Trailer registration in Maine

[Sterff]

Well I went through the same thing. I live in Massachusetts and have a place in New Hampshire. I have a trailer that never leaves New Hampshire. Unfortunately I have to register the trailer in Massachusetts. Insurance company told me so, followed by Mass registry, followed by my attorney who checked. There is an additional problem which is Massachusetts inspects trailers of the weight class I have 7500. Unfortunately I never take it to Mass and am not planning on the 200 mile trip to do so. Hence it has never been inspected. It is registered every year. If someone knows a way to get around this and still have insurance etc I would like to know.

Why do you need insurance on it? What kind of trailer is it? I didn't need insurance on my equipment trailer because it is included with my truck.

 

[lostcause]

Why do you need insurance on it? What kind of trailer is it? I didn't need insurance on my equipment trailer because it is included with my truck.

with my insurance company (and some others i checked) any trailer i tow is automatically insured under the policy of the vehicle, except for commercial vehicles. with a commercial vehicle i have to have a separate rider for each trailer i tow. the cost was like $15 per year per trailer i think, so it's not outrageous. the cost of the commercial policy on the truck was also pretty close to a regular policy.

for me you would think that it would be a no-brainer since none of my vehicles are used in the course of business and therefore not commercial policies, but it doesn't work that way. i have a 1 ton dump, and according to the insurance companies i checked with, any light truck with a non-standard body requires a commercial policy, regardless of its use. a ton truck with dual wheels and factory standard pickup body is not commercial, but if you remove that body and put a flatbed or dump on it becomes commercial. i didn't bother to ask about the multitude of people driving half ton and quarter ton trucks around with homemade flatbeds due to the innate corrosion problems in this state, but it may be a gray area if it were to ever come in question by an insurance company.

as was pointed out by an earlier poster, trailers may be our one and only cheap out. i have a 2006 truck that was just shy of $40k on the sticker, and when i first registered it it was nearly $1000. that included something like a $40 plate fee, $120-$150 weight increase to 14k lbs, and somewhere north of $800 in excise tax. that tax is in addition to the 5% sales tax i paid the week prior. the excise tax is paid every year in order to register the truck for the road, and it only drops for 7 years. every year seven and after it will be $300-$400 in excise tax. technically, even when it becomes a $1000 beater truck it will still carry a yearly cost of $300-$400 to register.

 

[mred]

Why do you need insurance on it? What kind of trailer is it? I didn't need insurance on my equipment trailer because it is included with my truck.

I need insurance on it to get a license plate, I need a plate because it is used occasionally to move my 2305 and other equipment. It is not a commercial trailer it is a 18 foot galvanized Road King RKUTG 6.8X16TB.

 

[murphy1244]

xxx:thumbsup: on 5 year plates

 

[Diamondpilot]

I need insurance on it to get a license plate, I need a plate because it is used occasionally to move my 2305 and other equipment. It is not a commercial trailer it is a 18 foot galvanized Road King RKUTG 6.8X16TB.

Weird. I have owned over 50 different trailers over the years and never had to have insurance on any of them. My trucks insurance covers it when its being towed and my home owners covers it when sitting on my property unused.

Chris

 

[powerstroke444e]

Weird. I have owned over 50 different trailers over the years and never had to have insurance on any of them. My trucks insurance covers it when its being towed and my home owners covers it when sitting on my property unused.

Chris

For liablity coverage in IL is automatic on personal auto policy but on a commerical policy you have to add the trailer. When extended from the home most companies only cover it for $500. I don't have a trailer that is worth less than $2,500

Anyone do the Maine trailer plates that lives in IL??? Reason I ask is it cost over a 2k a year for 4 trailer for plates but in IL you buy them for the weight you want put on them.
And only thing DOT checks is what the plates are rated for. Yes I have been check and have had grossed 52K on 1ton and trailer which had 16k plates on the truck and 36k plates on triple axle dump trailer. I was good after full inspected. Inspector said looks good, but that's in IL.

 

[lostcause]

Weird. I have owned over 50 different trailers over the years and never had to have insurance on any of them. My trucks insurance covers it when its being towed and my home owners covers it when sitting on my property unused.

Chris

here in maine i've never been asked to show proof of insurance when registering trailers. it was only the issue of making sure i had coverage when being towed by a commercial vehicle. that seemed to be a function of the insurance company, and one that i was not made aware of until a family friend who was in the insurance business told me of it.

 

[newbury]

I know someone will correct me if i'm wrong, but I researched this as well. The cost to register trailers here in NH is getting out of control also (along with everything else).

For those who claim its illegal if you live in a state other than Maine:

My understanding is that when you file the paperwork with the broker, essentially you become a 'partner' with them in maine. Since you now have stake in a business in Maine where your trailer is registered.... all is legal.

No?

I may have missed part of the thread, BUT
If the trailer is registered in Maine as part of a business in Maine then couldn't the trailer automatically be viewed by some jurisdictions as part of the business and thus commercial? Thus a LEO could hassle anyone hauling the trailer.
Similar to owning a business and the business owning the trailer making anything hauled commercial.
This may bring in all the CDL requirements etc.

I smell shark bait, the lawyers are waiting to feed.

 

[flyingcow]

here in maine i've never been asked to show proof of insurance when registering trailers. it was only the issue of making sure i had coverage when being towed by a commercial vehicle. that seemed to be a function of the insurance company, and one that i was not made aware of until a family friend who was in the insurance business told me of it.

My tractor trailer has to have ins on both units. Not to register the trailer, but the ins co requires it, if you ever want to collect on it. My trailer's value today is 8 yrs old. todays value is $60/70,000. replacement cost is $110,000.

 

[Duffster]

I may have missed part of the thread, BUT
If the trailer is registered in Maine as part of a business in Maine then couldn't the trailer automatically be viewed by some jurisdictions as part of the business and thus commercial? Thus a LEO could hassle anyone hauling the trailer.
Similar to owning a business and the business owning the trailer making anything hauled commercial.
This may bring in all the CDL requirements etc.

I smell shark bait, the lawyers are waiting to feed.

How a trailer is owned has nothing to do with determining whether or not it is commercial.