Heh Heh...

Bald headed ninja's... with dounut buddah bellys...and glasses.

 

Ahhhh from the memory reserves, don't know if they still do it. You pull the truck up to the toll gate in Maryland, when you stop about 15 gray suited DOT officers in training would decend on your truck looking for any questionable equipment. Their favorite was a spare in the trailer slide in rack with no chain to hold it in place. Flaps, tires, ww wiper blades, lights etc. They normally found something.

So never took that route in the day time. Used to call themt he cockroaches looking for food on a feeding frenzy.

 

You had me concerned with that statement, since I have a 12k rated flatbed gooseneck that I sometimes tow with my '98 QC 2500

so I looked it up:

These classes are based on the manufacturer's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), which is based on the vehicle's tire/axel construction and maximum weight capacities. If the vehicles GVWR door sticker is missing, refer to the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Examiners Manual for formula in calculating a vehicles maximum weight capacity.

CLASS A, B and C (Commercial Driver License - CDL) A
driver must have a Commercial Driver License to operate
the following types of vehicles:
• Any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating
(GVWR) or combination vehicle weight rating (GCWR)
of 26,001 pounds or more.
• Any vehicle that transports quantities of hazardous
materials that require warning placards under the
Department of Transportation regulations.
• Any vehicle that is designed to transport 16 or more
passengers, including the driver
CDL Endorsements and Restrictions

T - Double and Triple Trailers
N - Tanker Vehicle with a capacity of 1000 gals or more.
P - Passengers
S - School Bus
H - Hazardous Materials
X - Combination Hazardous Materials and Tank Vehicle
L - Air Brakes Restriction
K - Intrastate Only
N/T/T - No Tractor Trailer
Exempt vehicles include: firefighting equipment, farm vehicles, military vehicles and recreation vehicles

according to above, I don't require a CDL since I'm not over 26,001 GCWR or GVWR...it's only 6 passenger, and doesn't require hazmat placards...

 

Don't want to spoil your day but there is one thing missing on there. Most states require a Class A for a trailer over 10,000 pounds. Better check with your state. Alabama and Georgia reqire it. Also one thing else, you have to comply with the other states reqirements on the CDL thing so if you go out of state, better make sure in those states also. The way Georgia explained it to me, the equipment is legal if it is legal in Alabama, that is other than weight and size, but the license is not equipment and their restrictions apply.

 

Maybe I am missing something..... I have a few friends that own the Big Boys (Tractor Trailers) that they have for personal use, they have no CDL,never have to stop at ports and need no log books. This is in Colorado also... AM I missing something? They have told me since it Personal use they dont need a CDL.

 

Sure if they have rv tags. Thats the only way.

 

That would have to depend on what part of CA the person was from. I grew up in Blue Canyon, near Truckee. You want to talk about snowfall? Just because someone lived in or lives in CA doesn't mean it's all beaches, convertibles and movie stars. There are still parts of CA that law enforcement won't even venture into.

 

Hate to bring you even more bad news....but they way I understand it is any vehicle with a GVWR of 10,001# and over requires a log book and a DOT medical card. So even if you weren't pulling a trailer, the Duramax 3500 DRW shown has at least an 11,000# GVWR by itself. Also all vehicles over 10,001# GVWR used in any commercial business are supposed to have a US DOT number on the front doors.
Anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

 

I've got a DOT card. The truck has DOT numbers. I use logbooks on long trips. It's the trailer I can't doing anything about.