Your towing rigs and trailers

[ultrarunner]

In California, pulling a 10,001 GVWR or larger equipment trailer requires a CDL even if pulling with a regular pickup. So a typical 14k tandem gooseneck dump trailer puts you into a CDL to tow it legally, even if the combo isn't over 26k or rated over 26k. And yes you can take your CDL test in a pickup with that trailer, but as mentioned you will be restricted to non-air brakes so the CDL becomes pretty limiting.

I know this differs in other states.

Hi Dave...

There must be an exemption for the large boats I see running up and down I5 similar to motorhomes?

Which leads me to believe it isn't just about weight.

 

[DavesTractor]

Hi Dave...

There must be an exemption for the large boats I see running up and down I5 similar to motorhomes?

Which leads me to believe it isn't just about weight.

I think there are some exceptions. At one point anyway a horse trailer could be higher, and I think that is still the case. And RV trailers can be higher also. Most likely because more lawmakers have horses and RVs and they make the rules.....makes no sense otherwise.

Just to stir things up a little, California also limits a "pickup" by definition to a max GVWR of 11,400lbs. If you have a late model 3500 Dodge dually you are over that and even with a factory bed you are legally required to stop at the scales, even empty and not towing anything. Obviously the intent is not to have "pickup" in the scales, but it appears that some of our laws are lagging behind the reality of the newer trucks with higher capacities. That also means a guy hauling a >10K flatbed trailer with a "pickup" rated >11,400 not only needs a CDL but if a business must be in the BIT program and have his terminal inspected, do drug tests, etc. It's a crazy low entry point into what is meant for big trucks. California, land of the free......Just to be clear, I'm fine with the terminal inspections and making sure everything is safe, I just don't want to have to dedicate a bunch of time and resources to a program if I don't need to.

With our delivery trucks we have learned the California laws as they apply to us. So now we pull our big gooseneck with a SRW pickup, we sold the dually even though a dually would be marginally safer with the heavy pin load on a gooseneck. It still requires a CDL, but no scales or inspections or BIT program. And our 26,000GVWR (not 26,001) Freightliner rollback (without a trailer) with airbrakes can be driven by anyone, no CDL required, but must go through the scales. We can hook a trailer of less than 10K GVWR to the back and be ok, except if we are over 40' we would be back into the BIT program....and the truck is 31 foot already, so we never pull a trailer with it.

I bet every state has its nuances. We have found the best method to figure these things out is to just call a commercial CHP officer and have him come out and teach us. We have found them to be super nice and they like proactive businesses that ask them to be involved.

 

[bindian]

I passed my CDL today. I failed two tests on Friday. When I picked up the CDL book to study, the DPS lady told me what chapters to know, after I told her what I wanted. Too many questions on air brakes and buses made me bomb. I had to go read up on buses and semi trailer air brakes this weekend.
Take the driving test on April 12th!
hugs, Brandi

 

[Diamondpilot]

I think there are some exceptions. At one point anyway a horse trailer could be higher, and I think that is still the case. And RV trailers can be higher also. Most likely because more lawmakers have horses and RVs and they make the rules.....makes no sense otherwise.

Just to stir things up a little, California also limits a "pickup" by definition to a max GVWR of 11,400lbs. If you have a late model 3500 Dodge dually you are over that and even with a factory bed you are legally required to stop at the scales, even empty and not towing anything. Obviously the intent is not to have "pickup" in the scales, but it appears that some of our laws are lagging behind the reality of the newer trucks with higher capacities. That also means a guy hauling a >10K flatbed trailer with a "pickup" rated >11,400 not only needs a CDL but if a business must be in the BIT program and have his terminal inspected, do drug tests, etc. It's a crazy low entry point into what is meant for big trucks. California, land of the free......Just to be clear, I'm fine with the terminal inspections and making sure everything is safe, I just don't want to have to dedicate a bunch of time and resources to a program if I don't need to.

