Tractor trailering

[jimmyj]

Good point about the insurance!

Awww shucks, seems to me like you have a darned fine excuse to get another piece of equipment. Stick with your trailer buy!!

 

[Lloyd_E]

See if you can get a special permit/registration.
I would also look at insurance. I purchased 2 million worth of liability insurance for collision, damages to property or persons for $172.00.

Hope this helps.

This is from Connecticut Department of Motor vehicle:

Sec. 14-25b. Registration of vehicle as special mobile equipment or special mobile agriculture vehicle. (a) The commissioner may register any vehicle operated upon any public highway as special mobile equipment as defined in subsection (i) of section 14-165 and may issue a special number plate which shall be displayed in a conspicuous place at the rear of such vehicle. The commissioner may issue a registration containing any limitation on the operation of any such vehicle which he deems necessary for its safe operation, provided such vehicle's movement on a highway shall be restricted from its place of storage to the construction site or from one construction site to another. No such vehicle shall be operated upon or across any highway during the times when lights are required as specified in section 14-96a unless it displays the lighted lamps required by sections 14-96b and 14-96c. Such vehicle shall not be used for the transportation of passengers or a payload when operating upon a highway, except that while operating on a highway construction project or on a construction project of any kind which requires the crossing of a highway, it may carry passengers or a payload to the extent required by the project. A vehicle registered as special mobile equipment shall be exempt from the equipment requirements specified in sections 14-80 to 14-106, inclusive. The commissioner may require that a vehicle for which an application for special mobile equipment registration is submitted pass an inspection prior to the issuance of such registration and at such times as he deems necessary for the safe operation of such equipment. The commissioner shall charge an annual fee for such registration equal to one-half of the commercial registration fee for a vehicle having the same gross weight.

(b) The commissioner may register any vehicle operated upon any public highway as a special mobile agriculture vehicle, as defined in section 14-165, and may issue a special number plate which shall be displayed in a conspicuous place at the rear of such vehicle. The commissioner may issue a registration containing any limitation on the operation of any such vehicle which he deems necessary for its safe operation, provided such vehicle's operation upon or across a highway shall be restricted as follows: (1) To or from its place of storage, (2) to or from an agriculture location, or (3) from one agriculture location to another. No such vehicle shall be operated upon or across any highway during any time when lights are required pursuant to section 14-96a. Such vehicle shall not be used for the transportation of passengers when operating upon or across a highway. A vehicle registered as a special mobile agriculture vehicle shall be exempt from the equipment requirements set forth in sections 14-80 to 14-106, inclusive, and the provisions of section 14-262. The commissioner may require any vehicle, for which an application for registration as a special mobile agriculture vehicle is submitted, to pass an inspection prior to the issuance of such registration and at such times as he deems necessary for the safe operation of such vehicle. The commissioner shall charge an annual fee of four hundred dollars for the registration of such vehicle.


Sec. 14-165. Definitions. Except when the context otherwise requires, as used in this chapter:

(9) "Special mobile equipment" means a vehicle not designed for the transportation of persons or property upon a highway and only incidentally operated or moved over a highway, including, but not limited to, ditch-digging apparatus, well-boring apparatus and road construction and maintenance machinery such as asphalt spreaders, bituminous mixers, bucket loaders, street sweepers, tractors other than truck tractors, ditchers, leveling graders, finishing machines, motor graders, road rollers, scarifiers, earth moving carry-alls and scrapers, power shovels and drag lines, and self-propelled cranes and earth moving equipment. The term does not include house trailers, dump trucks, truck-mounted transit mixers, cranes or shovels, or other vehicles designed for the transportation of persons or property to which machinery has been attached;

 

[Coyote machine]

Here's a thought: If I were you I'd buy a trailer and register it in MAINE: at ~ MBI Trailers - Used Truck Trailer Sales, as I did for my boat trailer, which I use to go from VT to CT where I keep my boat in summer. {Go to the register trailers in Maine on left side of page}. The Maine trailer registration is good for 5 years and requires NO inspection!
You should then get insurance on your trailer AND your tractor- because if only your trailer is covered and it hits the road it will NOT be covered by your truck/trailer insurance. Believe me in CT you do not want to take a chance of an accident, or being sued if something goes wrong...then you will find whatever you saved by not doing it the legal way will be no savings at all.
I say for the expense of the equipment and the potential legal hassles its better to do it the way it is required to be done by the state where you live.

Hope this helps.

 

[rmahlert]

Here's a thought: If I were you I'd buy a trailer and register it in MAINE: at ~ MBI Trailers - Used Truck Trailer Sales, as I did for my boat trailer, which I use to go from VT to CT where I keep my boat in summer. {Go to the register trailers in Maine on left side of page}. The Maine trailer registration is good for 5 years and requires NO inspection!
You should then get insurance on your trailer AND your tractor- because if only your trailer is covered and it hits the road it will NOT be covered by your truck/trailer insurance. Believe me in CT you do not want to take a chance of an accident, or being sued if something goes wrong...then you will find whatever you saved by not doing it the legal way will be no savings at all.
I say for the expense of the equipment and the potential legal hassles its better to do it the way it is required to be done by the state where you live.

Hope this helps.

Well.. I know he's down in CT and the laws are different. But up here in Mass I was told I can't get insurance on it in Massachusetts (at my agent) because it's not registered in Mass. This State SUXs.. It's $110 per year for my 7k trailer! Maine would be $90 for 5 years!

 

[Coyote machine]

rmahlert,

So go to National Grange Mutual Insurance and ask them. They should be able to insure you in MA for a trailer registered in Maine. Heck, I live in VT, register my boat in CT, my trailer in Maine and my vehicle in VT. And they're all legal. Boat is insured by the guy who insures my CT house and my vehicle and trailer are insured by Allstate by my home state agent.
There is always a way- one just has to search around for a solution.

 

[Gil Case]

Here is some info on registering in Maine form someone who used this agency.


STAAB AGENCY
Shirley St. Pierre / Statutory Agent
P.O. Box 942 / 259 Goose Hill Road
Jefferson, ME 04348
800-648-8805 Tel.
207-549-7541 Tel.
207-549-7638 Fax
207-549-5138 Fax.
staab@staabagency.com


Staab Cover - The Staab agency is a Statutory Agent that represents out-of-state individuals and companies at the Maine DMV in order to obtain a Maine license plate for your trailer. Maine is a 15 year title state. If your trailer is older than 15yrs, all you need to show is a Bill of Sale or a prior registration. If it is newer than 15 years and more than 3000lbs dry weight, you must provide them with a copy of the existing title already in your name, or an original title to be titled in Maine. Under 3000lbs is exempt. You must provide them with
1. Phone Number, Date of Birth if an individual customer, or Federal ID if a company.
2. Correct amount of money (Check or Visa/MC accepted)
3. The Power of Attorney for filled out, signed, AND NOTARIZED (paid by customer)
* Maine trailer plates expire on the last day of February for the year in which you register. The company will notify you prior to the expiration.

Staab POA - The Power of Attorney document. This allows Staab to act on your behalf in the State of Maine to license the trailer. The fees collected also apply to the titling of the vehicle in Maine. this document DOES NOT give them the ability to sell, lease, trade, utilize, or dispose of vehicles. POA fee = $20.00

Staab New Registration Form - Your registration will have your name at the top, with the Staab Agency's Maine address.

Staab Charges - Fee schedule for going through their agency.

Staab Annual Program - Fee schedule for registering annually.

Staab Long Term Program - Fee shedule for multi-year registration of your trailer.
Example:
5yr (1-9 trailers) $87/each
8yr (1-9 trailers) $138/each
12yr (1-9 trailers) $206/each

Same Day with Overnight service: 1-4 plates $20.00 per plate. 5+ plates $10 per plate.

Lastly, I asked the very pleasent lady if I EVER need to bring my trailer to Maine to be inspected. She replied that MAINE DOES NOT REQUIRE TRAILER INSPECTIONS.

 

[CharlieR]

Gil, I live in CT too and would be inclined to chance it or just have a discussion with the local Constable or Resident Trooper.
They may agree to look the other way - but - the insurance comments sound like a valid concern - nobody cares until something goes wrong.
Just FYI I recently rented a Uhaul 6X12 for $30 a day.
Although it doesn't have a ramp, the tail gate drops at a steep angle and I found that it was easy to back onto the trailer.
Cheap and easy to use!