What's Up with Iowa State Police??

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bruiser

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Dec 28, 2009
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Illinois (God's country)
Heard yesterday that one of Todd Caldwell's guys got pulled over in Iowa in a pickup pulling a gooseneck. The story is he got $1800 dollars in fines for hauling two steers. This just reinforces the meaning of I O W A----- I.... Oughta.... Went.... Around
 

kfacres

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Dec 15, 2008
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Industry, IL Ph #: 618-322-2582
I'm sure there was more things wrong with the truck/ trailor than just 2 steers on board. you know lights, speeding, passing, license, the type of things that usually result in fines regardless of  what you're hauling..

The radio station I listen to every day comes from Iowa- something that you have when you live as close as I do.  The state of Iowa has now issued a 12% gasoline tax hike effect shortly to help pay the state's money problems.  Iowa, like many other states, are money hungry now... 
 

cpubarn

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Sheffield,IA
Having attended classes in Iowa from the DOT for semi rules and regulations, it appears that the pickup/gooseneck with a couple of 4h calves in it is about as illegal as I can be in any vehicle, once I pass that 150mile radius from home.  It seems a little extreme to me.  I understand not wanting me to drive overweight or out of state, but shouldn't I be able to buy 1 bull in southern IA and drive back to Northern IA?  I believe that they want commercial plates on the truck and a CDL.

Mark
 

nkotb

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Quinter, KS
There are quite a few states like that.  If your vehicle is tagged with farm tags, be it a pickup or semi, and you travel more than 150 miles from your home base, you are breaking the law.  If said pickup or semi has commercial plates and you have a CDL, you are fine.
 

knabe

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Hollister, CA
So don't buy an animal 150 miles from home and don't go to your state fair.

Apparently it doesn't cost much but i think there are some annoying tax implications, recording and stuff people will pipe up about.

Many cities in calif are starting to require permits for garage sales and of course that's income so you should pay income taxes on that.

But hey let's not change the system lets just make it more byzantine by voting d and r.

There's nothing like government to raise the cost of everything and raise your taxes by requiring an infrastructure to monitor all these laws with guarantee jobs and lifetime health and pensions and union dues to lobby against you.

Of course this is simply complaining about mostly the left and we should be happy we are creating jobs to police ourselves create courts  jails collection infrastructure a system to keep track of all the fines. 

Yeah. Go progressives.
 

twistedhshowstock

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Nacogdoches, TX
I have heard there are a lot of states going to this.  If you are pulling any type of non-recreational trailer and you are more than 150 miles from home then you will be considered a commercial rig and must have commercial plates and a CDL.  This is the result of Politics becoming a career.  Our government was never set up for people to make a career or even a living off of an elected position.  I think its sad that many schools are cutting Agriculture Programs, while Political Science is a required course. But thats what we have running our states and country now.  A bunch of people who never spent any practical time working or in any type of industry.  They went to college, went to work for a politician, then became a politician.  They have no idea what it truly takes to hold a country together.
 

firesweepranch

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SW MO
So let me get this straight; if I live in SW Missouri, and buy an animal in Iowa and go to pick it up, I have to have commercial plates on my trailer? My husband has a commercial license, I have bus license (with passenger endorsement), so only he could drive? Even if it was just a little ball trailer (like 3 horse size)? Is there a minimum goose neck size that falls under that law?
This is just CRAZY! Is there any reason why, other than to get more money? Seems to me like Iowa sellers need to make arrangements to have the cattle hauled to the border!
 

ALTSIMMY 79

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May 25, 2010
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Spring Creek , Iowa
Interesting information as I'm from Iowa. Its pretty much a joke , you get different answers from different people on what exactly the law is. They apparently have nothing better to do.
 

iowa

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May 2, 2007
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Des Moines, Iowa
Commercial vehicle - Any self-propelled or towed motor vehicle used on a
highway to transport passengers or property when:
In Interstate Commerce
A single vehicle has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight
more than 10,000 pounds; or A combination vehicle has a combined weight rating or gross combined
weight more than 10,000 pounds

Commercial Driver’s License Exemptions
Farmers and Farm Helpers
Drivers of commercial motor vehicles under the control of the farmer and used
in their farm operation may claim an exception from the requirement to have a
Commercial Driver’s License, provided all of the following conditions are met.
• must stay within a 150 air-mile radius of the home farm; and
• must transport supplies, equipment, or products for that farm operation;
and
• must transport from farm site to farm site (sale barn), or to and from the home farm;
and
• may not transport for-hire, but may exchange services with other farmers.

Generally, drivers of farm operated commercial motor vehicles may operate
across state lines within a 150 air-mile radius of the home farm, provided the
neighboring state recognizes the CDL exception from the state of issuance. It
is advisable to consult with the officials of a neighboring state before crossing a
state line.

Lightweight Combinations -
Farmers and Private Carriers of Livestock or Ag-commodities
A motor truck in combination with a trailer or semitrailer, operated by a farmer
or private carrier hauling horses, with county level registration or special farm
registration may qualify for a gross registration weight exception.


