Just returned from a Pa and NH carriage delivery trip. Got stopped right after clearing a toll both entering Ind by Indiana State Trooper.
Fortunatly, he did not write any tickets but sure got an earful from him!
According to him , i must have a D>O>T number displayed on my vehicle-- flares---triangles---log book---medical ok (less than two years old)--brakes on both axles ( don't have the list in front of me he wrote but i think i listed the majority of what he wrote.
Here's the kicker!! My deisel and 53" gooseneck is still waiting for me to retreive in Tuscon (with a new motor), that i hope to get down and pick up week after next.
i got stopped with my 01 gasser short bed sport with a 16" trailer !!
then to rub salt in my wounds, i came back thru Canada so i could show Niagra Falls to my 10 year old grandson and got harassed and forced thru Canadas customs inspection because i did not have identifacation or birthcertificate for my grandson.

 

The DOT can be a real PITA when you're hauling anything for business purposes. You might want to PM guys like Haulin_in_Dixie and Pappyman, they've dealt with crap like this and can help you get sey up to run legal.

 

I know in Florida, unless you are driving a truck requiring endorsements ( Haz-mat, air brake, excess weight ect.) a class D drivers lisence is good enough if it meets these guidelines. Less than 80" wide, weighs between 8,000 to 26,000 lbs., and not requiring haz-mat, tanker, air brake endorsements. Air assist brakes are OK, but not full air brakes. Driving a company owned vehicle, or driving for hire. The 26k weight includes truck, trailer, and load.
One exception to that is Emergancy Service personel, ie. firefighters ambulance drivers. A class 'D' license with an 'E' endorsement AND state fire/EMT/Paramedic, says that person can drive an emergancy vehicle regardless of weight and CDL endorsements.

 

herb, I can understand why you were hastled by the Canuks because you did not have ID for your grandson. These days there are more and more cases of child kidnappings and other bad stuff. The laws are there to protect the kids.

If you want to bring your grandson to Mexico you had better have signed and properly witnessed papers from BOTH parents giving him authority to travel across the border with you, or else you will not be allowed into Mexico and just may be handed over to the US authorities for further investigation.
Yes, its a pain, but remember what prompted all this.

 

i understand and know you are right. just seems they could be a little more cordial about the way they approach folks--this guy was NASTY.

 

Yea somtimes peoples jobs go to their heads. I had a DOT guy getting real upity with me once at a port of entry scales. I was being real polite & giving him everything he asked for & he was just talking down to me like I was the lowest form of life on the planet. Well after he was all done inspecting me & my truck I pulled over to the truck parking lane walked inside & asked to talk to a supervisor. Told him about my inspection experince with that particular guy. He told me they had several complaints on his attitude & was told to wait right there. I thought oh great now I'm going to get scrutenized even more. The guy who inspected me came over & opologized was sorry for being so hard on me. Sometimes it pays to complain. Bet he got a stiff talking to.

 

So Herb I'm a bit confused on why that Trooper stopped you. How could he have known you were hauling for hire? Since when is a 16' trailer an unusual sight? Is there anything you could have done different to not get stopped or was he just randomly stopping people towing? Seems like an unwarranted stop to me
Thanks

 

i suspect it was just that, a random stop. I had just cleared a toll booth and he was sitting off on the side.
seat belts were on--wasn/t doing 20 mph---vehicle in good repair. Just luck of the draw i guess. normally i have magnetic signs on the door with my company name and web address, had forgot to put them on this trip.

 

Herb I am going to answer this in the thread instead of on the PM so that others can also get the information. Actually it has been posted before but with most, it gets ignored until you get stopped. I will try to relate a few of the requirements, might miss a couple, hope not.

As of June of last year, all trucks doing commercial work, or work for pay, must be registered and display a USDOT number. The number is free and can be obtained by going to the USDOT web site and downloading the application.

If you haul others items for hire or for pay, you must have Common Carrier authority. You also must have authority in any state where you pick up and deliver within the state. Delivering or picking up is ok as is going through, but for example if you pick up in LA and deliver that load in San Diego, you must have California authority.

The authority sets out the insurance requirements, which are for interstate, $750,000 for non-hazardous freight. Commercially delivering freight that is owned by you can get confusing. It is mandatory that you have Private Carrier authority, but it seems that this is not necessarily enforced in all cases. Many do not. For instance, Wal-Mart is a Private Carrier.

If your gvwr of the truck added to the gvwr of the trailer exceeds 26,000 pounds you must have a CDL. Even if you only weigh 10,000 pounds total. If the trailer is under 10,000 pounds GVWR you can use a Class B CDL. If the trailer is over, you need the Class A. If you have to get a CDL, bite the bullet and get the air brakes also. Air boosted brakes do require the endorsement, I have checked that as I have one here.

You must have the proper safety equipment in any commercial use. Reflector triangles are accepted, no fuses necessary. You must have extra fuses for the truck electrical system; your truck should have them in the fuse box cover. You are supposed to have replacement bulbs for the truck. You must have a charged fire extinguisher that is mounted and has a gage. I have been written on both these issues. The extinguisher may be on either the truck or trailer. The box or where it is mounted must have a sticker that says “Fire Extinguisher Inside.” You must have a wheel chock.

You must have brakes on all wheels, with breakaway protection. They will check that for operation. You must have the proper level of brake fluid in the master cylinder.

The quickest way to get stopped is to look commercial and have no name or numbers on the truck. For commercial use you must have the company name, hometown name, state, usdot number on the truck on both sides in at least 2-inch high letters. On your truck I would recommend using the quad rear windows. Plastic stick on letters work well and there is enough room for it all. No paint damage and a razor blade removes them. It’ll cost about 20 or 30 dollars for both sides made up by a sign shop. Fire extinguishers mounted on or in the trailer and no paint is messed up.

I have to disagree with you on the Nasty, he did not write you a citation. He could have gotten you for hundreds or more.

Well there is more, but not sure that more applies to your setup. Watch the length of you trailer, some states do not allow or require a permit for a 53-foot trailer, Florida and Tennessee for example.

 

Thanks for posting that, Haulin. My Dad is looking at doing some hotshoting and maybe me on the weekends when I turn 18.

He got stopped by DOT pulling our 18 ft. trailer when he was going to pick up fertilizer for our lawn/landscaping company. He had signs on the side of the truck. They were stopping EVERY trailer except RVs They were telling him he needed pre trip inspection forms, yada, yada, yada. JUST to pick up a couple of pallets of fertilizer. It's rediculous for that portion of small business.

 

thanks i appreciate the info. you said some states no not allow or require a permit for a 53" trailer? my trailer is 53' overhall with a 46' deck?

 

There's alot of people in Oklahoma City that would have loved to have known where a couple of pallets of fertilizer were going.

 

I know, but his trailer was empty, AND they told us we need DOT numbers and the whole deal, just to pull a couple of lawn mowers around. I can't even pull our trailers legally until I turn 18 in a couple of months. Actually I can, but it depends on who you talk to or who stops you. We've talked to the Sherriff office, all the liscensing bureau departments and every one told us a different thing. It is such a headache, I can't believe what a trucker has to go through...

 

That's the problem with all the rules and regulations. I've called the local dps office and have gotten different answers for the same questions. And then the actual troopers and rule & reg. inforcers have a totally different interpretation on the same rules than the people do in the offices. And that's just in Texas. If you haul through other states, it's complicates things exponentially. You'd think that since they think all the little rules and regs. are so important, they would be easily obtained, and very clearly stated. Or at least get people to work for them that are smart enough to interpret them correctly.