Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

26,000 plus = CDL

You can tow a trailer up too 10,000 lbs.

Member of this message board since 1997

Actually Smokey is right. Any trailer in a commercial application over 10,000 pounds require a CDL. I know some of you will say I'm wrong but when your stopped you will find out. Plus since you are "receiving rewards" you are automatically commercial which requires a DOT Number, DOT annual inspections on truck and trailer, and medical cards for drivers. If you haul a certain amount of fuel you need placards. If you're over 26,001 pounds combination weight (stated weight on vin labels not just licensed weight) you need IFTA fuel reporting if you go interstate but not for intrastate. If you're over 100 air miles from home a log book is required even if you're under 26,000 pounds. Plus daily DOT pretrip inspections.

www.harleytrikes.com

make sure you have the emergancy breakaway is working , also heavy enough saftey chains . also make sure you have heavy enough licenes plates if you rig weight is 16,000 combined total you will need 8 ton licenes plates log book requried within x number of miles of your home each state has differnt wording on that. dot number a must have item! check your state requirements !

The first thing you should do is check with your state DOT, every state does things a little differently.

The following would apply to Iowa.

If your combined weight is above 26,000 lbs you need a CDL.

If your combined GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) is above 26,000 lbs you need a CDL regardless of what it actually weighs.

Your pickup will have the GVWR somewhere inside the driver door and the trailer should have it on the serial number plate.

If you have air brakes you need a CDL.

If you are crossing state lines with a vehicle that has a DOT # you need a CDL.

Any one of the above conditions and a whole bunch that I'm forgetting will require you to have a CDL.

In short I'd recommend getting a CDL if at all in doubt because it is not that difficult to get.

Not for hire very very grey area!

First things first.....Some things vary a little state to state but when you're Commercial the Federal DOT rules and regulations apply.

There are three basic groups in the combination vehicle group. "Private", RV or horse type people as long as they "do not receive rewards" and yes a trophy or ribbon is a reward...They can be over 26,000 without a cdl because they are not commercial. Just because you're 26,000 doesn't always mean you need a cdl.

Commercial Tucking companies "for hire" requirements are very stringent.And obviously they are regulated mor heavily than the others.

Racing is what we are talking about here. Racing is a Commercial "not for hire" and must meet the DOT rules for that group. Trust me...when the LEO "Law Enforcement Officer" pulls you over he controls the situation and what he says goes because he has the badge, gun, ticket book and handcuffs.

Following the pretend and ignore way out of the regs will someday get you red tagged and impounded if you are not compliant. If you are found non compliant you can not move the vehicle, period. If you're on the interstate you have three hours to find a driver with a cdl and medical card to move the vehicle or they will have it towed. Yes, I have had that happen but found a guy with a cdl to get it off of I 29 for me. For those of you that know the scale just into South Dakota I'm sure you can relate.

BTW...if you're racing and commercial you may not insured because your truck and trailer are privately owned and insured as such. If you read the policy it states "no coverage if used in a commercial manner". That opens up another whole bag of worms.

www.harleytrikes.com

It sure seems like that reward, a trophy or even money in most cases is offset by expenses, deeming it Private or non-commercial. I am very familure with a case in Lousyanna where an over zealous and inexperienced State Trooper stopped a racing rig, wrote multiple citations, forced the driver to have a person with a cdl continue with the rig. The team owner wrote letters to the state, perish, city, state police and everyone he could think of with threats of sueing all of them. The results, all charges were droped, the trooper received a repremand and the owner was reimbursed for his expenses. This was over ten years ago so things have probably changed since then.

I agree with many of the above comments regarding "grey area's". It does vary state to state but know that most of them are getting tougher in regards to this. As much as we do not agree, in their eyes we are all commercial. I have been pulled over by DOT Enforcement in both a toter and a dually pick-up. The "Not for Hire" callout can help in ways but not with everything. I tried to use that myself one time (in a toter) thinking I knew something and the boy in blue quickly brought it to my attention that Wal-Mart trucks and others are "Not for Hire". So that necessarily does not help us out in this situation. The best thing you can do is try to get as legal as possible. The tickets from the DOT are super expensive.

If anyone needs assistance in this area I have a great contact. Transportation Consultants in Urbandale Iowa handles licensing, permitting, IFTA and all things associated with getting your self legal. They are handling everything for my race team and have been great to work with. They take the guessing out of it and the worry away and the prices for their services are extremely reasonable. Contact Brian at the below number.

Transportation Consultants, Inc.
2400 86th Street
Suite #22
Urbandale, IA 50322
515-278-1010
[email protected]

http://tcipermits.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=13

Transportation Consultants Inc. is Iowa's leader in truck permitting, licensing, and fuel reporting services. With over 1,100 Iowa based carriers, TCI has the experience and knowledge to keep your trucks legal and on the road. TCI handles fleets of all sizes and can tailor a program to fit your needs. We treat you to a level of service and care unmatched in the industry. Whether you are new to trucking or have been in the business for years, TCI can customize a program to save you time and money. Our job is to keep you driving.

Enjoy!

Jon Agan

Been down this road. Ask 10 people get 10 answers. All the answers are in your states rules and regulations pamphlets or online at d.o.t. websites. Bottom line answer I got from a local highway patrolman (off duty) was you can interpret or believe what ever you want but "if you get in an accident God help you" Kool Trikes answer are all correct in MN.

Racing is a business in the D.O.T.'s eyes, but not the I.R.S.'s

Yes if you carry over a certain amount of fuel you need placarding and it must be in d.o.t. approved containers and properly secured.

From what I was told by a CDL Examiner is that the "all the States" will conform to Federal regulations sometime down the road instead of each state being different. I have a great job driving for a company that intails very limited overnight runs & mostly delivering & I get paid by the hr. But the D.O.T. is a pain in the ass somtimes. I was just East of S.Bloomfield & got pulled into the old road side rest there on the north side of 23 S. The guy took my log book & other goodies came back up & said you left @ 8:30 this morning & I said yea. He said his GPS said that it was supposed to take 2 hrs & 25 min & I said yea. Then he started telling me where I was, That there was no way I could have made it to where I was in that time & I said It takes me 2 & a 1/2 hrs taking the route I was taking. He said you up from around Cleveland aint you. & I said No No No No No. I said I'm out Lima, Oh. right off of I-75. He thought for a couple seconds & then said ok. He had parked the guy before me & when I came back by he had another 1 stopped. I think he may have made his quota for the month that very day. He found a clevis pin missing a cotter pin that he wrote in the report as missing a cater pin & the other thing was some sort of leak that I know developed on the way.

sorry double post

excellant advice. another area of concern from my experience is I used a "company" truck to haul karts and then later racecars to the races and then parked the vehicle in the pit areas, I wonder how you explain to your employers insurance that their vehicle was damaged at a racetrack in the pit area, or how does hauling a personal race vehicle to a race track become our liability? Any thoughts?