lo-boy versus over-the-wheel flatbed gooseneck?

[wushaw]

Texasjohn,
Id sell the trailer with no brakes ASAP and use that $$ towards your overdeck gooseneck. Texas has a new law,well recent...trailers over 4k rating have to have a brake axle and a yearly state inspection.Its not a DOT inspection, but just a regular state inspection like you get on your car.Its on the books ,true and the company I work for has got a warning, our trailers have the inpection on them.( Been thru this on another forum,I dont mean to sound smart@ss) As far as DOT is concerned in Tx, you donot have to worry until you gross over 26k. Gross over 26 k, yes you do fall under DOT, unless you have farm plates, then it 54k I think.Go across state lines for commerce it drops to 10k.
The lowpro scout cub is talking about is also called a peirced beam, I liked it better than the standard G/N.

Farm tags are exempt from this. Also it has been on the books for many years, it is one of them laws that is not enforced...till the goverment needs a new revenue source

 

[saltbranch]

Here is a link to the inspection requirements from TX Dot for private use trailers.
Texas Department of Public Safety - What's Inspected by Vehicle Type
I was wrong, its for trailers 4500k rating and over.

Texasjohn, a tandem axle dually tire trailer is usually rated with 2- 10k axles or 12 k axles, combine that with a 3/4 ton or 1ton and you are over 26k GCVWR, therefore under TX DOT Commercial regulations/insurance requirements etc.-unless you go farm exempt, I'm not up all the Farm exemptions.
You can get a G/N in a 20' plus 5 with 2- 7k axles, that would keep you under the 26k rating pulling with a 3/4 ton or 1 ton. If your loading near max rating I would suggest looking at 235/85/16 OR 7.50-16 load range G 14 ply tires. Both are radials,performance in load carrying and better flat resistant- blows the 10 ply/load range E away in my experience on trailers. They can be found priced from around 105-155$ each in my area.

 

[Harold_J]

Here is a link to the inspection requirements from TX Dot for private use trailers.
Texas Department of Public Safety - What's Inspected by Vehicle Type
I was wrong, its for trailers 4500k rating and over.

Texasjohn, a tandem axle dually tire trailer is usually rated with 2- 10k axles or 12 k axles, combine that with a 3/4 ton or 1ton and you are over 26k GCVWR, therefore under TX DOT Commercial regulations/insurance requirements etc.-unless you go farm exempt, I'm not up all the Farm exemptions.
You can get a G/N in a 20' plus 5 with 2- 7k axles, that would keep you under the 26k rating pulling with a 3/4 ton or 1 ton. If your loading near max rating I would suggest looking at 235/85/16 OR 7.50-16 load range G 14 ply tires. Both are radials,performance in load carrying and better flat resistant- blows the 10 ply/load range E away in my experience on trailers. They can be found priced from around 105-155$ each in my area.

You can find some trailers with 9K dually axles, but that would still leave you at 18K GVW or more (some manufacturers rate the trailer at greater than the sum of the axles because they consider a portion of the weight to be on the hitch/truck and not the trailer axles. Something else to look at would be 8K axles with 17.5 inch 14 ply tires. Now you could have a 16K trailer and if the truck is 10K or less you are good to go without CDL. Or get a trailer like flusher mentioned where the manufacturer will derate it; a tandem dually derated to 16K would make a nice rig.

 

[saltbranch]

Trailer and truck ratings can be manipulated, I know that for sure. For example, my hotshot 40' G/N trailer with 2- 10k dually axles are rated @ 20k, my 1 ton trucks I would pay the extra $ to rate them for 16k. Here is what cannot be manipulated- axle ratings and tire ratings if you are being checked by a DOT guy that is looking for a book to write. I paid the extra $ to uprate my trucks to 16k GVWR for added trailer capacity, that does not mean my 1 ton can gross that weight by itself. Figure a 1 ton Dodge quad cab weighs in @ around 8k empty. Even though I paid for a 16k rating on the truck, does not mean the axle/tires support that, add in the trailer rating and weight distribution on the load, now we are cookin. Its all about weight distribution.
It use to be easy to get trailer manufacture to stamp what you wanted on the VIN # plate when buying new.
Each state has thier own DOT requirements , do check yours.
Texas is 26k and over commercial or not.
There is another new law out that went into affect 9/09, if you are registered with Tx Dot for commercial transportation, you now have to register with USDOT. Does not matter if you are intrastate carrier or interstate.

 

[farmboy12]

Texasjohn, a tandem axle dually tire trailer is usually rated with 2- 10k axles or 12 k axles, combine that with a 3/4 ton or 1ton and you are over 26k GCVWR, therefore under TX DOT Commercial regulations/insurance requirements etc.-unless you go farm exempt, I'm not up all the Farm exemptions.
You can get a G/N in a 20' plus 5 with 2- 7k axles, that would keep you under the 26k rating pulling with a 3/4 ton or 1 ton. If your loading near max rating I would suggest looking at 235/85/16 OR 7.50-16 load range G 14 ply tires. Both are radials,performance in load carrying and better flat resistant- blows the 10 ply/load range E away in my experience on trailers. They can be found priced from around 105-155$ each in my area.

You can have a trailer with heavy duty axles be rated for less. We have a 24k with two 12k axles, and a 16' + 4' deck (if that matters), rated for 14k so we wouldn't need a CDL with our 3/4 ton truck. Now, the trailer weighs 4,500# with just toolbox of straps and chains, no load. So with that, we could legally put 9,500# on that trailer. But, equipped with a big enough truck, we could surpass that rating by 10,000# and be illegal, but still safe.


Kyle

 

[bcp]

Lots of interesting reading here.

What happens when you go between states? If you meet requirements in your home states, but the other state is more restrictive, do you have to make the whole trip at the more restrictive standard? I'm not talking about commercial trucking, but something like farming in two states and moving equipment back and forth. For example, your state may not require a CDL for your load, but the other state does.

Bruce

 

[Diamondpilot]

Bruce

You must obey all state laws. That may mean you will be restricted in one state to meet anothers regs. That being said I travel pulling trailers all over a 6 state area and have never been stopped, not one single time for a check, in about 20 years of driving. I drive between 7,000 and 10,000 miles a year towing through out Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee. I sometimes get to other states but not regularly.

As for my home area the law turns its head to farmers. They do not get hassled period here. They also leave transporters alone moving Boats and Campers such as myself. The DOT only check truckers and dump trucks. We have had a lot of high profile crashes involving truckers leading to death so they are hammering them.

Take it for what you will but thats the way it is around here.

Chris

 

[Duffster]

Lots of interesting reading here.

What happens when you go between states? If you meet requirements in your home states, but the other state is more restrictive, do you have to make the whole trip at the more restrictive standard? I'm not talking about commercial trucking, but something like farming in two states and moving equipment back and forth. For example, your state may not require a CDL for your load, but the other state does.

Bruce

If you travel interstate, you need to follow the federal laws. If used for commerce (which includes farming) you would need a USDOT number and a CDL for GCWR over 26k, etc.

 

[PSDStu]

I thought I'd post a pic of my 20' plus 5' flatbed gooseneck.

It's called a Driveover Fender model and has worked real well for me.

Stu

 

[Diamondpilot]

That is a nice trailer. Just dont do like the guy on the net with a new 5th Wheel Camper and a New Dodge truck and take down the awning.

Chris