i live in colorado and occasionally tow a 40' flatbed from nebraska back to colorado. loaded trailer weight is around 19,000 to 20,000. people are telling me if the truck and trailer weight total exceeds 15,000 i need a cdl. that don't seem right as that only leaves me just over 7,000 beyond truck weight that i could pull. anyone know the real deal???

 

Pretty sure when you go over 26,000 lbs combined weight you'll need a CDL. Maybe one of the Professionals here can confirm.

 

15,000 is no magic number.

People will also say 10,000# trailer weight is a magic number, but I haven't found anything stating this. A

ccording to the FMCSA, you don't need a CDL if your GCWR (trailer GVWR + truck GVWR) is less than or equal to 26,000 lbs.

In this case, you will likely be over this with a 40 foot flatbed. What is the GVWR of your trailer?

 

I can only say for Arkansas, but if your pulling your own stuff your ok (not for hire). Some people say if its 26000#, some say if it has air brakes. All these Old guys that have never drove any thing bigger that their family car are in their big RV's (Some around here pull them with the little freightliners) with no CDL. We have a 10 wheeler and dad asked the wieght boys, and in the revenue office about it, and farmers dont have to have a CDL to pull their own produce. I know that alot of you dont think this is right, but thats what thay told us, so that's what we do, with no problems.

 

Its usally any thing over 26000lbs then you need a cdl. the people with freightshakers and thing like that pulling the big horse trailer and campers dont need cdls because there not hauling a product its strickly recreational how ever that works I dont know.

 

Here's a direct answer. If total weight is under 26,000 you don't need a CDL . If the truck is over 26,000 and the trailer is over 10,000 you need a CDL A . You are pprobably over 26,000 if your truck weighs over 6,000 including hitch , fuel , your weight , etc. You should try to find a CAT scale and check axle weights also . If you are being paid to haul you need DOT authority . Even not for hire you need a DOT physical and DOT inspection on the truck and trailer .

 

It's the same here in California as what RickG said.The best thing to do is get the commercial driver handbook from the DMV in the states that you'll be driving in or go to the .gov web site(s) for the info. Don't go around asking every Tom, Dick, and Harry. They don't and/or can't know all the rules for GVWR, as they apply in all the combinations out there. I have CA. CDL and pull two trailers and I still refer to the handbook. A camper told me, just the other day, that a CHP officer said it was all right to pull a double trailer combination without a CDL if one of the trailers was a watercraft. Well it states in the hand book you need a CDL if "Tows more than one vehicle or a trailer bus". There are no exceptions for watercraft so even officer Dick of the CHP didn't know all the rules.

 

Ok, here is my situation.
dodge dually with a flatbed, 26' triaxle w/ 7000# axles, travel is usually only across town, but occationally across state lines.
all equipment is company owned and is rental equipment.

do I need one?

 

Here in Va if your trailer has a gvw of 10,000+ you are required to have a CDL.

 

Your GCVW for your truck is probably 23,000 but definately under 26,000 . Keep your total weight under 26,000 and you don't need a CDL . The only ones needing a CDL under 26,000 are trucks hauling HAZMAT .. Watch your axle weights . You will need a DOT physical and DOT inspection on truck and trailer and you'll have to have a log book . ALL paid hours you work , even part time hours on any job need to be logged as either on duty driving or not driving . You are limited to 70 hours in 8 days but can restart the clock with 34 consecutive hours off. (Actually you are not limited to 40 houts buy cannot drive after the above total . Most log books have instructions for their use on the back cover . You're limited to 11 hours driving between 10 hour breaks and cannot drive after 14 hours on duty until the break is taken . )

 

In Indiana GCWR can't exceed 26k. However. If your trailer weighs 10,001lbs you must have a class A CDL. You can have a 16,000lb truck and a 10,00lbs trailer and be fine. But if you have a 10lbs truck and a 11,000lbs trailer than you must have a Class A. My buddy and I have been looking into/researching this for sometime now, he pulls his pulling truck on a Goose, we estimate total trailer weight to be close to 15,000lbs and the tow rig to be arounnd 9500lbs. We have yet to be stopped or questioned on this set up while going to any pulls, several out of state. But we'll probably get our class A's just to be safe. Indiana also offers a Class A CDL that is airbrake and Semi exempt.

 

It varies from state to state! Actually IBM in incorrect about the calif rules. Look in the TOWING handbook from DMV and it states you need a CDL for ANY trailer over 10K gvw. You may tow a 5 th wheel RV up to 15K if you have the special endorsement. Go to your DMV to get the answers in person AND get their business card as proof you went there and asked in case you have trouble on the road.

 

the way it was explained to me by a state trooper DOT was it is the gvw of truck with the gvw of trailer is over 26k then you need a class A. truck says 9k on door trailer says 20 k on tag then you are at 29k you need a class A. here their are non commecial class. guy i built a home for had to get a class b for his rv. its not what you haul but what you can haul. health card and inspection even if its for yourself. arkansas scale house told me that. i do haul for aliving

 

Things are supposed to change again January 1/07 and I am trying to get the details.
I know that in Sask Canada if your trailer is over their magic number of I think, is 10,120 pounds, you must have what is called a Class 1G which is not a full Class 1 that is equivalent to a CDL.
Nobody tells you these rules until its time for a payout in insurance.
I read about some folks that had major damage to one 5th wheel RV and a flatdeck...two seperate incidents...no insurance because they were over that magic number. I am learning more all the time about the rules of the road in usa and Canada. One thing for sure, there are lots more officers looking for the pick up trucks pulling trailers.

Scotty

 

Could you quote the exact regulation ruling this ? I question it because plenty of RV transporters in IN that don't have a CDL transport trailers with GVW's over 10,000 lbs. Never mind what some DOT officer told you . Read and quote the reg .