3/4 ton vs. 1 ton

[Complete Turf Care]

I drove semi for years. and I now use a 3/4 ton. In Arkansas a ton truck comes under the DOT. you better have a health card , log book and load manifest. and be able to scale on every axle. with a 3/4 ton none of that is required. and the only weight limit is what is on the sidewall of your tires. I use split rims and 14 ply lowboy tires on my trailer. 3,750 pounds. per tire that's 15,000 on the 4 trailer tires and the truck will have some weight on it also.

From what I understand, each state is different. I did a little research for here in Louisiana, and this is what I found. It looks like a 'chauffeur's licence' is required for this vehicle as long as the combined GVWR stays below 26,001 lbs. A 'chauffeur's license' (in Louisiana) does not require the pre-trip inspection and all the other things required of a CDL. My trailer has a GVWR of 11,000 lbs and this truck has a GVWR of 13,000 lbs., therefore in Louisiana, a CDL is not required.

R.S. 32:408 B.(2)(d) and 405.1:
Class "D" Chauffeurs Driver's License
Age Requirements: 17 years or above.
Permits the operation of all vehicles included in Class "E" plus any single motor vehicle
used in commerce to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle has a gross
vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds but less than 26,001 pounds, or any
combination of vehicles used in commerce to transport passengers or property if the
vehicle has a combined vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds but less than
26,001 pounds inclusive of a towed unit with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than
10,000 pounds; or any vehicle designed or utilized for the transportation of passengers for
hire or fee; and not utilized in the transportation of materials found to be hazardous under
the provisions of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act which requires the vehicle to
bear a placard under the provision of Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR Part 172,
Subpart F).
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[Complete Turf Care]

I drove semi for years. and I now use a 3/4 ton. In Arkansas a ton truck comes under the DOT. you better have a health card , log book and load manifest. and be able to scale on every axle. with a 3/4 ton none of that is required. and the only weight limit is what is on the sidewall of your tires. I use split rims and 14 ply lowboy tires on my trailer. 3,750 pounds. per tire that's 15,000 on the 4 trailer tires and the truck will have some weight on it also.

I also found this on the Arkansas, but it looks like it's a 'generic' manual, and not specific for Arkansas.

You must have a CDL to operate:
• A single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of
more than 26,000 pounds.
• A trailer with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds if the
gross combination weight rating is more than 26,000 pounds.
• A vehicle designed to transport more than 15 persons
(including the driver).
• Any size vehicle which requires hazardous materials placards.
(Your state may have additional definitions of CMVs.)

 

[Copperhead]

A 'chauffeur's license' (in Louisiana) does not require the pre-trip inspection and all the other things required of a CDL.
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That does beg the question though, why wouldn't you do a pre-trip inspection of your pickup and trailer anyway, even if it didn't require anything more than a standard driver license? I see folks every day along the road broke down in which, most times, the issue could have been caught before they ever started off down the road. No tire pressure monitor thing is going to let you know you are starting to have side wall separation on a tire. The time to find you have burnt up a hub is when you see that there is oil or grease coming from it rather than after it has burnt up and has you on the side of the road.

After all, really, how much longer does it take to go around the pickup and trailer and inspect it, make sure all tie downs are secure, etc? Compared to the other things that could happen because you didn't?

Sorry, just the commercial driver in me coming out. Can't log over 5 million miles like I have, without an accident, and not have this kind of thing ingrained into your being. I don't EVER go on any kind of a trip, or tow anything, without having first done a complete check of everything before starting out for the day, and spot checks every time I stop and get out of the pickup. We have a term on trucking for those that don't do similarly.... steering wheel holders.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

That does beg the question though, why wouldn't you do a pre-trip inspection of your pickup and trailer anyway, even if it didn't require anything more than a standard driver license? I see folks every day along the road broke down in which, most times, the issue could have been caught before they ever started off down the road. No tire pressure monitor thing is going to let you know you are starting to have side wall separation on a tire. The time to find you have burnt up a hub is when you see that there is oil or grease coming from it rather than after it has burnt up and has you on the side of the road.

After all, really, how much longer does it take to go around the pickup and trailer and inspect it, make sure all tie downs are secure, etc? Compared to the other things that could happen because you didn't?

Sorry, just the commercial driver in me coming out. Can't log over 5 million miles like I have, without an accident, and not have this kind of thing ingrained into your being. I don't EVER go on any kind of a trip, or tow anything, without having first done a complete check of everything before starting out for the day, and spot checks every time I stop and get out of the pickup. We have a term on trucking for those that don't do similarly.... steering wheel holders.

These are words of wisdom. We should all do as you do.

