DOT and non comercial traffic

[Soundguy]

was on my way to work today and passed a buddy pulled over on the side of the road.. he had his f250 and gooseneck loaded with 3 culvert pipe for his farm. A dot had pulled him over, and a city cop was just pulling in.

This is not a comercial truck.. I know the guy.. just a private truck.. etc.

any ideas why dot might pull over a private vehicle. I know a dot officer -CAN- pull you over for regular traffic violations etc.. but it seems to happen so rarely where I live.

IE.. dot pulls over big trucks and city/county pulls over 'other traffic'.

ideas?

soundguy

 

[MarkV]

Same thing here. You rarely see them pull over private trucks but they sure can. The way I see some private useres haul I almost wish they would more often. I would guess they either thought he was over weight or didn't like something about his equipment.

MarkV

 

[sandman2234]

Actually, my experience tends to lean towards the D.O.T officer pulling just that type of vehicle over, along with box vans that fall below the 25,900 window. Don't get me wrong, they hit the big guys just as hard, but I seem to see a lot of the small guys getting hit. Don't know the reasons why, but the "mid-size" guys seem to fall between the cracks, and they know it, and the D.O.T knows it too.

David from jax

 

[RickB]

"Here" any truck over 10,000 GVW is fair game for DOT. Unless of course it's pulling an RV. You don't even have to know how to drive to be legal in one of them. Just think of how your buddy is going to convince them that a GN trailer with culvert pipe ISN"T a commercial activity. Prrobably ain't gonna happen. Not right, but it's the way it is.

 

[Duffster]

Here farm use is still commercial, it just is CDL exempt.

 

[Soundguy]

I'm not sure how going and buyingg some culvert pipe is going to be comercial. I am gonna have to run him down and see why he was pulled. maybee a lamp or a flat on a tandem or ( tag ) or something.

For sure not overweight.. was metal squash pipe.. I bet the 3 pieces didn't weight over 800# all together.

I found out, from a previous thread, and looking on our stat's site, that florida did away with the class D LICENSE. ie.. either you are class c and do air brakes and that stuff.. or class e and under 26000 and non comercial.

can't wait to see how this turns out.

soundguy

 

[Duffster]

I'm not sure how going and buyingg some culvert pipe is going to be comercial. I am gonna have to run him down and see why he was pulled. maybee a lamp or a flat on a tandem or ( tag ) or something.

For sure not overweight.. was metal squash pipe.. I bet the 3 pieces didn't weight over 800# all together.

I found out, from a previous thread, and looking on our stat's site, that florida did away with the class D LICENSE. ie.. either you are class c and do air brakes and that stuff.. or class e and under 26000 and non comercial.

can't wait to see how this turns out.

soundguy

You say he was hauling pipe for his "farm". Is he a farmer or is it recreational property?

There are 2 definitions of commercial motor vehicle. One has to do more with the vehicle and starts at 10k and the other has more to do with the driver and starts at 26k.

According to the FMCSA site Florida and Wisconsin have the same USDOT number requirements. If this is true a "farm" truck over 10k (single or combo) would be a commercial motor vehicle, which can be operated by a driver with a standard drivers license. (Your class E is like our class D).

 

[Soundguy]

You say he was hauling pipe for his "farm". Is he a farmer or is it recreational property?

There are 2 definitions of commercial motor vehicle. One has to do more with the vehicle and starts at 10k and the other has more to do with the driver and starts at 26k.

According to the FMCSA site Florida and Wisconsin have the same USDOT number requirements. If this is true a "farm" truck over 10k (single or combo) would be a commercial motor vehicle, which can be operated by a driver with a standard drivers license. (Your class E is like our class D).

He doesn't have farm plates.

His 'farm' is about like mine. some pleasure horses, and a couple other lil animals.. just pidly stuff.

As far as I know he's making troughs and decorative planters and a compost tube out of the pipe.. at least last I talked to him he was doing that.

as for why he was pulled.. won't know till I talk to him.. for aal I know maybee he had a strap dragging or something.. or dot didn't like how he had the load secured ( not enough straps? )

as for his truck? just a plain f250 like mine.. drive to work.. home.. play.. etc.

no home business.. no 'on the side' lawn care or anything.. he's a 9-5 5 day a week office worker that likes to look out in his back yard and see some animals.

soundguy

 

[RickB]

I'm not sure how going and buyingg some culvert pipe is going to be comercial. I am gonna have to run him down and see why he was pulled. maybee a lamp or a flat on a tandem or ( tag ) or something.

For sure not overweight.. was metal squash pipe.. I bet the 3 pieces didn't weight over 800# all together.

I found out, from a previous thread, and looking on our stat's site, that florida did away with the class D LICENSE. ie.. either you are class c and do air brakes and that stuff.. or class e and under 26000 and non comercial.

can't wait to see how this turns out.

soundguy

I'm just telling you how it is. I'm not defending the system. For all the cop knows, he could be delivering the pipe to a job site. The whole DOT/Homeland security/commercial vehicle safety thing is as much about revenue enhancement as safety or security.

 

[Thomas]

Last couple of years seen more and more w/lettering on hauling vehicles Not For Hire..dual axle plus goose necks,not being pull over in our area.