Just weigh your rig and see where it falls.


Chris

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I'm going to have to do this... I never have

The prospect of being held hostage 500 miles from home, by some cowboy with a gun and a badge who's trying to make his quota at my expense, makes me think about how bad I want to do this. If the rules could be understood by someone without a law degree or if you could get a straight answer to a question, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. The whole program is about relieving you of your hard earned cash. I'm not trying to run a trucking company, I just want to go to the race track once in awhile. I'd like to go the truck/LQ trailer route but it seems that we are being forced into the motorhome/small tag option.

I'm glad the dot didn't see me today pulling a 15,000 lb. load plus the weight of the trailer and the extra i had in the truck bed. Dodge truck pulled it like a champ. Going to do it again tomorrow. Sure glad the trailer brakes work.

The days of towing a car with a 1500/150 pickup are numbered arent they. Are we gonna have to go back to flat-towing?

Partial Possible Requirements/conditions for legal Dot Status:
Register Tag for Max expected GCW & pay appropriate fees
Have correct safety equipment regarding Fire extinguishers, safety triangles, etc in ea truck
esure all use equipment/tires in good order and correctly rated for use
Have correct/current refective tape on rear/sides of all units
Notify Insurance carrier of this new weight
Get Appropriate CDL for weight class
Realise holding a cdl exempts taking driving school to reduce points, even if citation given was during strict personal use in a non comnercial vehicle
Take annual Medical physical (No BP over 140/90)
Take random Drug Test
Get DOT number:
Keep detailed records
Have annual DOT inspections of all vehicles by licensed ASME mechanic
Do beginning of day safety walk around inspection and record
Keep maintence records
Keep min 8 day log book in truck when driving 100+ radius
Keep hrs of service records in office for under 100 mile radius
Deal with not driving when in service (working/racing) after 11 hrs
Have records available without notice for audit by DOT
Face up to $50K fine for violation any of above
Mark Truck with DOT # both sides
Deal with zoning issues parking a commercial truck in neighborhoods
Mark truck with correct Placards when hauling reportable quantities of Haz Mat
Keep accurate manifest detailing above in cab when in transit
Have correct Haz matt endorsement on CDL
Take Federal Criminal Back ground check for Hex Mat and be fingerprinted every 4 years at cost of $91?
Inform your insurance carrier you are commercial and placarded
Let your insurance know you are officially commercial use and pay appropriate premenuins
Carry min insurance limits required for commercial use for ea state entered
Stop at every state weigh station for inspection of most of the above
Pay 36hr? Diesel Fuel permits and trip permits for each sate as required when over 26K lb
Realize in any commercial vehicle, ANY detectable alcohol is considered a violation, even if you using it for personal use or driving it to church.



Agencies that need to be interfaced with to meet compliance with above
Tag agency or DMV
DL agency
US Dot
State DOT
Local Zoning board Reg parking
Insurance agency

From the VA DMV web site.

http://www.dmv.virginia.gov/webdoc/pdf/dmv109.pdf

Operators of vehicles having a manufacturer’s
gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or a gross
combination weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001
lbs. or more are required to hold a valid CDL.
Operators of vehicles designed to carry 16 or
more persons including the driver, and operators
of vehicles hauling hazardous materials which
are required by federal law to be placarded must
also hold a valid CDL.

The following situations exempt operators of certain vehicles from the CDL requirements.
1. Operation of a vehicle for personal use only,
such as a recreational vehicle or truck to move
your personal belongings.
2. Operation of a fire truck or other emerency
vehicle.
3. Operation of a farm vehicle that meets all of
the following conditions:
a. Controlled and operated by a farmer.
b. Used to transport agricultural products,
farm machinery or farm supplies to and
from a farm.
c. Strictly for farm use and not used in the
operation of a common contract
carrier.
d. Used within 150 miles of the vehicle
owner’s farm.
4. Operation of a vehicle for military purposes
while the operator is on active duty carrier.

Just got my truck re-registered for GCVW(gross combination vehicle weight)As per Chrysler specs I'am allowed 23,000lbsGCVW.It was a pretty easy process.The problems that I found is that no one could give me a clear explaniation of the regulations.After talking to Pa.DOT,Pa.state police,DMV at Harrisburg Pa.Local authorities,and speaking with the Federal Motor Carrier personel.No one seems to be able to clearly define the laws.I'am just going to follow the Federal guidlines and hope that I got it all covered.

