herb

Talked to a trailer dealer today he claims i can pull a gooseneck trailer with 3 6,000 pound axles with my 06 dually without a cdl ?
Claims the trailer is 10,??? pounds and i will be loading with 5000 0r less in cargo weight , thus i would be under the 26000 pound cdl requirement.

1-2-3

It may depend on state laws. i would think that if it's for private use, there will be no cdl requirement.

RickCJ

If the gvw of your truck and the gvw of the trailer are under 26,000 lbs. you don't need a cdl.

The trailer can have 3 10,000 lbs. axles and be capable of hauling 30k but you can have it registered for less.10k? 15? You just need to have the trailer manufacturer send you a new gvw/vin tag.
Registration and DOT go by what is on the vin tag.
unless they are too busy to check these things

Patrick Campbell

yeah you are going to have 3 6k axles, and the trailer with a plate (not license plate) that says 13500. if they give you a trailer with a 18k gvwr, and your truck is 12500, you need a CDL if its a commercial operation.

I have heard that some states "assume" each axle is 7k and then they get you. IMO, that isn't right.

Just because it has 21k worth of axles, if it has a GVWR plate of 13500, assuming you aren't OVER the GVWR, you should be fine.

CoolVanilla

The DOT doesn't care what weight you actually have on your trailer, (or how much your truck scales at, either). They are concerned with the capability of the truck/trailer combo. What is the maximum capacity of the combo? If over 26K (18K in NY) - - then you can consider yourself a class A rig!

Your 3 axle trailer puts the gross weight capacity of the trailer at 18K, you truck has a GVWR of around 11,000K (?). Yes , this rig definitely falls in a Class A category. (Even if you pulled this trailer with a 3/4 ton, you would still need a CDL, BTW).

I had a driver that bought a 40' tri-axle trailer and hauled 2 cars on it. His gross "scale" weight NEVER exceeded the magic 26K, yet he got ticketed in several states, and in Utah they made him park his EMPTY rig at the scales until a Class A licensed driver could move it for him.

OTOH, (as CharlieZ pointed out) if you are "Not for Hire", then go for it. But be sure you have that wording painted on your rig somewhere (and ensure that it is the truth. There are more and more random checks being done nationwide - part of the Homeland Security thing. But the bottom line is that the "wildcatters" are starting to pay some pretty hefty fines in the process).

Even drivers pulling racing rigs are being fined by the DOT for not having Class A licenses - - they are considered a commercial rig if there is any prize money, or even tires or other goods offered as a prize in whatever series racing he does. These guys need both DOT/MC numbers and a CDL - - just food for thought!

durasmack

While you should be able to VIN tag the trailer under the CDL requirement, it may be in your best interest to go ahead and take the CDL test and get the license. It could save you quite a bit of hassle if you ever do get harassed by an officer about it.

Just my $0.019

CoolVanilla

Durasmack is right - - the DOT doesn't look at the VIN tag except during a Class 1 inspection anyway. They sit in the scale shack and eyeball your axles as you cross the scales. They know what hubs are rated for how much - - you won't be able to convince them that a 6 lug hub is on a 3500 lb axle! These guys aren't dumb, they spend 40 - 60 hours per week doing their job.

Besides, a trailer manufacturer could face a huge fine, or even be put out of business for falsifying capacity. Some might "fudge" by a few pounds to stay under the 10K rating, but I doubt they would rate an 18K trailer at 10 or 12!

socal 610

I have a 9,999 GVW trailer with 7,000lb axles made by carson trailer

herb

can't fight city hall but sems unfair when my loads are only 5ooo pounds

Totallyrad

You can get a de-rated data plate for the trailer but, that's the limit of what you can haul on it. I have seen farmers do it. Have the trailer built with a de-rated data plate to stay out of CDL territory but be able to load the heck out of it on the farm and not hurt anything.

slim51015

So your saying a manufacturer can't over build a trailer, say like putting 2 8000lb axles under it and rating it at 10,000lb?

Totallyrad

They're not over building the trailer, they're not rating it to it's maximum. For example, my bobcat trailer has two 6k axles, that's 12k. The hitch, or the portion of the load that the truck is supposed to carry is 3k. The total GVWR of the trailer is 15k. I could have ordered the same trailer with heavier axles and the same GVWR even though it could carry more weight with the heavier axles.

slim51015

I know. I was trying to say the same thing you did. A trailer could be taged less than its built for. 3 6000lb axles dont have to be rated at 18000lbs.

Totallyrad

Correct sir.

Puddlestomper

If your pickup isn't tagged over 26,000, you don't need a Class A CDL. If you haul more than 26,000, then you better have it. Now I don't know about other states, but kansas just gives you a trailer tag, no weight assigned to it. The vehicle registration is what matters. It has to cover the pickup and trailer. As long as it is registered under 26,000, you won't have to worry. But on the other hand, it is easy to get a CDL, and you can renew it like any other license. Study the DOT laws, as it helps to know, any truckstop sells the book. Then when you get stopped, you can say, hey, I am under 26,000and my rig is registered under 26,000, you can't give me a ticket for that. It doesn't matter what it is capable of. Registration is the key. Before I joined the Marines, I had several trucks. One of them was an old worn out Roadway truck that I used to haul my jeeps. I had it tagged at 25,000. Never had a problem. In my others, yeah, DOT hasseled me a little because they were commercial OTR trucks. But they see Not For Hire, and the little sticker saying 25,000 pounds, they pretty much ignore it.