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

   / How much weight can I legally haul in Virginia without CDL. #1  

sspencer

New member
Joined
Apr 27, 2015
Messages
2
Location
Stafford
Tractor
3/4 ton 2005 Ram
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
 
   / How much weight can I legally haul in Virginia without CDL. #2  
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.
 
   / How much weight can I legally haul in Virginia without CDL. #3  
This page from the VA CDL manual has a flow chart to see what you need.

dmv60a.jpg

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

Bruce
 
   / How much weight can I legally haul in Virginia without CDL. #4  
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
 
   / How much weight can I legally haul in Virginia without CDL. #5  
That's why trailers have a 9995 lb rating-so you can squeeze under the CDL requirement.

Will
 
   / How much weight can I legally haul in Virginia without CDL. #6  
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.
 
   / How much weight can I legally haul in Virginia without CDL. #7  
I thought as long as it's not for commerce and you hold title to said vehicles no CDL is required.
In all states?
 
   / How much weight can I legally haul in Virginia without CDL. #8  
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?
 
   / How much weight can I legally haul in Virginia without CDL. #9  
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.
 
   / How much weight can I legally haul in Virginia without CDL. #10  
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.
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2017 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 Crew Cab Pickup Truck (A50323)
2017 Dodge Ram...
2011 CATERPILLAR M318D MOBILE EXCAVATOR (A51242)
2011 CATERPILLAR...
2020 CHEVROLET 2500HD CREW CAB TRUCK (A51406)
2020 CHEVROLET...
TRUCKING INFO (A50775)
TRUCKING INFO (A50775)
2019 CATERPILLAR 326FL EXCAVATOR (A51242)
2019 CATERPILLAR...
2019 Ford Fusion SEL Sedan (A50324)
2019 Ford Fusion...
 
Top