When did official towing weight ratings begin?

[Bird]

Bird... I towed the same boat with with clamp on bumper hitches and homemade hitches... do you still have it?

Posted before about going to the rental yard to pickup a walk behind ditch-witch, paid for the rental and provided my driver's license and vehicle insurance only to have the yard guy not hook me up because my full size pickup with trailer brakes and heavy duty hitch is a 1500 and not a 2500

I think Dad sold that boat in 1965. And I traded off the Sprite in 1964; only had it 2 years. Other people just did not see it because it was so small I guess. It got hit twice with me in it, sitting still, and I got off work to find someone had hit it parked a couple of times.

But I've mentioned before pulling a little utility trailer with a clamp on bumper hitch on my first car; a 1946 Chevy 2 door.

 

[Cord]

The Feds consider any towed vehicle with a GVW rating of over 10,000 lbs as commercial and requires some type of commercial drivers license.

So, my 2011 F150 has a listed towing capacity of 11,300 would require a CDL???? Here I thought it was trucks with a GVWR rating of 26,000lbs or more.

 

[aczlan]

So, my 2011 F150 has a listed towing capacity of 11,300 would require a CDL???? Here I thought it was trucks with a GVWR rating of 26,000lbs or more.

Its both. A trailer GVWR over 10k AND a GCWR over 26k, so unless your F150 has a GVWR of over 14,700 you are not unto CDL territory based on weight.

Aaron Z

 

[Rock knocker]

Its both. A trailer GVWR over 10k AND a GCWR over 26k, so unless your F150 has a GVWR of over 14,700 you are not unto CDL territory based on weight.

Aaron Z

Yes. It's pretty simple, but sure causes a lot of confusion. I think because there is so much chatter out there that is wrong, the simple facts are obscured.

 

[ultrarunner]

Yes... but also that it varies nationwide.

 

[ModMech]

Yup, the moment you cross the state line and are "in commerce" you will need a CDL with a trailer over 10k.

 

[Rock knocker]

Yup, the moment you cross the state line and are "in commerce" you will need a CDL with a trailer over 10k.

Got a reference for that?

I'll wait patiently, because I must be patient due to the fact you'll never come up with any.

CDL laws are esentially universal across the states because the Feds require a minimum level, below which they will withdraw funding. But more stringent, and inter state commerce clauses come into effect.

A vehicle in interstate commerce over 10,000 pounds gross must comply with Federal DOT requirements for hours or service, log keeping, medical records etc. But the mere act of crossing a state line does not necessitate a CDL unless otherwise required. A driver of a 12,000 GVW truck pulling a 12,000 GVW trailer does not need a CDL, except in California for CA licensed drivers and vehicles.

 

[ModMech]

Your wait is over......

Per DPS TX:


Class A CDL

Authorizes an individual to drive any combination of vehicles with a GCWR of 26,001 pounds or more if the GVWR of the vehicle(s) towed exceeds 10,000 pounds.

Class B CDL

Authorizes an individual to drive any:
1.Single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more; any one of those vehicles that is towing a vehicle does not exceed a GVWR of 10,000 pounds
2.Vehicle designed to transport 24 passengers or more including the driver

If you are towing OVER 10k "for commerce" you had better check the laws of your home state!

As others have pointed out, in some cases simply removing the bed of your pickup and towing a GN trailer can get you unwanted attention from the LEOs.

The over-riding rule for CDLs is that if the vehicle OR combination is over 26,000 lbs and you are doing it for profit (yes the IRS includes racers of all types in that definition) you MUST have a CDL. Some STATES require them for trailers over 10k or non-RV combinations under 26k.

YMMV

 

[wcampbell47]

Got a reference for that?

I'll wait patiently, because I must be patient due to the fact you'll never come up with any.

CDL laws are esentially universal across the states because the Feds require a minimum level, below which they will withdraw funding. But more stringent, and inter state commerce clauses come into effect.

A vehicle in interstate commerce over 10,000 pounds gross must comply with Federal DOT requirements for hours or service, log keeping, medical records etc. But the mere act of crossing a state line does not necessitate a CDL unless otherwise required. A driver of a 12,000 GVW truck pulling a 12,000 GVW trailer does not need a CDL, except in California for CA licensed drivers and vehicles.

Paying particular attention to your statement that CDL laws are essentially universal across state lines I hereby submit a link to the Texas Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Handbook. Figure 1-1 on Page 1-1 has a flow chart indicating that towing a trailer of 10,001 lbs or more requires a CDL when involved in interstate commerce. So a driver of a 12,000 GVW truck towing a 12,000 GVW trailer DOES need a CDL if he crosses a state line. So if the laws are universal across the states as you state the Handbook is correct in specifying that a Class A CDL is required to tow a 10,001 GVW trailer across the state line. The handbook does not specify that the trailer has to actually be carrying weight.

I could risk taking my 14,400 lb trailer across state lines with a light load and probably would not be stopped. May not even be cited if I was stopped. Maybe if I was hauling multiple 4 wheelers I might convince the officer I was non-commercial. There are more than enough out of compliance 18 wheelers to keep DOT officials busy which might preclude one from being stopped. But if you go through a state that has all trucks, even pickup trucks with trailers, stop at the weigh station I would think you want your ducks in a row.

Here is the link you requested. I am betting you will NOT take it at face value and try to split hairs over something you have a different opinion about. Just saying.
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/internetforms/Forms/DL-7C.pdf

 

[Rock knocker]

Your wait is over......

Per DPS TX:


Class A CDL

Authorizes an individual to drive any combination of vehicles with a GCWR of 26,001 pounds or more if the GVWR of the vehicle(s) towed exceeds 10,000 pounds.

Class B CDL

Authorizes an individual to drive any:
1.Single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more; any one of those vehicles that is towing a vehicle does not exceed a GVWR of 10,000 pounds
2.Vehicle designed to transport 24 passengers or more including the driver

If you are towing OVER 10k "for commerce" you had better check the laws of your home state!

These are the universal rules, nothing different here. And in both cases, a 12K truck towing a 12K trailer does not require a CDL