With our delivery trucks we have learned the California laws as they apply to us. So now we pull our big gooseneck with a SRW pickup, we sold the dually even though a dually would be marginally safer with the heavy pin load on a gooseneck. It still requires a CDL, but no scales or inspections or BIT program. And our 26,000GVWR (not 26,001) Freightliner rollback (without a trailer) with airbrakes can be driven by anyone, no CDL required, but must go through the scales. We can hook a trailer of less than 10K GVWR to the back and be ok, except if we are over 40' we would be back into the BIT program....and the truck is 31 foot already, so we never pull a trailer with it.

I bet every state has its nuances. We have found the best method to figure these things out is to just call a commercial CHP officer and have him come out and teach us. We have found them to be super nice and they like proactive businesses that ask them to be involved.

Heck, my 06 F350 4x4 Single Rear Wheel has a GVWR of 11,500#

Glad I live where I do. I could not imagine needing a CDL to tow my 15,600# boat and my uncles that is nearly 10K heavier.

Chris

 

[foreman Etexas]

I passed my CDL today. I failed two tests on Friday. When I picked up the CDL book to study, the DPS lady told me what chapters to know, after I told her what I wanted. Too many questions on air brakes and buses made me bomb. I had to go read up on buses and semi trailer air brakes this weekend.
Take the driving test on April 12th!
hugs, Brandi

Congrats! I failed the air brake section once and never went and re-tested,that was several years ago.
I was told to take the driving part could do it in small dump truck just aslong as had airbrakes,didn't even need a trailer on it.

 

[bindian]

Congrats! I failed the air brake section once and never went and re-tested,that was several years ago.
I was told to take the driving part could do it in small dump truck just aslong as had airbrakes,didn't even need a trailer on it.

Thanks. Eventually, I'll get air brakes added...........when I buy some air brakes, as in a dump truck! Right now I would have to rent a vehicle to do that.
hugs, Brandi

 

[clonetrooper]

I just sold my 40 Straight deck Big Tex and got a 20+5 Big Tex GN. The 40 Ft trailer was to much you can not take it no where. The dovetail go's out to 25ft 9in and i have slide in ramps to use the dove tail part and now i can get into places (like the lumber yard). and i made a deck on the neck but it bolts on so i can take it off if i don't need the space.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

I just sold my 40 Straight deck Big Tex and got a 20+5 Big Tex GN. The 40 Ft trailer was to much you can not take it no where. The dovetail go's out to 25ft 9in and i have slide in ramps to use the dove tail part and now i can get into places (like the lumber yard). and i made a deck on the neck but it bolts on so i can take it off if i don't need the space.View attachment 310149View attachment 310150View attachment 310151

Very nice truck!!!

 

[Bob77064]

I passed my CDL today. I failed two tests on Friday. When I picked up the CDL book to study, the DPS lady told me what chapters to know, after I told her what I wanted. Too many questions on air brakes and buses made me bomb. I had to go read up on buses and semi trailer air brakes this weekend.
Take the driving test on April 12th!
hugs, Brandi

Congrats Brandi

 

[RDrancher]

I think there are some exceptions. At one point anyway a horse trailer could be higher, and I think that is still the case. And RV trailers can be higher also. Most likely because more lawmakers have horses and RVs and they make the rules.....makes no sense otherwise.

Just to stir things up a little, California also limits a "pickup" by definition to a max GVWR of 11,400lbs. If you have a late model 3500 Dodge dually you are over that and even with a factory bed you are legally required to stop at the scales, even empty and not towing anything. Obviously the intent is not to have "pickup" in the scales, but it appears that some of our laws are lagging behind the reality of the newer trucks with higher capacities. That also means a guy hauling a >10K flatbed trailer with a "pickup" rated >11,400 not only needs a CDL but if a business must be in the BIT program and have his terminal inspected, do drug tests, etc. It's a crazy low entry point into what is meant for big trucks. California, land of the free......Just to be clear, I'm fine with the terminal inspections and making sure everything is safe, I just don't want to have to dedicate a bunch of time and resources to a program if I don't need to.

