Trailer Registration

[Charlie175]

Went to the DMV to get the form to register my new trailer. On the form is a spot for Gross Weight. She said to just fill that in with the figure I wanted to haul.
Uh what do I put?

It's a 14K trailer with a 4920 empty weight.
The GVWR is 14,000 on the title.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

What do you plan to haul with it weight wise? how do your registration tiers break down(potential cost savings if you don't need the full capacity of the trailer)? Do you have to worry about going over the 26K mark with the truck you are going to be pulling it with? This is a pretty state specific question though once you answer the first questions.

 

[Charlie175]

Virginia
Tractors for Antique pulls mostly. These are about 8,000 combined
Maybe some hay twice a year.

No I won't be close to the 26k mark, Truck is registered for 21k

So do I put 9k in this spot?

 

[RedNeckRacin]

so your saying you are going to be pushing 13k? 8k+5K=13k? What is your truck plated for by itself? It really sounds like you need to go with the 14k to give yourself a lil wiggle room. Hopefully someone from Virginia can chime in a little bit more since im not familiar with their regs!

 

[Charlie175]

Truck is 6034 EW
I figured 9k + 5k for empty weight=14k total trailer.

 

[George2615]

Virginia

No I won't be close to the 26k mark, Truck is registered for 21k

So do I put 9k in this spot?

If truck is registered for 21K and you register trailer for 14K That totals 35K GCWR. CDL territory around here.

 

[Morning Wood]

Register the trailer for 14k. If you get pulled over they won't give a **** about what you are registered for anyway. They will just look at your axle and tire ratings. If your truck is 21k GVWR and trailer is 14k GVWR, then as already mentioned you'll need a class A CDL license to drive that combo.

 

[terryknight]

unless it's his personal tractors going to a tractor pull.

Commercial driver痴 license requirements don稚 apply to:

operators of emergency vehicles, such as firefighters

active duty military personnel operating military vehicles

operators of farm vehicles when

used by farmers

used to move farm goods, supplies or machinery to or from their farm

not used as a common or contract motor carrier, and

used within 150 miles of the farm

vehicles operated by persons only for personal use, such as recreational vehicles and rental moving vans.

from page 5

http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/pdf/dmv60.pdf

all that being said you need to decide on your own. i have a truck plate at 10 and i plate my trailer 14.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Here we go again. It's almost comical this CDL stuff....


Chris

 

[Charlie175]

We got off track somewhere.....
My truck is 6k empty and i am licensed for 21k total combined.

 

[JJZ 109]

If truck is registered for 21K and you register trailer for 14K That totals 35K GCWR. CDL territory around here.

Would certainly appear that way for our state, George. http://dmv.ny.gov/forms/mv500c.pdf
I've had a Class A since way back in the days when they called them Class 1, so I never really worried about it.

 

[powerscol]

Go with the full 14K then from the trailer title.

 

[QRTRHRS]

We got off track somewhere.....
My truck is 6k empty and i am licensed for 21k total combined.

Some states license trucks for say six or eight or 10k or whatever then the trailer at say 10k, 10k being a common threshold for the triailer. Beyond that ~10k trailer threshold, you then go with the truck being licensed in combination. You are saying that you are already there at 21k. In VA, are the trailer plates all the same or is the weight listed on them?

Sounds like you need to discuss this with the DMV even if you need to go over the local clerks head. Did you buy the trailer from a dealer or private? Maybe the dealer can clearify the situation.

 

[davesl708]

As QRTRHRS stated. You should talk with DMV. Here any trailer under 2k does not need a tag. Any over 2k are register at the max weight the trailer can haul. You then have to size the tow vehicle to match the trailer. I. e. don't get caught pulling 28k with a 1/2 ton.

 

[Charlie175]

In Virginia you pay the truck tag fee for the amount you want to pull. The higher the weight, the more you pay.
Trailer tag is all the same fee for weight.
I put 14k there as the lady suggested.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I was just worried you had a newer truck and could potentially get over 26k, if your not even close don't worry about it. That eliminates alot of questions of legality. I also was trying to look at it economicaly to maybe save ya a few bucks.

 

[George2615]

Would certainly appear that way for our state, George. http://dmv.ny.gov/forms/mv500c.pdf
I've had a Class A since way back in the days when they called them Class 1, so I never really worried about it.

Me too.
I see Charlie replied in post 10 that his truck is licensed for 21K combined so he wouldn't need the CDL. The way I read his post 3 it was just the truck registered for 21K which prompted my post 6.

 

[WM75Guy]

I would register for what the trailer can legally carry. When we lived in Missouri I ran into the same situation. I registered for the legal limit of my trailer according to the plate which was 14,000#. The clerk explained if I registered for 10,000#, which was cheaper, and got caught hauling 14,000# the fine could run into the thousands for being overweight. I would also have to unload where I got caught to the registered limit. It wasn't worth the risk for a few dollars more to do it right.

 

[woodskiff]

Just a mention of what I do.....might help......my Ram diesel is rated at 10,000 GVW.....I do not load the truck ever.... at most, maybe 100lbs tops., I always register it at the vehicle weight rounded up to the next even number...saves me xdollars/thousand GVW. If I carry a load it's in my trailer.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Just a mention of what I do.....might help......my Ram diesel is rated at 10,000 GVW.....I do not load the truck ever.... at most, maybe 100lbs tops., I always register it at the vehicle weight rounded up to the next even number...saves me xdollars/thousand GVW. If I carry a load it's in my trailer.

Yes and no. Say your truck weighs 6800# and you register it for 7,000#. You are ok with your 100# paylod but I guarantee you you are not legal with your trailers.

Most all BP trailers put 10% on the ball and GN trailers 15% to 25%

So take my 7,000# car hauler with my tractor and a implement. That's 6500# total and 650# on the ball. My little boat is 9700# empty, so 970# on the ball. my big boat is 14,600# empty, so 1460# on the ball.

Now take your average GN or 5th wheel. They are about 12,000#, so about 2,400# on the ball.

All this on the ball weight is on your trucks axles putting you overweight and illegal.

Chris