if i only had a camera

   / if i only had a camera #21  
I wish I had remembered my phone has a camera...

Good example of an improperly secured load right in front of my place this afternoon.

Apparently, buddy got a good deal on a used garden shed. You know the kind, lightweight steel frame, lightweight tin covering it, supposed to be screwed down to a deck of some sort...

He tried to haul it home on a flatbed trailer behind his pickup.

I watched him coming up the road & thought to myself: "that shed isn't going to stay on there much longer."

As he passed my driveway, his wife, following in their SUV, missed my mailbox by inches as she avoided the airborn shed.

I guess it wasn't such a good deal after all. The shed was quite a mess when it stopped moving in the middle of the road.

Unfortunately, by the time I remembered I had a camera, the shed was back on the trailer.

As far as I could tell, he had ONE 1" ratched strap to tie it down with. I'm surprised he made it as far as he did before it launched.
 
   / if i only had a camera #22  
Last year, just north of Pittsburgh, a towed wood chipper came loose (driver didn't hook up safety chains) and killed several people. This week a contractor was stopped because the trailer was tied to the bumper ball with light rope.

Since the first incident, the State Police are paying closer attention to trailers. If the trailer is 10k or more, you need a medical card, and if in any way commercial (even so far as to winning money at a horse show) they want to see a commercial drivers license.
 
   / if i only had a camera #23  
Funny how things work, I live on a "cut through" street, small subdivision street that is a straight line between two major roads.

So, My son's best freind is over, with his sister, My BIL is out in front playing with them. They decide to go in back and jump on the Tramp. BIL hears a terrible racket out front, looks over the fence to see a trailer skidding down the road on it's own.......

Stayed in the road, no harm no foul I guess, but a little to close to comfort for me.

Have no idea on the why's and the what's, just another example of an idiot who has no idea what they are doing is my bet.
 
   / if i only had a camera #24  
cup149 said:
.

Since the first incident, the State Police are paying closer attention to trailers. If the trailer is 10k or more, you need a medical card, and if in any way commercial (even so far as to winning money at a horse show) they want to see a commercial drivers license.


Is that something you have looked up? It can be either, as the FEDERAL law is the minimum the states must adhere to and it is different from state to state. The only way to be sure is to check with your state. My 12k trailer can be used commercially to haul my tractor and it IS NOT a commercial motor vehicle and does NOT require a CDL. But, I live in Wisconsin. The law in PA may be different.

The document from the WI DOT lists what is a CMV and what is not. (cdl-vol1.pdf)

CMV and CDL Guide
(Examples)
1. A combination vehicle 26,001 or more pounds is a Class “A” CMV only if the trailer being towed has a gross vehicle weight rating, registered weight or actual gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds.
2. When the weight of the combination vehicle is exactly 26,000 pounds, it is not a CMV and does not require a CDL. Example: A tractor weighs 16,000 pounds and the towed unit weighs 10,000 pounds.
3. When the towing vehicle is 26,000 or less pounds and the towed unit is 10,000 or less pounds, it is not a CMV and does not require a CDL. Example: A tractor weighs 25,500 pounds and the towed unit weighs 8,000 pounds.

THey have a table that shows a 6,000# truck with a 20,000# trailer. No CMV and no CDL needed.


As to police officers pulling over cars and letting semi's go - not here!!! I used to travel up Hwy 94 a lot to the Twin Cities and 75% of the vehicles pulled over were semi's. That stretch of road is very well patrolled and the locals know it, and we just set the cruise control to 70 and relax.

jb
 
Last edited:
   / if i only had a camera #25  
Little off topic... My neighbor who is the most meticulous mechanic I know had the rear axle snap on his full size Jeep Wagoneer while pulling a utility trailer with lumber on Highway 80.

He credits the Load Leveler Hitch with Torsion Bars as the reason the accident did not turn out to be a disaster.

California Highway Patrol inspected and said mechanical failure, not do to operator as cause.

The point is Accidents can and do happen.
 
   / if i only had a camera #26  
john_bud said:
Is that something you have looked up? It can be either, as the FEDERAL law is the minimum the states must adhere to and it is different from state to state. The only way to be sure is to check with your state. My 12k trailer can be used commercially to haul my tractor and it IS NOT a commercial motor vehicle and does NOT require a CDL. But, I live in Wisconsin. The law in PA may be different.

The document from the WI DOT lists what is a CMV and what is not. (cdl-vol1.pdf)

CMV and CDL Guide
(Examples)
1. A combination vehicle 26,001 or more pounds is a Class “A” CMV only if the trailer being towed has a gross vehicle weight rating, registered weight or actual gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds.
2. When the weight of the combination vehicle is exactly 26,000 pounds, it is not a CMV and does not require a CDL. Example: A tractor weighs 16,000 pounds and the towed unit weighs 10,000 pounds.
3. When the towing vehicle is 26,000 or less pounds and the towed unit is 10,000 or less pounds, it is not a CMV and does not require a CDL. Example: A tractor weighs 25,500 pounds and the towed unit weighs 8,000 pounds.

THey have a table that shows a 6,000# truck with a 20,000# trailer. No CMV and no CDL needed.


As to police officers pulling over cars and letting semi's go - not here!!! I used to travel up Hwy 94 a lot to the Twin Cities and 75% of the vehicles pulled over were semi's. That stretch of road is very well patrolled and the locals know it, and we just set the cruise control to 70 and relax.

jb

Its the same in PA.
Ive been through this several times and for some reason, people still believe you need a CDL to pull a 10,000 trailer when you dont. Some people claim to have been told that by LEOs or DOT officials and its just not true. CA is the only state Ive seen where you may need a CDL just because your trailer is over 10000 lbs. There may be more but not many. I know PA doesnt require it. There will no doubt be people argue with me over this. Im not looking up any more state CDL rules, been there done that and have yet to hear,"sorry, I was wrong" for my trouble. If anyone wants to dispute this, by all means, show us in writing.

EDIT: I went back and read your post. Im not sure how WI gets by with less strict CDL laws than federal CDL laws but Id say if you are driving a 25000 truck and pulling an 8000 trailer outside of WI, you had better have a class "B" or higher CDL or you're in deep doodoo because federal law is any commercial vehicle or COMBINATION over 26000 requires a CDL.
 
Last edited:
   / if i only had a camera #27  
The worst problems i ever had, chaining down equipment was with an 800 kg load of 6 meter planks on 4 meter mid axle tandem trailer: the front rack bent over to the back, putting the planks back about a meter. I re-tightened the ties, mumbled that i had to weld on a DECENT rack on this crappy trailer i borrowed, and never thought of the center of gravity of the load, that was now behind the axles of the tandem.

It also had a nearly flat tire (which i didnt check) and NO brakes. (which i found out later)
I had the opportunity to see the poor condition of the undercarriage, in my rear view mirror when the trailer took me over after a sweaty and breath taking half mile when the trailer got to steer the car, untill the point that my rear tires were squeeling while breaking out of track.
The road was inbetween two rows of mighty oaks, so when i felt roots under the front wheels of the car, and seeing my mirror scratching along the tree, i decided that it was time to stop trying to steer, and to stop INSTANTLY because i was totally out of control.

Anyways, when i hit the brakes, the car reversed 180° and hit a tree with the hitch ball (bent hitch, radio came out of the dashboard, no further damage)
The trailer was 15 meters ahead upside down in a ditch.


another close call i had, was with another car on the trailer: the trailer suspension and the suspension of the car were increasing each others slopping, which caused a nasty sling. From that day off i tie down cars on top of trailers so tight that the wheels nearly hit the mudguards. that drives a lot safer, and it doesnt draw so much wind either because of the 2 inches lower profile ;)
 
   / if i only had a camera #28  
john_bud said:
CMV and CDL Guide
(Examples)
1. A combination vehicle 26,001 or more pounds is a Class “A” CMV only if the trailer being towed has a gross vehicle weight rating, registered weight or actual gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds.
2. When the weight of the combination vehicle is exactly 26,000 pounds, it is not a CMV and does not require a CDL. Example: A tractor weighs 16,000 pounds and the towed unit weighs 10,000 pounds.
3. When the towing vehicle is 26,000 or less pounds and the towed unit is 10,000 or less pounds, it is not a CMV and does not require a CDL. Example: A tractor weighs 25,500 pounds and the towed unit weighs 8,000 pounds.

THey have a table that shows a 6,000# truck with a 20,000# trailer. No CMV and no CDL needed.


jb

What you quoted are also what I believe Pennsylvania's conditions are. There are also exemptions for RVs. It seems that the definiton of commercial is what they are looking at closely. If I haul a load of hay or a horse for gas money, am I commercial? I guess so, but would be intrastate, not interstate. So, would I have to report the income to the IRS and have a DOT medical card? IRS yes, DOT medical card, I don't think so, but I don't write the citations. The State Police showed up at a nearby horse event, no citations were given, they were looking at the larger rigs though.

