Understanding Curb Weight, GVWR, Towing and CDL requirements

[LD1]

Pretty much if you hook a dually 1 ton pickup to a 14k rated trailer, If the pickup was made in the last 10 years, you need a CDL, even empty…

I think this has been solved properly by the states that allow you to register your truck and trailer at a specific weight. That way you can be safely under the limit of the truck/trailer and still not need a CDL. I would then register my 1 ton for 9900 and my trailer for 16000 and never haul above those numbers and not need a cdl and be 80% of the specs of the truck/trailer

Ohio dont do that. I cannot register at a specific weight.

I have a 14k GVWR truck...."empty" (with transfer tank full) it weighs ~11k. So no chance of even de-rating it. I have a 14k trailer that hauls 9k equipment and weights 3.5k.

So my GCW is well under 26K......even though GCWR is over 26k. Dont really wanna drop to a 12k trailer for 9k equipment. I actually wished I had a 16k trailer with 17.5" wheel/tires and oil bath.

BUT......Im "not" commercial. And Im in farm country. and I dont go more than 100mi from my home. I dont know ANYONE who has ever been stopped in ohio with a 1-ton and a trailer. Maybe the guys that are lettered and DOT numbered because they are hot-shot guys pulling 3-car wedges.

Most of the local landscape/hardscape companies use F350-F450 dually trucks pulling 14k trailers and none of their drivers have a CDL.

Maybe things will change and people will be forced to change truck/trailer or get a CDL.....but hasnt happened in ohio yet

 

[ning]

Go to www.fmcsa.dot.gov. Go to the regulations section. You can look at the license class groups. Also, I believe just about every state DMV has a CDL flow chart. If not I am sure, you can google one. If you follow the flow chart and don't skip a step, you can't go wrong. And no the police and courts don't make it up.

California: https://www.chp.ca.gov/CommercialVehicleSectionSite/Documents/Driver License Flowcharts.pdf

Here's the path taken for towing a trailer >10k:

 

[MGP4506]

Pretty much if you hook a dually 1 ton pickup to a 14k rated trailer, If the pickup was made in the last 10 years, you need a CDL, even empty…

I think this has been solved properly by the states that allow you to register your truck and trailer at a specific weight. That way you can be safely under the limit of the truck/trailer and still not need a CDL. I would then register my 1 ton for 9900 and my trailer for 16000 and never haul above those numbers and not need a cdl and be 80% of the specs of the truck/trailer

Registered weight doesn't have anything to do with needing a CDL. The Federal Law uses 2 weights. The vehicle's GVWR or their actual weight whichever is the greatest. Some states do use registered weight to bring you into needing a CDL but never out of it.

 

[MGP4506]

Ohio dont do that. I cannot register at a specific weight.

I have a 14k GVWR truck...."empty" (with transfer tank full) it weighs ~11k. So no chance of even de-rating it. I have a 14k trailer that hauls 9k equipment and weights 3.5k.

So my GCW is well under 26K......even though GCWR is over 26k. Dont really wanna drop to a 12k trailer for 9k equipment. I actually wished I had a 16k trailer with 17.5" wheel/tires and oil bath.

BUT......Im "not" commercial. And Im in farm country. and I dont go more than 100mi from my home. I dont know ANYONE who has ever been stopped in ohio with a 1-ton and a trailer. Maybe the guys that are lettered and DOT numbered because they are hot-shot guys pulling 3-car wedges.

Most of the local landscape/hardscape companies use F350-F450 dually trucks pulling 14k trailers and none of their drivers have a CDL.

Maybe things will change and people will be forced to change truck/trailer or get a CDL.....but hasnt happened in ohio yet

Some states exempt farmers. The feds exempt them only within 150 air miles of their farm but only for CDL,HOS, and medical card. The weight under federal law to make you a commercial vehicle is 10,001 or more single vehicle or combination. States can raise those weights but only for Intra-state operation. You have to look at your states transportation law (Not your states DMV). The moment you cross any state line you have to be in compliance with the federal transportation law regardless what your home state exempts you from. Yes this includes farmers.

 

[MGP4506]

California: https://www.chp.ca.gov/CommercialVehicleSectionSite/Documents/Driver License Flowcharts.pdf

Here's the path taken for towing a trailer >10k:
View attachment 793885

Wow that is complicated. But for CA not surprising. Here is the federal license class definition
Pursuant to Federal standards, States issue CDLs and CLPs to drivers according to the following license classifications:

Class A*: Any combination of vehicles which has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more) whichever is greater, inclusive of a towed unit(s) with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) whichever is greater.

