Tractors Need USDOT Numbers?

[Duffster]

They may in the near future.

Buckle Your Seatbelt: A Federal Motor Carrier License May Soon Be Required For Many Farmers | Farmgateblog.com

What do you think?

 

[LoneCowboy]

good
Many farmer's cheat

they do commercial work and use their farm tags and exemptions to not pay taxes nor do all the DOT paperwork and compliance and such.

I have no problem with the farming exemption

but if they want to do commercial work, they should have the same set of rules.

i think this is in the wrong forum.

 

[magicheater]

good
Many farmer's cheat, I think this is in the wrong forum.

If talking about weight limits on Trucks, maybe. But how about the farmer that has fields many miles from him/her as many seem to have now a days and use the highways to get to those fields. Just hauling manure on regular basis can add up to hundreds of miles if not thousands in a year. What I see is a free road and no taxes to pay. It is a sticky wicket about how to solve but the rules for farming have changed because of the size they need to be just to survive. It used to be a farmer had to drive down his own road to the back forty, now they just take the highway to the new field they rent or just bought. I don't have an answer but do see a slight injustice in some cases.

 

[Deere9986]

I do custom harvesting in the southern states [texas, oklahoma, kansas, mississippi, louisana, arkansas, and tennessee]. Plus i farm at home in tn and all my trucks are under my dot number plus i have bonds in the states that require them. It does make me mad to see some grain haulers that run farm tags that don't even farm. The regulations have so many loop holes that anybody can get farm tags and use them commercialy.

 

[Duffster]

i think this is in the wrong forum.

What forum should it be in?

Maybe the Mods can move it.

 

[Ford tractor]

The link also says that the DOT want's to declare farm EQUIPMENT as commercial and require license, inspection, commercial insurance, etc just like a big rig. The 10,001 pound limit would apply. No big deal? But that includes the weight of farm trailers and load added together to the weight of the tractor too. How's that going to work for the guy that uses his 8n to haul a hay wagon across the road? Suddenly he's commercial and now has to pass all big rig requirements! How's that old tractor going to pass the inspection? How's he going to GET it to the inspection station? Now his FARM plated 1/2 ton truck and 7000 pound trailer ALSO is in the same "commercial" category !

It has 0.00000001% to do with safety, the rest about control and money.

 

[LoneCowboy]

well duh
it's always about the money
Here in Colorado equipment used commercially off your own property already requires plates.

A NH TC45 is about $500 per year. Just for a comparison's sake

and farmer's don't pay sales tax on equipment, commercial operators do.

so, figure a $40,000 machine, 4.5% (out of city, 8-9% in city) sales tax when you buy it
plus $500 or so a year for plates

yeah, of course the farmer guy can do it cheaper. He doesn't have to spend as much money.

 

[Gator6x4]

A lot of undocumented illegals are driving a very large number of Farm Trucks and Tractors on US Highways. Farmers do not carry liability insurance on Tractors. Some dont carry insurance on Farm Trucks. Who pays for the damage caused when one of the undocumented illegals hits a car or truck? Who pays for medical treatment? Who pays for the damage the farm equipment causes to Streets and Highways? The list of questions on Who Pays is endless. Farmers have been enjoying a free ride for years. It is time they step up and start carrying/paying their share.

I am a firm believer in "If You Caused The Problem, You Not The Taxpayer Pays". I also believe, and this is upsetting to some, that we need Rules and Regulations to insure that when an individual violates the rights of another or the rights of several by an action that they, not the victim be held responsible and accountable.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Stupid greedy farmers, I mean they already are charging too much for the food they produce, we need to make them pay more as that will teach them a lesson :ashamed:

While I agree some farmers do break the rules it seems some in this thread like to lump all farmers together. Of course the people complaining about the farmers cheating and getting away with a free ride will be more then happy to pay more for their food and clothing once all the evil farmers are treated equally :thumbsup:

I personally have no problem with the ag exempt status on farm equipment. I do know of a particular farmer who uses that status to buy TV's, furniture and everything else but its not my place to say anything. I would have thought it would have thrown up a big red flag with the IRS but obviously it hasn't so instead of fixing that department it is easier to just charge all farmers instead. And instead of having the police start checking the farm trucks to make sure they are legal (in NY farm plates don't mean you can drive unsafe vehicles) they can just charge the farmers to license and inspect every piece of equipment with wheels. Its easier to just add more taxes and fees instead of fixing the broken departments.

 

[eastexan]

I do know of a particular farmer who uses that status to buy TV's, furniture and everything else

The ag tax exempt status must vary from state to state.
Here in Texas, he would not get away with buying those things tax free.:confused2:

Of course, maybe he could say he needed that 46" flat screen lcd TV to watch weather reports while milking the cows. :laughing:
But then, he might need to send his kid out the back door with the TV to put in the cow barn right quick, when the Fed's come to check. :laughing: