Had a trailer load of foam insulation board. All 180 some sheets. Must have looked heavy...

Anyway, I was told I need to get a DOT number, because I was caught red-handed with new materials that had weighbills attached and not with my name on it. Did not matter if this was for compensation or not, it was still considered a 'for hire' load and thus commercial trucking rules applied. Anyway, since I was sitting on the side of the road and had a DOT officer handy, I asked some questions:
me: How much weight can I haul ? Answer: no more than 80,000 lbs.
me: WHAT ? I cant haul that much, at least not on the freeway. Officer: 'Sir, you fall under commercial truck laws. Your Ford F350 pickup and gooseneck trailer are treated the same as a semi-truck. By michigan law, you can weigh up to 80,000 lbs....... Me again: WHAT ?
Anyway, GVWR has nothing to do with what we can haul. Just depends on how much weight is on each axle and if the tires can take the weight. As long as my truck and trailer combined weight is less than 26,000 lbs (truck about 8000, trailer about 4000 = 12,000 lbs) He told me they actually carry a chart with tire brands and sizes to check weight ratings. I asked about the 9900 lb limit on my truck and the 14,000 rating on the trailer, he said that doe not matter. Those ratings are simply a liability limit placed by the manufacturer, and have no bearing on my load capacity.

Now, after the hour of double talk and shifting answers, and 1 ticket later. I am still confused. I know some of you guys do this for a living, what is the correct answer for allowable weight on a private plate ?

 

Can you take that one to court?? I'd be finding a scale and get pictures and a name & phone number of the operator as a witness. I'll be DAMNED if Johnny Law is going to tell me as a private citizen that I can't haul building materials for personal use (even if it's for a friend). That should get tossed out pretty quick, I'd bet. Have any lawyer friends?

 

He might can get it dismissed but not thrown out
If you combined weight is over 10k lbs you are required to go through all the crap an OTR truck does with the exception of a CDL
He is lucky to only have gotten one charge,a friend of mine got 5
If you cross state lines it's a bit stickier

 

The guy just doesn't know what he is talking about... I wouldn't worry about it. How much is the fine... if it isn't much then just pay it and be done with it...

 

Interesting. We got stopped by DOT here in Iowa hauling a little skidloader. Since the 9900lb rating on the F350 and the 22,000lb rating on the trailer put us over the 26k mark, we needed to have most all the required equipment as an OTR truck: fire extinguisher, triangles, inspection papers, equipment chained down properly; but didn't need a CDL. I don't think half the DOT officers really know when it comes to pickups. Our serving officer had to make a call to double check if we needed a CDL (dad was driving, but I have mine).
Trucks on the farm don't need numbers since it's privately owned product being hauled. But it's different from state to state.

 

The DOT numbers are free and easy to get online,the vehicle and trailer inspections along with the health cards (somewhat a gray area) are a bit of a pain
All are required in these states except for farm trucks
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

 

Where my dually has commercial plates on it and is registered at 12K Mass requires me to carry triangles, chock blocks (have to be rubber) fire extinguisher, DOT inspection papers, and a medical card. The safety and emissions inspection is $29 the DOT inspection is $89. The Dot inspection takes less time than the safety and emission inspection. On top of all of that commercial plates require commercial insurance.

I think that MA is on that list also Ray, I have a trailer that is 6x10 that we use for hauling the quad and what not it needs to be inspected also.

 

these dot guys have alittle to much power given to them...i have a excavating company and just the other day one of my drivers was driving our dully with service body on it across md del lines..well dot stoped him and since he was under 21 he couldnt drive the truck back..i had to go and get him and the truck..so now i have to send 2 guys 2 a one man job..anything to please the dot....

 

I'll bet that DOT guy was the last one picked for dodgeball back in his school days.

 

I would NOT just pay this one... Even if it was $10. I'd take it to court on principal.

 

In Ky, they have been really motivated to pick on the smaller trucks. The reason is that they can find more problems with them and write more tickets. I was told that directly from a DOT officer. I have magnet mount stickers on my truck with a KY DOT number only. I remove it when I go out of state, at the state lines or the first rest area. and go on. US DOT numbers will open you up to federal inspections, and a need to keep more paperwork like a log book and such. A US DOT number means you are doing business in other states so homeland security will want to keep an eye out on you. In my opinion, you do not want a DOT number on your truck if you are not using it for work.

 

So I've got a:
MINNESOTA
T
L
FARM TRUCK

licence plate. I had to go to South Dakota with a goose neck to pick up a grain screener.

It WAS farm business. What would I have had to worry about if I had gotten stoped, or not dodged the scales...

 

Probably nothing, but that varies from state to state. In Ky, you are not allowed to go more than 100 air miles from home, which rounds out to about 130 drive miles. You are also only allowed to use a farm licensed vehicle for farm use. No going to the store or picking the kids up after school.

Good for you for dodging the scales. As a good friend told me, "If they want to write me a ticket, they can come and get me. I'll be damned if I'm going to them."

 

That is crap! You are a private vehicle not commercial. DOT number stuff is very clear in the federal motor carrier rules. It says something along the lines of motor vehicle used in commerce. As a private vehicle you are not using it in commerce! I think some states are abusing the federal DOT rules and twisting them for their own revenue gain. I have been told by other contractors they were threatened with $500 fines if they didn't get a number and so on. It is all crap if you are not hauling for hire (commerce).

I guess if they are considering you commercial you are now required to pull into every scale. If you cross state lines you need a trip permit or an MC number and IFTA sticker so you can do fuel reporting.

As far as what he said about 80k, he is right. That is how I was able to legally run my F350 at 42k gross in all the states (except MO, I was too long).

 

I agree with you! But what can you do? I don't know who made up these laws. For myself in Ky, I have been told that any vehicle that has a GVWR 10,000 or more is required to have a DOT numbet if it is used for business, any kind of business. I have a utility truck that has a 15,000lb GVWR, and I was ticketed for not having a DOT number, and no medical card. Having operated a service truck for 9 years, why have they suddenly started going after? As I said before, they are finding out that trucks like what I own are more prone to have problems that they can fine you for.

Here's another one for you. Did you know it's the law (at least in Ky) that any trailer that weighs more than 3500lbs has to have a brake system that locks the wheels up should it become separated from the towing vehicle? And, it's not a requirement for the trailer manufacturer to build the trailer with those installed. It's up to the owner. Now I'll admit that having that system is a good idea, but shouldn't the trailer manufacturers include them when they build them? I'm sure that some probably do. How much money has the state made off that I wonder.