Class B*: Any single vehicle which has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 11,794 or more kilograms (26,001 pounds or more), or any such vehicle towing a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight that does not exceed 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds).

Class C: Any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or is transporting material that has been designated as hazardous under 49 U.S.C. 5103 and is required to be placarded under subpart F of 49 CFR Part 172 or is transporting any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin in 42 CFR Part 73.

 

[stumblinhorse]

Registered weight doesn't have anything to do with needing a CDL. The Federal Law uses 2 weights. The vehicle's GVWR or their actual weight whichever is the greatest. Some states do use registered weight to bring you into needing a CDL but never out of it.

I don’t live in a state that does that, what is the point of registering a vehicle at a weight less than the GVWR? Just to save a little tax money on registration fees?

 

[stumblinhorse]

California: https://www.chp.ca.gov/CommercialVehicleSectionSite/Documents/Driver License Flowcharts.pdf

Here's the path taken for towing a trailer >10k:
View attachment 793885

That CA12804.14 is the exception for horse trailers for normal people. livestock trailers under 15k…. Now I feel better for Cali.

 

[Omega Woods]

California: https://www.chp.ca.gov/CommercialVehicleSectionSite/Documents/Driver License Flowcharts.pdf

Here's the path taken for towing a trailer >10k:
View attachment 793885

I will merely observe that this one chart is the a shining example of regulatory nonsense and overreach condensed onto one convenient page. I'm glad I don't live anywhere near PRC (People's Republic of California). This is just silliness. Best of luck to anyone who lives out there. Hope the view is worth it.

 

[Hay Dude]

Pretty much if you hook a dually 1 ton pickup to a 14k rated trailer, If the pickup was made in the last 10 years, you need a CDL, even empty…

I think this has been solved properly by the states that allow you to register your truck and trailer at a specific weight. That way you can be safely under the limit of the truck/trailer and still not need a CDL. I would then register my 1 ton for 9900 and my trailer for 16000 and never haul above those numbers and not need a cdl and be 80% of the specs of the truck/trailer

Thats probably a good idea.
Now heres a little zinger for ya.
Let’s say you “derate” your 11-13K 1 ton to 9999 and do your trailer at 16K to stay under 26K.
Now lets say you get pulled over and they scale your axles. Remember, your rear truck axle is the one to usually bear the most weight and you’ve derated your truck.
9999 is not a lot of weight for both your truck axles when you have a loaded trailer.

That’s why, if you choose that system, you need to make sure your trailer axles aren’t too far aft on your trailer, or it’ll transfer a lot of weight to the rear axle of your truck, which as you remember, has been derated.

If your front axle scales at 3,500 lbs that only leaves 6,499lbs for the rear axle, which bears it’s own ambient empty weight PLUS the tongue weight of the trailer. The trailer tongue weight alone might be 3,000lbs.

One of the nice things about a GN trailer is it does transfer some weight to the front axle.

But that’s a whole nother discussion….

 

[RandyT]

Ohio dont do that. I cannot register at a specific weight.

I have a 14k GVWR truck...."empty" (with transfer tank full) it weighs ~11k. So no chance of even de-rating it. I have a 14k trailer that hauls 9k equipment and weights 3.5k.

So my GCW is well under 26K......even though GCWR is over 26k. Dont really wanna drop to a 12k trailer for 9k equipment. I actually wished I had a 16k trailer with 17.5" wheel/tires and oil bath.

BUT......Im "not" commercial. And Im in farm country. and I dont go more than 100mi from my home. I dont know ANYONE who has ever been stopped in ohio with a 1-ton and a trailer. Maybe the guys that are lettered and DOT numbered because they are hot-shot guys pulling 3-car wedges.

Most of the local landscape/hardscape companies use F350-F450 dually trucks pulling 14k trailers and none of their drivers have a CDL.

Maybe things will change and people will be forced to change truck/trailer or get a CDL.....but hasnt happened in ohio yet

What will normally happen is they don't enforce it until something happens that causing a major issue like an accident and then they have an enforcement blitz. they will stop every landscape trailer and check licenses, tiedowns, etc for compliance.

And something people may want to watch is that some states do a weight range plate for example you own a 10K rated trailer but because of the range of weights the trailer plate covers your 10K rated trailer will have 14K plates.