TRAILER WEIGHT

[KML]

The facts: The federal regulations DON'T apply to private individuals. DOT numbers, log books, health cards..all for commercial vehicles. Some states do have different rules about the DOT numbers so you might want to check if that's required in your particular state.


FMCSA ｧ390.3 General applicability

Exceptions. Unless otherwise specifically provided, the rules in this subchapter do not apply to

(f)(1) All school bus operations as defined in ｧ390.5;

(f)(2) Transportation performed by the Federal government, a State, or any political subdivision of a State, or an agency established under a compact between States that has been approved by the Congress of the United States;

f)(3) The occasional transportation of personal property by individuals not for compensation nor in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise;

(f)(4) The transportation of human corpses or sick and injured persons;

(f)(5) The operation of fire trucks and rescue vehicles while involved in emergency and related operations;

(f)(6)(i) The operation of commercial motor vehicles designed or used to transport between 9 and 15 passengers (including the driver), not for direct compensation, provided the vehicle does not otherwise meet the definition of a commercial motor vehicle, except that motor carriers operating such vehicles are required to comply with ｧｧ 390.15, 390.19, and 390.21(a) and (b)(2).

(f)(6)(ii) The operation of commercial motor vehicles designed or used to transport between 9 and 15 passengers (including the driver) for direct compensation, provided the vehicle is not being operated beyond a 75 air-mile radius (86.3 statute miles or 138.9 kilometers) from the driver's normal work-reporting location, and provided the vehicle does not otherwise meet the definition of a commercial motor vehicle, except that motor carriers operating such vehicles are required to comply with ｧｧ 390.15, 390.19, and 390.21(a) and (b)(2).

(f)(7) Either a driver of a commercial motor vehicle used primarily in the transportation of propane winter heating fuel or a driver of a motor vehicle used to respond to a pipeline emergency, if such regulations would prevent the driver from responding to an emergency condition requiring immediate response as defined in ｧ390.5.


From 390.3

 

[Builder]

Go on believeing that, but I know first hand the DOT cops can make almost any cargo fit the "commercial" category pretty easy.

I don't care if you're commercial or private. Overload a truck or trailer and injure/kill someone, and you'll be doing time in county jail or probably lose everything you own. Plus, it's unconcionable to knowingly overload beyond safe limits a truck or trailer and hurt someone. A lawyer will easily destroy your defense if you're beyond the capacity of any axle weight, GCWR, GVWR, etc.

 

[LoneCowboy]

The facts: The federal regulations DON'T apply to private individuals. DOT numbers, log books, health cards..all for commercial vehicles. Some states do have different rules about the DOT numbers so you might want to check if that's required in your particular state.

f)(3) The occasional transportation of personal property by individuals not for compensation nor in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise;
]

totally agree
But charging someone $100 for delivery of the tractor is compensation.
See how easy that rolls into that? Slimey, I agree, but that's how it works.

I agree with the earlier guy that most of the DOT regs are a joke. Lots of them are paperwork that you did it, not that you actually did it. Without the paperwork it means nothing (process rears it's ugly head again)

nonetheless, I just did it all again this morning.

 

[powerstroke444e]

I could rant for hrs with everyone on this, but the jist of it is there are people that do unsafe thing just to save money. I have been over the tags on every truck & trailer that I own @ one point or another, but I have always been in safe operating weight. meaning that @ no point did I exceed the ablity of my brakes & supension to handle the load @ the speed I was traveling. I have always been safe for me & the public.

I cann't count the # of oversize loads we have moved with help of chase cars & police making the trip safe for the public incase something went wrong, because of the size of the load and how slow it was going.

The biggest mistake I see most people make is they overload then get in a hurry try to take it in one load instead of 2 & something goes wrong or driving to fast. Step back drink a bottle of water the look it over one more time and ask 2 questions.
1. is it safe?
2. Will I be upset/mad if DOT stops me?

If you are hoping you won't get stopped you should not have taken the trip anyway. If you have an exuse for why you are going to do it, don't.

 

[KML]

Where did I say anything about overloading? Running an unsafe trailer or grossly overweight is illegal for anyone. It is unconcionable and I never recommended it to anyone.


A couple of you commercial guys are getting on the "anyone who pulls a trailer has to play by our rules" bandwagon, stating we better get our DOT numbers, log books and everything else if we're over 10,001 LBs. This is not true. What I posted is the federal law that mandates all the stuff you're talking about. All you provide is anecdotal, "Facts" (well, I KNOW this, or my brother's cousin's uncle got a ticket). lets see the tickets.....the couple of cases I've heard of where this "ordinary guy" got hammered by DOT turns out to be more like his under the table catering or landscaping trailer with signs and phone numbers all over it. The stories are out there but when it comes to putting a name and date on the "poor Schlub" they fall apart.