Just one of the many reasons I left the state I was born in and lived in for most of my life. Love it...but the government is wacked!

 

[ultrarunner]

Just one of the many reasons I left the state I was born in and lived in for most of my life. Love it...but the government is wacked!

How long ago did you and your bride leave CA?

As too the pickup over 11,400 lbs and scales... a friend has one of those and pulled into the scales with his showroom new pickup and was asked if he had seen the sign stating "No Pickups"

Can't win for loosing.

If it gets real bad... I've been thinking of hollowing out a motorhome and making a ramp out the back...

 

[bindian]

Congrats Brandi

Thanks Bob!
hugs, Brandi

 

[RDrancher]

How long ago did you and your bride leave CA?

As too the pickup over 11,400 lbs and scales... a friend has one of those and pulled into the scales with his showroom new pickup and was asked if he had seen the sign stating "No Pickups"

Can't win for loosing.

If it gets real bad... I've been thinking of hollowing out a motorhome and making a ramp out the back...

Left at the end of '03.

 

[ultrarunner]

That was a good time to leave and get settled in for a few years before things turned...

Is your bride a California girl?

The reason I ask is among my friends that have moved to Texas... almost all of them have wives that want to move back to California...

 

[RDrancher]

That was a good time to leave and get settled in for a few years before things turned...

Is your bride a California girl?

The reason I ask is among my friends that have moved to Texas... almost all of them have wives that want to move back to California...

I was flipping a few houses (before the tv shows) and knew it couldn't last, so I got out.

Funny...my wife is a SoCal girl, but we met here in Texas. And yes, she wants to move back, but any chance of that happening is pretty slim. This latest business of mine is my last hurrah.

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm thinking I should spend some time and look up some of my friends that moved to Texas...

Back when I finished school in the early 80's was also the time of the nations highest unemployment since the Great Depression.

I was not having any luck finding a job so I bought an old shack on a postage size lot in East Oakland with my savings and began rehabbing it... looking back, it was a great learning experience is so many ways one could never learn in school.

This was also when I built a trailer hitch for my 72 Plymouth Valiant so I could tow 1 yard cement trailers for my concrete projects... back then, no one cared I was using a car... now, even a 1/2 ton pickup is too small... 3/4 ton or better.

So my first tow vehicle was a Plymouth Valiant with a slant 6 and I added a roof rack and removed the back seat and built shelves for my supplies and locked the tools in the large trunk...

I really never flipped houses, my plan was to buy one every 12 to 18 months, repair, get a loan, rent it out and repeat...

It was 1990 before I bought my first truck... a 85 Van... which was great with one problem... A lot of the neighborhoods I worked in were not the best... no one ever bothered my old 72 Valiant... my Van, on the other hand was a target for thieves... broken into many times... even while I was just a few steps away inside the house or in the parking lot at the Home Depot... alarm would sound and the thief would run off and the damage was done.

Still have the old Plymouth out back... that car has paid for itself time and again towing yard after yard of concrete... stacking 50' of fence boards, posts on the roof and bringing water heaters strapped to the trunk...

 

[HKH]

I think I may need some more truck

 

[Xfaxman]

Here is my trailer, 22', 4' pop-up dovetail and receiver hitch.


This is the heaviest load that I have hauled.

I went across the scales with 12,640 on the deck, 14,200 on the axles, 3440 on the ball, Just 3640 over the 14K GVWR.

 

[wmonroe]

Do you tow a trailer behind the gooseneck often?

 

[Xfaxman]

Do you tow a trailer behind the gooseneck often?

Yep, quite often, it has the connector, so the second trailer has brakes and lights.

I used this 16' deckover to haul six 5x6' round bales behind the eight on the gooseneck.


Or this 12' tilt, to haul The TORO+Loader that I used to load 120 square bales on the GN.