Registration of trailers
Farm Trailers
Unlike implements of husbandry (farm machinery) that by design have an exclusive agricultural
purpose, farm trailers are designed and could possibly be used for many
purposes, not just agricultural. Bumper-hitch livestock, flatbed, and utility
trailers are examples of vehicles that could be considered farm trailers if used
exclusively in a farmer’s agricultural operation. When operated as a farm
trailer, they are not subject to registration. However, farm trailers are subject
to the same lighting, safety and axle weight regulations as registered trailers.
Semi-trailers and gooseneck trailers may not be considered a farm trailer and
must be registered. Bumper-hitch livestock, flatbed, and utility trailers used
outside the scope of a farmer’s agricultural operation must also be registered.

http://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/omve/truckguide.pdf
 

dlt in mo

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Aug 25, 2011
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It is about DOT numbers.  They enforce those in Iowa selectively.  Friends have gotten tickets pulling empty trailers to the Iowa Beef Expo, hauling their cattle to a Sale Barn 20 miles from home, & hauling empty seed pallets on a flatbed.
 

vc

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So-Cal
It could also be that the trailer he was pulling has a capacity to carry more than 10,000 pounds (and/or has 3 axles) in that case you are required to have a CDL. Empty or full they just go by the capacity of the trailer not what is actually in the trailer. We have a friend that was hauling 4 head back from Denver to California, he was hauling the calves in a 30' trailer. He was ticketed and had to have someone with a CDL flow out to drive the calves out of Colorado. In some states you can get exceptions for Ag but most the time it still has to be a local haul. I know if I use the flatbed trailer we have at work I can only take the trailer with a 9,999# capacity if I take the 12,000# trailer I can be ticketed hauling it empty. (these trailer are identical except for the weight capacity identified on the trailer from the manufacturer)
I have also hauled a 15000# cap. trailer with 80 bales of alfalfa on it, 500 miles and they did not even look twice at me, go figure. I will drive 500 miles one way for 3 days of fishing and free hay.
 

dlt in mo

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These 3 incidents I posted about were with 24 foot trailers & weight was not an issue but all had Missouri license plates.
 

KSanburg

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Western Colorado
There are also some federal laws that state DOT may enforce, the one that I know about from experience is your log book, I believe that the Fed's state that if you are more than 500 miles from your home or have crossed state lines that you need to have an up to date log book for the hours you have spent behind the wheel. I don't know that it effects the tickets that have been issued to Todd's guy's but I know when you stop at a weight station or port of entry they are going to ask for it.
 

bruiser

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Illinois (God's country)
Seems to me that if I buy a calf in Iowa next fall, he will be delivered to the Iowa state line by the seller or it will be a"no sale". If the right people get burned by that maybe changes will occur. And I thought Illinois was screwed up.....
 

knabe

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Hollister, CA
bruiser said:
Seems to me that if I buy a calf in Iowa next fall, he will be delivered to the Iowa state line by the seller or it will be a"no sale". If the right people get burned by that maybe changes will occur. And I thought Illinois was screwed up.....

you mean like a legislator's 9 year old daughter who's calf was being driven by his 19 year old son?
 

QMC

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A neighbor had this happen a few years back, so I called to check to see what I needed to avoid any trouble.  The Iowa DOT said you must have a DOT #, flares, fire extinguisher, your truck and trailer tested, and a health card.  At that time if you didn't have any of these the fine was $1600.  I don't think you need a CDL if you have a 3/4 ton truck.

The DOT # is free, you just have to find the phone number for the office in Washington DC to get lined up.  We had our # put on a magnet and only display it when in Iowa.
 

knabe

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QMC said:
A neighbor had this happen a few years back, so I called to check to see what I needed to avoid any trouble.  The Iowa DOT said you must have a DOT #, flares, fire extinguisher, your truck and trailer tested, and a health card.  At that time if you didn't have any of these the fine was $1600.  I don't think you need a CDL if you have a 3/4 ton truck.

The DOT # is free, you just have to find the phone number for the office in Washington DC to get lined up.  We had our # put on a magnet and only display it when in Iowa.

the above is the government form of job creation.

it creates a demand for government jobs, a compliance infrastructure, more fire extinguishers sold plus their annual inspection certification, truck and trailer testing, health card and all it entails.

amazing "we have" the infrastructure to go after people, but not illegal aliens.

i wonder if the mexican truckers have to comply with any of this, or what would happen to an illegal alien if caught if they would be subject to the fine and if there would be follow up to insure compliance.  you can bet there is not.  better to go after people who have money instead of those who send remittances to mexico.
 

QMC

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I asked the DOT officer if they were concerned about the revenue they would lose by people avoiding Iowa.  He said "No, we don't care about that."
 

knabe

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Hollister, CA
QMC said:
I asked the DOT officer if they were concerned about the revenue they would lose by people avoiding Iowa.  He said "No, we don't care about that."

duh, they care about the job security from all the infrastructure and compliance industry.  there's way more revenue from that and votes from that from redistribution of wealth activities and funneling of taxes into government pay and union dues to the democrat party.

you have to look at it from a spreadsheet basis and where the money comes from.  probably the smallest revenue generation is from the actual ticket itself.

i wonder how many transfers into DOT from regular police forces there are.

until voters start going after politicians to streamline some of this stuff, the velocity of a new law will keep decreasing.  right now a new law is written every 13 minutes.

the public simply refuses to vote for anyone who will take any revenue away from anyone except the people who pay taxes that isn't funneled through a government job whose entire salary, benefits and taxes are paid for by the taxpayer.

the inevitable is more until even the interest on the debt can not be paid and needs to be refinanced with some new vehicle which can be traded as a commodity and no one will go to jail for creating it or benefiting from it, just like the housing crisis government employees, hint, the clinton administration for starting it, the bush administration for continuing and congress for forcing it to happen.
 

WhoaFlicka

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Sep 7, 2009
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Dumont, IA
I drive a grain trailer in iowa and have been stopped several times and they will find something wrong every time i have come to the conclusion  that the DOT officers were picked on as kids and now fell the need to show athority or they all just have little #$*#$ 
 
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