I just put new plates on my dually and they gave me car plates. the plate I had before was 14000#'s. when I asked them whats the deal they said if I'm a just a hobby guy then I'll have no problems and that other states must allow me to pass throuogh without issues, somthing about the interstate commerce act. So I have a 3000# plate on a Cummins Dually with a 24' enclosed

What have we determind in this post?
I have a Truck registered for 9000 lbs and an enclosed trailer for 10,000 lbs.
I talked to the title and tag business that I deal with and they told me I didn't need a combination weight until the trailer was registered over 10,000 lbs. Is this correct?
I also searched the PennDot website and found nothing helpful on this subject.

Bob-I was fortunate enough to have attended a class conducted by the Pa.State Police this past Feburary at one of our dealerships pertaining to trailering for landscapers and those hauling construction equipment. First they state that their personnel know most of the laws however the ones that we must be concerned are those like the city police, the township police and the sheriffs dept., for they only know part of the laws. The important thing is that they may stop you and write you up and be wrong, however it is up to you to hire an attorney to get yourself out of the mess.
Most of the trailering laws that he spoke of were, effective January of this year you must now go into the scales if you are a combo of 10,001 lbs, previously it was 26,000 and most of us were not effected. By passing the scales is a $3,000.00 fine this was Federally mandated that they do this. I told him that they were opening up a can of worms and everyone with a trailer would be clogging up the scales. He told me this is exactly what they wanted because they wanted to see what was in all those trailers going up and down the highway, since 911. They also told me that they have found that a lot of retirees were subsidizing their retirement by transporting drugs from Mexico,California,Florida and New York.
I understood why they were pulling over landscapers trailers, but how about my race car trailer, his answer was, is their prise money at the race, and I answered yes, then he said it is considered commercial, the same as prises at a horse show. Another thing he talked about was securing fuel cans, a bungy cord is not good enough, they must be secure, and anything in that trailer must be secured. If you run your pick up truck down the highway with the tail gate down and a chain or a block of wood is laying in the bed not secured, it is a $500.00 fine.
He told us if your vehicle was over 10,000 gvw you must take it to an inspection station and get it inspected which must be displayed on both the truck and the trailer so that the weight master can see it and either wave you through or pull you around back. You must also have a fire extinguisher in both the truck and the trailer,and triangles or safety markers of some sort. Your mirrows must also be wide enough to see behind you and all of your lights must be working. I keep a log book although unless you are over 26,000 lbs it is not necessary but some sort of a report should be kept. You must also have the medical card and a valid drivers license.
My way around a lot of this is travel on the turnpikes when possible since they do not have scales. I have tried to tell the Hemi guys at the CC Events but they seemed to think that I was crazy, so Bob, I am glad you have brought this to everyones attention, sorry about the fine.

lloks like the problem just keeps getting bigger. This is on Competition Plus. They are trying to get a whole buch of people to go to Richard Childress Racing on the 26th for a big meeting on this subject.


"Steve Earwood, Chairman of the Board of The North Carolina Motorsports Association, has sent word that an EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR will be held at Richard Childress Racing, 425 Industrial Drive, Welcome, NC, from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 26, 2008. Attendees can park at the Childress Museum and walk a short distance to the race shop. The museum is the first building on the left when you turn onto Industrial Drive and cross the railroad tracks. Park there and walk to the race shop just down the street on the left.

Information about the seminar:

North Carolina Laws and Federal Regulations regarding registration/tags/driver credentials/size and weight/road use of vehicles used in the operation of a race team or individual racers.

There is no charge for the seminar and the information is imperative. Everyone should tell their friends and fellow racers.

The Seminar is being sponsored by the NCMA at no charge. Rep. Karen Ray is coordinating the seminar for the NCMA. There will be time given to questions and answers following the informational part of the seminar.

Under the auspices of Rep. Ray, Earwood and the NCMA are working on this issue with the State Highway Patrol, the Governor's office, the Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety, DOT Secretary, Federal Motor Carriers, DMV, and the Legislative Staff. We are all working together diligently to address the concerns that are circulating and work toward resolutions. This seminar is one of the parts of the resolution and will provide extremely valuable information for those affected.

Earwood emphasizes that this is not a protest session; however, we do need a large turnout of those who are affected to voice our concerns and to hear alternatives to these very important issues."