I broke the law... a lot!

[JSUnlimited]

I doubt though I will actually pursue a CDL though. I only pull it a few times a year and LA is a very lax state when it comes to these issues.

Good for you! If you did, one more dollar in the pocket of the welfare recipients!

 

[DavesTractor]

You dont need a CDL unless the vehicle or combination is over 26000lbs. PERIOD. Doesnt matter what the trailer GVWR is, as long as the trailer and/or truck arent over 26000lbs.
http://www.dot10.state.pa.us/pdotforms/pub_223/section_1.pdf

Straight from PennDot:
Class "A"- A combination of vehicles with a GVWR of 26001 lbs or more, provided the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10000 lbs.
Class "B"- A single vehicle with a GVWR of 26001 or more lbs.

The key is 26001lbs. The only reason the 10000lbs trailer is mentioned under the class"A" is to distinguish between class "A" and "B".

You are right that its federally regulated though.

RayH,

I was ticketed in California two years ago for not having a CDL Class A and the specific reason was that the trailer was rated at over 10,000lbs, despite being pulled by a 1-ton pickup. I couldn't even drive it home. It was a 23' gooseneck flatbed and I had perhaps 6000 lbs on the deck. Now I have a CDL, Motor Carrier Permit, etc. Just last week a friend of mine with a 3/4 ton Chevy and a 14K dump trailer was pulled over by a commercial cop and parked also, driving without the proper license.

What you are so adamantly saying is likely true in many states, but in California they are interpreting it differently. You can drive a 25,000 rated truck without a CDL, but if you hook a 10,001 gvwr trailer to anything, you need a CDL. Livestock and RV trailers have a higher limit, go figure.

 

[RayH]

Wrong, wrong wrong and finally, wrong.
I always get into this over the 10000lbs trailer thing and what always ends up happening is everybody says "my state is special".
Its not special. CDL regulations are federal now. If your vehicle or combination vehicle are under 26000lbs, you do not need a CDL "A" or "B".
Please show me where it says you need one?

EDIT, the exceptions are hazmat and passenger vehicles.

 

[RayH]

Ray H if you look at the last page of the chart from Pa. it states the only difference between a class C & B license is the Gvwr is the class C is 26,001 and below the Class B is 26,001 and above the next part is the same for both towing a vehicle not in excess of 10,000 pounds. The class A licence is for a vehicle being towed in excess of 10,000 pounds. in other words any trailer ove 10,000 you would neet a class A no matter what the tow vehicle GVWR is.

Its true that the only difference between "B" and "C" is that class "C" covers COMMERCIAL vehicles under 26000lbs. What is a COMMERCIAL vehicle under 26000? Its either hazmat,or passenger. Those are the two exceptions to the 26000lbs weight.

Maybe this is where the confusion is. Let me approach this a little different.
You need a CDL to drive any commercial vehicle.
What are commercial vehicles? Basically commercial vehicles only include Hazmat or passenger vehicles under or over 26000lbs or any vehicle or combination used for commerce over 26000lbs.
If you are Class "C", hazmat or passenger (commercial under 26000) you can not tow a trailer over 10000 because that would kick you up to a class "A" CDL, just like if you had a class "B" and pulled over 10000lbs.
This doesnt apply for non commercial.
So it is true that if you are driving a commercial vehicle (class "B" or "C") and are pulling a trailer over 10000lbs, you need a class"A" CDL. But if you are driving a non commercial vehicle you can tow whatever that vehicle is rated for and not need a CDL.

 

[Dirthog]

You are reading to much into the law you will find that any trailer over 10,000 pounds is considered commercial vehicle if its for your own use or not.The main reason this law was put into effect was to keep people with little or no experence or knowledge off the road with heavy trailers. ( and also to make the state more license money ) they have been stopping trailers like that around here for some time and it is rather expensive. they are also checking if you have your truck licensed in combination with your trailer which it must be if the trailer is above 10,000 pounds. That is the main reasoon I got rid of my small trailer the license for the pickup was a killer its just easer to just load what I need on the mack and big trailer its does not cost any more to run it and i have to pay for license only once.

 

[billfires]

Maybe some one can clear this up for me. Are you saying I can take my 12,000 gvw dually and 14000 gvw trailer to the motor vehicle dept. and test for a CDL class A license? Bill C

 

[Ductape]

Bill, you'll have to come up with an extra rated pound somewhere, since you need 26,001 or over. In theory i'd say yes, but you will be exempt from driving anything with air brakes and/or a fifth wheel.

 

[Dirthog]

That is a good one Bill not sure about that but like Ducktape says that would not give you the air brake endorsment. I see one of the guys from DOT about once a week at work I will ask him if I remember the next time. Also when RayH was saying about not being cormmercial I just remembered that Erie Ins would not insure my chevy dually on my auto policy I had to put it on my commercial policy with my dump truck even though all I do with it is pull the camper and as my personal vehicle (forgot about that just grumble and pay it any more).

 

[DavesTractor]

Wrong, wrong wrong and finally, wrong.
I always get into this over the 10000lbs trailer thing and what always ends up happening is everybody says "my state is special".
Its not special. CDL regulations are federal now. If your vehicle or combination vehicle are under 26000lbs, you do not need a CDL "A" or "B".
Please show me where it says you need one?

EDIT, the exceptions are hazmat and passenger vehicles.

Golly RayH, I guess I was just imaginging that ticket? I expect my friends at the commercial scales must have it wrong also. The judge didn't have a clue either.

 

[Ductape]

I think half the problem is....... if you ask three different motor vehicle cops the same question, you will get three different answers. Problem is.... once one finds a loophole in the law which they feel allows them to write a ticket, the word spreads like wildfire. Soon enough, all MV cops are writing tickets for the same offense (or their interpretation of an offense). I remember when they figured that when the power company transports a utility pole, they tow it by bolting the lunette ring (spelling?) to the pole itself.... apparently making the pole a trailer? Now the power company has to screw tail lights to the pole instead of using a red flag or other marker. I think we are all for safe vehicles. Unfortunately, they are much more about REVENUE !!