A lot of people trust TBN as a source of information but some information is being put out in this thread that is based on emotion, not fact.

 

[powerstroke444e]

Point taken
In each state rules differant & tough to understand.
In IL private/personal use you will need trailer saftey inspected for any trailer over 5K and any truck hauling a trailer that has been inspected and on some SUV with car plates you can out of the ticket as the law unclear how to handle Large suv's with car plates on them.

You can go up to a 10,000 in trailer gross weight with out a CDL but over that you will need a CDL see this link Who needs a CDL License?

hope this is a little more on topic & will help any IL drivers.

 

[Builder]

You can go up to a 10,000 in trailer gross weight with out a CDL but over that you will need a CDL see this link Who needs a CDL License?

hope this is a little more on topic & will help any IL drivers.

No, you don't. And this is the most misquoted law I have ever seen on the internet. I think it's rivaling the old "Ford owns Cummins" myth.

You don't need a CDL for a 10,000lb trailer until the combination also exceeds 26,001 lbs.

So for example, you can tow a 14K trailer behind an 11K truck without any type of CDL.

This comes straight out of your Illinois Lawbook:

Any combination of vehicles with a Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) of 26,001 pounds or more, providing the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.

 

[powerstroke444e]

no one said that the legislature knows what they are doing, I went to the meeting @ the local Farm Bureua where they had the DOT there for Q&A and it was implied that anyone that needs a trailer that big must be doing it for hire, or why would they have it, and it will be up to them to prove otherwise. The favorite ticket is no medical card & writen warining for no cdl. Because in IL most drivers have a class D license Illinois License Classification . & they don't understand they just pay the ticket.
Straigh from Sec of State
Class D
Any single vehicle with a GVWR 16,000 pounds or less that is not designed to transport 16 or more people; or

Any single vehicle with a GVWR 16,000 pounds or less that is not used in the transportation of hazardous materials which requires the vehicle to be placarded; or

Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 16,000 pounds or less towing any vehicle providing the GCWR does not exceed 26,000 pounds.

Note: Holders of a Class D license may operate all vehicles within Class D and may operate rental vehicles up to 26,000 pounds when transporting an individual's own personal property or that of an immediate family member for non-business purposes within the State of Illinois.

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/dsd_x14210.pdf

Clear as mud. Just they way the state likes it. & Yes in IL they go by the plates not the door sticker.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I agree with you on all counts except in Indiana there is one exception. It is stated something like this. You do not need a CDL if the combined weight is over 26,001# if it is a recreational vehicle or trailer.

I have been told this was done by guys who have friends in the state house. These guys are the boat and camper industry. Aprox 60% of all campers built in the US are built in Indiana and major boat companies like Formula, Rinker, Baja, Sea Nymph, Smoker Craft, Sylvan, and dozens more are also built here.

Most of the boats I sell are 12,000# plus. Some are in the 18,000# range and a few I have sold are in the 25,000# class. All these weight include trailer. I have friends who are in the camper and RV business and many of the new 5th wheel campers are 18,000# plus. As you can see these weights and a 1 ton truck at 8,500# will get you close if not over so they put this exemption in the laws to protect the industry. We would have a real hard time selling to anyone if it required a CDL, DOT#'s, ect.

I know it does not seem fair. A guy with a backhoe on a trailer behind his 1 ton needs all the stuff while grandma and grandpa can buy a giant diesel pusher and tow a Honda behind it and be legal with nothing but a valid drivers license.

Chris

No, you don't. And this is the most misquoted law I have ever seen on the internet. I think it's rivaling the old "Ford owns Cummins" myth.

You don't need a CDL for a 10,000lb trailer until the combination also exceeds 26,001 lbs.

So for example, you can tow a 14K trailer behind an 11K truck without any type of CDL.

This comes straight out of your Illinois Lawbook:

Any combination of vehicles with a Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) of 26,001 pounds or more, providing the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.

 

[john_bud]

Chris,

I think that is false. Every state that I am familiar with the DOT or DMV regs requires a Class A CDL when the truck and trailer (trailer over 10,001 pounds) has a combined weight of 26,001 or more pounds. Even Ma & Pa Kettle pull'n the family shack behind a 1 ton truck.

You may be correct as I'm no expert, do you have a link to that statue that explicitly excludes RVs and boats in your state?

jb