KeithInSpace
Veteran Member
Man, this is some good stuff.
TRAILER WEIGHT
- Thread starter bjess8
- Start date
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wkpoor
Platinum Member
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- Jan 14, 2007
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- Amanda, OH
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- John Deere 5400, Farmall H, Farmall Cub, Allis Chalmers CA
I tried to research Ohio State traffic laws in the Ohio Revised code and could find nothing about weight. I then called and talked to the highway patrol. According to them at least for the State of Ohio there are no laws about gross trailer weight behind a tow vehicle and there are no tie down laws as applied outside of commercial. Basically any size truck can pull any size trailer and strap it down any way you like. Now with that said....in an accident all bets are off as to how it would be handled but as long as you obey traffic laws in transit and the load doesn't fall off you are good to go.
LoneCowboy
Veteran Member
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- Oct 2, 2006
- Messages
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You will find that all DOT officers/offices are different, EVEN IN THE SAME STATE OR CITY.
What's "legal" for one, is not for the next guy.
It's simply ridiculous, there are so many laws, 1/2 of which conflict that no one could possibly keep up.
You want to know why truckdrivers always look mad, now you know.
What's "legal" for one, is not for the next guy.
It's simply ridiculous, there are so many laws, 1/2 of which conflict that no one could possibly keep up.
You want to know why truckdrivers always look mad, now you know.
KML
Gold Member
"Also I am wondering what type of F-150 you have that only weighs 4,800#? I had my 2007 F-150 4x4 weighed with me in it and 3/4 tank of gas and it was 5,960# and just went and looked and it has a 15,000# GCWR. It list the tow rating in the book as 9,200# but according to my math my truck would only be able to handle 9,040# and be legal. So I am limited in my case to hauling trailers with 9,000# plates or less. I guess that is due to the options on my truck and the things like a bed liner, tow straps, plus some tools I carry around."
My F150 is a 2001 4x4 shortbox and it is suprisingly light. You're weight makes sense though as the newer ones are more solidly built. Your GCVR is also #2000 higher than mine which fits. I'm sure your weights are right, my truck is just on the light side for an F150 and your's is on the heavy side.
As far as being limited to 9,000# plated trailers that's not how I understood it. The plate weight only means you paid the king for the privilage of placing that much burden on his roads. You could haul a 14,000# plated trailer as long as the actual weight didn't exceed your tow rating. That's how I understood him and the weight laws don't mention registered weight, as he said.
This thread has been great for me because it forced me to actually get off my butt and look into it instead of guessing what was and wasn't legal in Indiana. I get more out of the time I spend on TBN than anything else I do on the internet, that's for sure!
My F150 is a 2001 4x4 shortbox and it is suprisingly light. You're weight makes sense though as the newer ones are more solidly built. Your GCVR is also #2000 higher than mine which fits. I'm sure your weights are right, my truck is just on the light side for an F150 and your's is on the heavy side.
As far as being limited to 9,000# plated trailers that's not how I understood it. The plate weight only means you paid the king for the privilage of placing that much burden on his roads. You could haul a 14,000# plated trailer as long as the actual weight didn't exceed your tow rating. That's how I understood him and the weight laws don't mention registered weight, as he said.
This thread has been great for me because it forced me to actually get off my butt and look into it instead of guessing what was and wasn't legal in Indiana. I get more out of the time I spend on TBN than anything else I do on the internet, that's for sure!
Diamondpilot
Super Star Member
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- Jinma 254/284 Ford 861 Powermaster at work
Yes, it sure is confusing. I talked to a guy last night that works at a scale and he said for private individuals it is just as you said. The problem is the officers said that for commercial it is as I stated. The problem is like you said each person interprets the laws differently. That includes the weight police. I will check this weekend at the lake to see what my truck driver friend says.
Chris
Chris
KML
Gold Member
I agree that they sure don't make it easy to obey these laws. You would think that if it was as important as they would like you to believe they would make some easy to follow flow charts for compliance.
I'd love to give our legislators a pop quiz on this. "O.K. , Here's 3 hypothetical weight senarios, which is illegal and what section and law does it violate?"
When none of them can get it right (and they WROTE the laws!) maybe they'd get the hint.
Oh ya, and THEY have to do it, not a team of their staffers!!!
Guess I'll keep dreaming on that one
The guy at the DOT I spoke with said when asking these questions to ask what title, section, and law is violated when they say something is illegal, as this is what they would have to provide on a ticket if they were to actually cite you. Sounds great in theory and I appreciate his advise, but one thing I know about cops is that if you start trying to play lawyer with them they WILL find a way to make their point. They also have a great memory for folks like that...
If I get ticketed for a violation I'll most likely politely take the ticket and try to plead my case to the judge.
I'd love to give our legislators a pop quiz on this. "O.K. , Here's 3 hypothetical weight senarios, which is illegal and what section and law does it violate?"
When none of them can get it right (and they WROTE the laws!) maybe they'd get the hint.
Oh ya, and THEY have to do it, not a team of their staffers!!!
Guess I'll keep dreaming on that one
The guy at the DOT I spoke with said when asking these questions to ask what title, section, and law is violated when they say something is illegal, as this is what they would have to provide on a ticket if they were to actually cite you. Sounds great in theory and I appreciate his advise, but one thing I know about cops is that if you start trying to play lawyer with them they WILL find a way to make their point. They also have a great memory for folks like that...
If I get ticketed for a violation I'll most likely politely take the ticket and try to plead my case to the judge.