motor carrier permit learning

brain55 · Mar 25, 2014

I got schooled this morning by the friendly neighborhood California Highway Patrol officer about motor carrier permits and class A licensing. He dispelled any myth there may have been about where the line is. My F-450 though it has a pick-up bed is not a pick-up, its unladen weight is over 8300 lbs which makes it a truck. It also does not matter how much my trailer weighs, it is rated for 20,000 lbs, any time you are towing a trailer rated for over 10,000 lbs you need a class A license whether it is commercial or not.

So I spent the rest of my morning filling out paperwork and paying the required weight fees. Fortunately he mostly wrote fix-it tickets and not infractions. The driving out of class may cost me a bit though.

Let the flaming begin.

Brian

Soundguy · Mar 25, 2014

dang.

my every day drive to work personal vehicle would need class a.

I'd move from that communist state!

dave1949 · Mar 25, 2014

Your total GVWR exceeds 26K, I think you need a CDL for that in most places. I'm getting rusty on those rules.

3930dave · Mar 25, 2014

Pretty much the same here.

Here, the next license down (D) won't let you tow anything more than 10k#, same as a light-vehicle general license. Seems pretty goofy, but us peasants don't get to make the rules.

They brought in an optional restricted Class A in Ontario, for something like a setup like yours. If you're towing a float, work trailer, or horse trailer, you don't typically need to know anything about air-brakes - so we have an A "Lite" here.... not sure if you are that lucky in CA ?

The same govts that don't mind collecting big sales taxes on expensive HD pickups really should pass laws so those same dealerships are required to inform the buyer in writing what the DL requirements are for those capacity of vehicles.... but that ain't likely to happen is it ?

Rgds, D.

mjcountrybumpkin · Mar 25, 2014

In Va. If it's tagged for less than 26,000lbs or if it's Ag. Use no CDL required.

PlumCrazy814 · Mar 25, 2014

In PA, CDL info can be found here: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/fact_sheets/fs-cdl.pdf for those who need to know. Farm operations get some byes.

Vehicle classifications: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/mv_forms/mv-70s.pdf

licensing class info here: PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services - Classes of Licenses

It used to be possible to register below the actual vehicle weight rating but not legal to run beyond registered weight rating (not sure if it is still so and I am not interested in finding out). Be smart and be safe.

Diamondpilot · Mar 26, 2014

Glad I live where I do. 1/2 of us would be in trouble.

Chris

JJZ 109 · Mar 26, 2014

I got a Class A with tank endorsement many years ago when I was about 20 or 21. Well before CDL, it was called a Class 1 in NY. Although I haven't used it in many years and it costs me much more than a normal license to renew, I never gave it up. It would be too hard to get back.
With you using that rig every day to make a living, I hope things go as quickly and painlessly as possible for you Brian.

dave1949 · Mar 26, 2014

Pain in the butt for sure. How painful depends on how they do the testing for the Class A in California, or if they have different categories of Class A, like mentioned in Canada and PA. I think there is only one flavor of Class A in Maine.

The CDL written test in Maine covers a lot of topics that don't apply to the OP. Then there is the driving test. Here you would take the test driving your own rig as far as I know but that doesn't really make sense either from a driving skill standpoint.

wdchyd · Mar 26, 2014

My dually F350 service truck has a gvw of 11k......I was warned to NOT tow my boat with it on weekends for exactly the same reason

It would bring the weight over the top