"Requirements for Medical Certification
In the interest of public safety on the highways, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations require interstate commercial drivers to be medically fit to operate their vehicles safely and competently. You are required to have a physical exam and carry a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) medical certificate if:

You operate a motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross combination weight rating (GCWR) or gross vehicle weight (GVW) or gross combination weight (GCW) of 4,536 kilograms (10,001 pounds) or more"
 
   / if i only had a camera #29  
As Bird pointed out, unsecured items can kill. In NH, there was a young lady killed by an access door on a large excavator that swung open and flew off. It went through her windshield.
 
   / if i only had a camera #30  
I bought a Kubota B6100 a couple of months ago, and have been reading threads on this site since then. I find it very informative, but have not had the inclination to write anything prior to this, but this safety thread brought to mind an incident I had about two years ago that still makes me a little shaky when I thing about it.

I have an older GMC 6000 rated at 19,500 GVW. I was pulling an open UHaul trailer from NE Ohio to our new house in MI. It was loaded with my shop stuff the company wouldn't move. The evening before, I had finished loading the truck in the barn and had pulled the empty trailer in with the garden tractor. I had installed a 5" rise receiver and checked the 2 1/4" nut on the ball with a large wrench that fit the nut, with my feet against the trailer tongue, so I knew it was tight. After I hooked the trailer on, I checked to see it was security attached with the battery powered pallet stacker. I was able to lift the back of the tuck up enough to know the whole thing was securely attached. I then loaded the trailer. I used a lot of nylon ratchet straps, but used a 3/8" chain and chain binder over the mast of the pallet stacker (tall mast with a 12' lift capability). We then headed on our way with my wife following in the mini-van.

About three hours later as I was heading down Highway 2 along Lake Erie, I felt a strong jerk. I looked in the mirror and saw the 6' X 12' trailer half in the next lane. I immediately thought of my wife following me and the possibilities of the chains breaking and started pumping the brakes for all I was worth. At the same time I was cussing the guy that had welded on the trailer hitch. If I ever see him again, I own him an apology for what I was thinking. My wife didn't think about the chains braking, but said the way the truck was swaying back and forth, she was sure it was going to roll. Fortunately, one of the chains held (one broke) but the surge brakes helped and we all got stopped, with the tongue lined up with the hitch. When I look to see what let loose, the nut had come off the ball. I'll never really know what happened, but the hitch was find and the 2" ball was hanging from the tongue of the trailer. The tongue had probably 300 pounds of weight on it (the heavy stuff was over the axels) and I had to get some lumber out of the truck to pry it up and block it so I could put in a different receiver and hook the trailer back on.

Just as we were finishing, an Ohio State police officer stopped. He said he was driving by and saw we had problems and turned around. Apparently we were still so white faced, he didn't even ask for ID or registration. I had to get another extension in Toledo for the lights, and put a new S hook on the chains, but there was no other damage. I stopped about every 50 miles after that and checked the nut on the ball. Normally it is all I can do to get the nut off when I want to change, so the only thing I could think of was that the split lock washer had broken in two and with the tension gone, the nut spun off.

Before I take any long trips with a trailer again, I plan on drilling the ball shaft and putting in a pin so that I know this can't happen again. I am glad to say that I had everything tied down securely enough that nothing on the trailer shifted, although I retightened it before we took off again. I had to do something to give me time to stop shaking before I could drive again.

I would recommend always securing your load better than you think you need. The load you hold down may be the load that is not coming through your cab or your wife's car. Stop and check the ball and the tie downs regularly during the trip. I have since bought a car hauler (great price of $250) with a steel bed and ramps. No brakes. I have it over at a mechanic now doing some repairs on it and adding brakes. I'm not taking any chances with my little tractor. I chain it front and back with load binders, set the backhoe outriggers down, set the bucket down, and lock the brakes. You and never be too safe.

Thanks to everyone for the information I am picking up on my B6100, front-end loader, and backhoe. I just bought a flail mower, but want to get more work done with the backhoe before pulling it off and trying the flail mower. My wife is happy to mow with the old Wheel Horse, so I'm in no hurry. This is the first tractor I have owned. I wouldn't mind a little bigger one, but this does most of what I want, and it fits in my barn with no problem.

Steve J.
 
Last edited:

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2018 Infiniti Q50 AWD Sedan (A51694)
2018 Infiniti Q50...
2010 Ford Edge SE SUV (A51694)
2010 Ford Edge SE...
2016 TAKEUCHI TL8 SKID STEER (A51242)
2016 TAKEUCHI TL8...
11ft S/A Fuel Tank Trailer Frame (A51691)
11ft S/A Fuel Tank...
SHREDDER (A52472)
SHREDDER (A52472)
JOHN DEERE 5075E (A53084)
JOHN DEERE 5075E...
 
Top