am i legal?

[workinallthetime]

hey tbn guys this thread is in response to some comments made to me in another post. i tow a 18 foot "car hauler" style trailer with a b3030 tractor loader backhoe on it. My question to you guys is what do i HAVE to do to secure this baby to my trailer per DOT? keep in mind i dont leave my state with it and it wweighs less than 3500 lbs im guessing since the tractor weighs 1850 that leaves 1700 lbs for the hoe and loader, im pretty sure they dont way that much but i could be wrong.
after looking for a couple of hours i only found this

393.130 - Heavy Vehicles, Equipment and Machinery
These requirements are applicable to the transportation of heavy vehicles, equipment and machinery which operate on wheels or tracks, such as front end loaders, bulldozers, tractors and power shovels and which individually weigh 4,536 kg (10,000 lbs) or more. Vehicles, equipment and machinery which is lighter than 4,536 kg (10,000 lbs) may be secured in accordance with these rules, the rules for automobiles, light trucks and vans, or the general freight requirements

i run a chain through the front loader hole and another through a clevis i put on the draw bar and put the pins in the backhoe. i boomer it all down real tight and never have had a problem with the law or the tractor. i did have a bx23 till yesterday now i have a b3030
i feel the way im doing it is secure and safe, i think if the trailer rolled over the tractor would still be stuck to it. im using 5/16th chain to secure it all.

 

[workinallthetime]

ok i found a thing that delt with equipment weighing over 4500 lbs saying the backhoe had to be lowered to the deck and secured to the trailer, but im under that weight

 

[Builder]

ok i found a thing that delt with equipment weighing over 4500 lbs saying the backhoe had to be lowered to the deck and secured to the trailer, but im under that weight

PA, and most other states, do not allow the backhoe to be pinned and up in the air (stupid, I know). Lower your hoe and chain it down. Chain the front of the tractor down and ratchet them binders down tight. Check & make sure the WLL is up to spec and stamped on your chain links or the DOT will rate your chain as the lowest quality chain. Make sure the WLL is stamped on your binders, too. Apply your tractor park brake, put it in gear, remove keys. Place dunnage in front of at least 2 of your tractor tires (I bolted "chocks" where my rear tires were). That oughta be most of what you need to keep em happy. The newer & more well cared for your your rig & trailer is, the better it looks to DOT when you go past them.

 

[QRTRHRS]

PA, and most other states, do not allow the backhoe to be pinned and up in the air (stupid, I know).

I assume the reason for this can be attributed to far too many cases of backhoes booms hitting bridges. Seems trivial when you are talking about a small unit but a blanket law takes the guesswork out of the equation.

I know I have endured far too many construction delays for bridge repairs because some yahoo whacked it.

 

[workinallthetime]

PA, and most other states, do not allow the backhoe to be pinned and up in the air (stupid, I know). Lower your hoe and chain it down. Chain the front of the tractor down and ratchet them binders down tight. Check & make sure the WLL is up to spec and stamped on your chain links or the DOT will rate your chain as the lowest quality chain. Make sure the WLL is stamped on your binders, too. Apply your tractor park brake, put it in gear, remove keys. Place dunnage in front of at least 2 of your tractor tires (I bolted "chocks" where my rear tires were). That oughta be most of what you need to keep em happy. The newer & more well cared for your your rig & trailer is, the better it looks to DOT when you go past them.

guess its time to diamond plate the fenders and paint the thing, problem is my hoe has to be turned to one side to fit on the trailer now so guess some cutting needs to be done on my ramp. ugg and i just built the thing a month ago for the bx. guess its time to buy a spray gun to shoot my wagon.

 

[KICK]

I know I have endured far too many construction delays for bridge repairs because some yahoo whacked it.

and not every yahoo carries enuf insurance to pay for the damage they cause, so the taxpayers do.

and we get a law out of it.

 

[Builder]

I assume the reason for this can be attributed to far too many cases of backhoes booms hitting bridges. Seems trivial when you are talking about a small unit but a blanket law takes the guesswork out of the equation.

I know I have endured far too many construction delays for bridge repairs because some yahoo whacked it.

Yup. A guy who did excavating work for me whacked a bridge overpass with a full size backhoe dipperstick.

I was more referring to small kubota backhoes & the like. Probably less than 10-11' high with the dipperstick locked on top of an equipment trailer. not really a threat to bridges or overpasses.

 

[bradv42]

There is a different set of laws for vehicles or trailers that have the 3 identification lights located on the center of the vehicle. These 3 lights often refered to ICC lights designate when a vehicle is greater than 80 inches wide and/or rated at over 10,000 lbs. GVWR.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, FMCSR Part 393 has detailed requirements for load securement, lighting placement and maximum height of vehicle among other things. This federal law pre-empts all local and state laws where the federal law has a clear standard in place. It is available on line at this address: Part 393: Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation

Hope this works for you !
Brad

 

[Bob_Skurka]

i tow a 18 foot "car hauler" style trailer with a b3030 tractor loader backhoe on it. My question to you guys is what do i HAVE to do to secure this baby to my trailer per DOT?

In addition to the Federal DOT standards, you also have to meet your STATE's DOT standards. State laws can be more strict than Federal laws, but they can never be more lax.

They also may (or may not) be open to some interpretation. Some laws are writtin very specifically, some are vague. For example if you have to prevent lateral shifting of a load, does that mean that you need 4 chains? Or will 2 connection points work? That may be up to the officer who pulls you over if your State DOT is not specific.

keep in mind i dont leave my state with it

Why would you think that matters? Simple put, it doesn't matter. DOT standards apply to intra-state and to inter-state towing. Further, as mentioned above, your State's DOT will be more rigid than the Federal DOT and cannot be less rigid.

Further, you failed to mention that you are a commercial operator. In the photos you posted in the other thread, it clearly showed signs on your trailer that said your services were for hire. That puts you in the commerical category and subject to commercial regulations, essentially that means that nobody is going to cut you any slack if you get pulled over.

While you may have a light tractor, you must tie it down in such a way to prevent lateral shifting, as well as forward and rearward shifting. With regards to tying down the loader and the backhoe, the way I read the regulations that is open for some reasonable debate. Some regulations I see require it, some require it only if they are not pinned in position, some require them to be lowered, etc. But given the possible confusion, you have a choice of being safe and chaining them, or risking confusion and not doing it. For as simple as it is to chain them, I'd recommed you chain them.

 

[workinallthetime]

bob bob bob,
feel pretty strong about this topic dont ya? tell ya what im gonna do.
ill drop the hoe to the deck and chain the bucket down, other than that im good with the way i have it set up. cant have the side board on with the new tractor anyway so no signs. the reason i said something about traveling out of state was because after a hour long search on the net all i could find were reg's concerning inter state travel.
i duno maybe i should mention some where in all this i have been towing a trailer around with everything from a massy 175 w/ loader to plants for 20 years and have not had a single problem. im the guy people call around here to go pick up their broke down car a 100 miles away, or pull their truck out of the sand at the river.
i apreciate your concern on this matter but i dont apreciate you implying that my methods are "unsafe". the man who deliverd my b3030 had it chained down just like i do except he had the rear bucket on the deck. this guy picks up and delivers all the tractors for the dealership and goes out of state to do it. that means he has to go through inspections in and out of each state with the troopers and the dot guys. im always plugging people for more info on anything i do or want to do so i asked him today what he had experienced. he said that one through the loader and one through the backhoe mounting bracket is all he has ever done and never had a problem when he goes though inspections other than his log book.

im done have a nice day