Hey guys, got a job running a little 23ft. boat from Florida to Oregon. The trailer and boat might weigh 6500 lbs. The truck will be empty. I have commercial insurance. Does DOT require me to have anything else. In Florida as long as you don't break the 26K, you don't need a CDL or really anything else. But, I know each state can be a little different. So, Do I need anything else???? Thanks guys!

 

You don't even want to open up that can of worms here.
Just pretend its your friends boat and you are going fishing in Oregon.
Take pics of the boat and trailer before you hook up to it, just in case someone wants to say you damaged it. Get cash and enjoy the drive.

 

I was thinking the same thing, but the boat has already been shrink wrapped so it's a little more obvious that it's being pulled for hire instead of someboady going down the road with their fishing boat. Total package can't be more than 15K lbs. Do I have to hit the scales???

 

technically its anything over 10k crossing state lines. i would act like i owned it and wrapped it for protection on my way to my new home in oregon. let them stop you and ask before you go in any where more then likely they will not even look twice at you

 

LOL!
My old man is so **** about his precious Baja that he has it shrink wrapped every time he takes a long trip with it. When he first got it, a trucker in front of him blew a tire, and the tread hit his boat and left a big black mark on it, so now he shrink wraps it every trip so its all clean and pretty when he gets where he is going. He has never been stopped because of the shrink wrap.
And no you do not stop at the scales unless you are instructed to do so.

 

Anyone want to take bets on how many pages this will turn into?

Or better yet, I bet the boat will be delivered and Black Dog will be back home, and this thread will still be debated!



chaikwa.

 

Does it have to be 10K lbs. for the truck and trailer ? If so, that makes it pretty hard to tow anything. Or, does it have to be 10K for the truck and 10K for the boat and trailer?

 

What difference does it make?
Are you going to go get a bussiness license, DOT #, MCC #, ICC #, Fuel Tax Stamps, etc. to haul one boat, one time ?
Have you ever heard the saying: "Shut up and drive" ? Because thats what you need to be doing instead of over thinking everything.

 

The short answer is that if you don't own it -- and are being paid to deliver it -- that you are in violation of the law. Could be expensive.

And, if you can't beat 1.25/loaded mile for delivery (or, 63-cents round trip; all miles) you're losing money. In other words, you not only worked for free, you paid someone else (you will pay someone else) what you lost in wear-and-tear, depreciation, etc. My actual number is .57 cpm as cost of ownership. What's yours?

Because, on top of that, I have to pay myself. Then, food, miscellaneous, lodging, telephone, etc. The ordinary costs of business. Then, insurance on the load. Etc, etc.

$1.25/mile, loaded, is what I was quoted a few months back for an RV tow of about 2,000 miles. For me to have run it -- both ways, planning it with the skills of a professional driver -- there is no way for me to do anything but go broke at .63 cpm both ways. I could barely leave the house at .90 cpm except for the "fun" of the drive. (If you have a later, 4WD model, your numbers [depreciation, finance, etc] are likely .87 cpm or higher before you pay yourself and cover expenses).

So take my number, a bare-bones one, of .90 cpm and plug it into the following

http://www.truckmiles.com/

And then add .35-cents to .90 cpm for a more likely "true" number on a later, 4WD vehicle. It's the round trip that is the killer (daily, reasonable expenses of food & lodging mainly), because whatever the delivered price you have to account for the return trip.

I wouldn't have done it for less than $2/mile, even as a favor (my part being willing to run it sub rosa).

Let's say that you owe the guy, and are willing to eat the cost associated AS WELL AS the liability. Fine, but who is insuring the load while you pull it? That is -- or should be -- the kicker. Even if you don't care about the legality or the cost. There's a reason that contract law predates even the Egyptians. Cover yourself, and your friend.

 

boy your trucking sure is exspensive before you even haul for someone. it only cost me a 1.05 to run my big trucks. your dreaming if you think you can get 2.00 per mile and not provide your own trailer. i run my hs at 2.25 with trailer and make a good profit. this thread i bet will go to at least 4 pages

 

I have no backhaul (done as a "favor", remember; one-way pay on a two way trip); and include in the cpm paying myself as well as all expenses/depreciation, etc. Intended as an example of why it's hard to compete with a real transporter who deadheads very little.

 

even deadheading i still make sure that i make money. since i'm independent i often do deadhead but i makes sure thaty i make money

 

Well guys, i 've already delivered the boat and returned to Florida. The boat actually had to go to Blaine Washington. Round trip was 6200 miles. There were no problems with crossing any state lines and no stops at any scales.