In other words your 9,000 pound truck can legally tow a trailer weighing 17,000 pounds without a CDL.

When I read about CDL requirements, they talk about GCWR's, Gross Combined Weight Ratings, not actual weights. By my understanding, it wouldn't matter if the trailer was empty.