1st trailer help please!

[Builder]

Wow, just gets more complicated state to state going to DMV Monday. Good news is I need a trailer soon. Local kayak shop needs me to scape their parking lot and mow about 3 acres for them this season. I do not have a business yet so I am going to help a friend out for a month or so untill I get what ever the **** I will need in TN to legally tow my rig. I am unsure what to charge them for maintain their property, just getting in business. Small gravel /drive parking lot, 1/2 acre of their 3 is steep and a bit of weed eating. What would you charge? Looking at 2 trailers 18' 12K Big Tex pipe trailer or 24' 14k Horton Hauler, which and why? Looks like I will buy one soon if some one is going to pay me to come use tractor, esp for a possible long term client.
THANKS!
Eric

Get the bigger trailer, your trauck can handle it and it gives you room to grow. Otherwise you'll be trading the 18' in for a 24' in a few years.

 

[Skyco]

OK, you tricked us. When I read "class A" and were talking about commercial licenses & such, I figure you mean class A CDL.

Just going with the plan....the DMVs seem to try to trick us all the time
Thats what makes it so confusing
I swear I think ALL traffic/drivers license/motor vehicle laws need to be identical everywhere in the USA, sure would simplify things, and then maybe someone, somewhere could finally figure them out.
I look for that to happen right after they throw out all the income tax codes and go with a national sales tax so there'd be no cheaters/loopholes and everyone would pay their fair share no matter how they got the money. IOW never...

 

[firedog]

I think ALL traffic/drivers license/motor vehicle laws need to be identical everywhere in the USA

Unfortunately with individual states that will probably never happen. The laws regulating the commercial trucking industry are pretty much identical from state to state. (notice I said "pretty much identical"), some years ago the Feds madated thru the federal commerce act that all states had to comply with a uniform set of laws regulating the licensing of drivers for the commercial trucking industry. The Feds set the criteria and the states wrote their own laws to meet that criteria, so the laws may vary slightly in wording from state to state but the intent is "suppose" to be the same.
However, the hitch is that this really only applies to interstate commercial trucking not intrastate. So that 12k or 14k trailer you buy may or may not need special requirements.

The problem with it all is: a law is written to cover something, but doesn't quite catch everything it should, so either its amended or another law is written. then there are still gaps and/or overlaps, so we hire lawyers to sort thru all this........ hmmmm.......and depending on who's paying their lawyer the most dictates who gets the law twisted their way.

Originally a trailer was consider commercial if "it" was for hire, not the tractor riding on it. Now the interpretation seems to be leaning towards whats on the trailer..................I guess in a few years, if you hop in your car to go get groceries, someone will deem that as an act of commerce and your station wagon will be a commercial vehicle.

 

[em14]

Builder you made me stop and think about the DOT Number ... and not to steal the thread ... I don't see how many folks here are going to avoid either a State Intra State Number or an Fed DOT Number ... Take a few minutes and go to this Fed Site Registration & Assistance: USDOT Number/Operating Authority - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration then find this:Start the Step-by-Step Registration Guide and answer the questions and see if you need a DOT Number then check with your state folks (lots of luck) ... this thing gets involved to say the least!
Leo

 

[Builder]

Builder you made me stop and think about the DOT Number ... and not to steal the thread ... I don't see how many folks here are going to avoid either a State Intra State Number or an Fed DOT Number ... Take a few minutes and go to this Fed Site Registration & Assistance: USDOT Number/Operating Authority - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration then find this:Start the Step-by-Step Registration Guide and answer the questions and see if you need a DOT Number then check with your state folks (lots of luck) ... this thing gets involved to say the least!
Leo

It's ridiculous. I even went as far as to call my state's DMV. They said I'm not required to have a DOT# since I don't leave my state's confines. Seems like I should still have one, but I've been pulled over bfore and no ones asked me about having one!