By the way, the salesman texted me today that the truck is available for me to go test drive it again, but I can't get there for a few days now.

 

[wmonroe]

That does beg the question though, why wouldn't you do a pre-trip inspection of your pickup and trailer anyway, even if it didn't require anything more than a standard driver license? I see folks every day along the road broke down in which, most times, the issue could have been caught before they ever started off down the road. No tire pressure monitor thing is going to let you know you are starting to have side wall separation on a tire. The time to find you have burnt up a hub is when you see that there is oil or grease coming from it rather than after it has burnt up and has you on the side of the road. After all, really, how much longer does it take to go around the pickup and trailer and inspect it, make sure all tie downs are secure, etc? Compared to the other things that could happen because you didn't? Sorry, just the commercial driver in me coming out. Can't log over 5 million miles like I have, without an accident, and not have this kind of thing ingrained into your being. I don't EVER go on any kind of a trip, or tow anything, without having first done a complete check of everything before starting out for the day, and spot checks every time I stop and get out of the pickup. We have a term on trucking for those that don't do similarly.... steering wheel holders.

Very true post. I think part of it is cars are so much more reliable today that people are used to just getting in and driving without putting any thought into the "working parts".

 

[Old Junk Man]

Doing a PTI and being required to log it are two different things. I always stopped about every 150 mile,s and walked around the truck. placed my hand on the tires . if one was hotter I checked for it being low or the hub being hot ect. checked the chains & boomers and cleaned off the Rear lights and license plate. cleaned the bugs from the windshield also. listened for air leaks also. and most importiantly took a leak.

 

[Old Junk Man]

• A trailer with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds . Ok so you have a ton truck and your pulling a tandem axle trailer. the trailer itself will weigh at least 2,000 pounds. so that leaves you only able to haul 8,000 pounds. on the trailer. and you will need to have that 8,000 evenly split on the axles. Ive hauled 7500 pounds of scrap metal in the bed of my 71 3/4 ton on many occasions.

 

[Copperhead]

Doing a PTI and being required to log it are two different things. I always stopped about every 150 mile,s and walked around the truck. placed my hand on the tires . if one was hotter I checked for it being low or the hub being hot ect. checked the chains & boomers and cleaned off the Rear lights and license plate. cleaned the bugs from the windshield also. listened for air leaks also. and most importiantly took a leak.

I am not so sure they are two different things. For instance, as a flat bedder, you are required by FMCSA regulations to make periodic checks on your load securement. One does not have to show a 15 minute block on a log, but they need to flag it on the log. Essentially, to make sure that one is well within the regulatory requirements, and to look good in the event one is stopped and checked, showing such things on the log are sound advise and show to an LEO that these things are being done. A simple one line "flag" on the log suffices and no actual time for the process is shown. now that being said, if one is not running a log, nothing changes. The same checks should be made. For instance, a commercial driver, even a class 8 semi truck driver, is not required to log anything if they are within a 100 air mile radius operation. Yet, the same thing holds true, they need to make proper pre-trips and mid trip checks of equipment, and an end of day post trip.

But all of this log or no log thing will disappear once they implement mandatory electronic logging before too long. Even the local running will require some aspect of logging.

 

[motownbrowne]

• A trailer with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds . Ok so you have a ton truck and your pulling a tandem axle trailer. the trailer itself will weigh at least 2,000 pounds. so that leaves you only able to haul 8,000 pounds. on the trailer. and you will need to have that 8,000 evenly split on the axles. Ive hauled 7500 pounds ofView attachment 432333View attachment 432334 scrap metal in the bed of my 71 3/4 ton on many occasions.

Well, the requirement was to have a cdl if your trailer is over 10k and the total weight of the truck and trailer is over 26k, so since most 3/4 or 1 tons are under 10k loaded, you can get away with a trailer quite a bit heavier than 10k.

Also, putting 7,500lbs in the bed of a 3/4 ton is either a gross exaggeration or totally unsafe. There's no way that the gvwr of that machine is over 9000lbs, and it's got to weigh at least 4,000, probably more. I don't see how you could put 7,500 and not be well overweight.

 

[aczlan]

Also, putting 7,500lbs in the bed of a 3/4 ton is either a gross exaggeration or totally unsafe. There's no way that the gvwr of that machine is over 9000lbs, and it's got to weigh at least 4,000, probably more. I don't see how you could put 7,500 and not be well overweight.

4000#? Our 1997 1/2 ton Dodge is almost 6000# unloaded. Most "full size" cars (like my 1997 Volvo V90) are 4000#.
IIRC, most 3/4 ton trucks are 7000# to 8000# unloaded.

Aaron Z