Things that make ya go hmmmmmm.....

[ROAD WARRIOR]

The rules for CDL's are based on the GVW (gross vehicle weight) ratings that you will find on the tags on both your truck and trailer. The RV pulling a car behind it falls through the recreational vehicle loop hole because it is not considered a commercial vehicle. DOT rules and regulations are Federal and if your state has accepted any federal money for roads they apply to your state and take presidence over any state or local laws. Some states just choose to enforce them to the letter while others do not. Iowa and Illinois are two of the worst.

 

[Jill]

In Kansas it's not the actual size of the truck but the weigh, anything with a tagged weight of over 26000 pounds requires a CDL even if your just driving a pickup.  As long as you are tagged under that weight (and don't get caught) you can haul anything.

 

[afhm]

I guess if you had a trailer with small living quarters you could call that a recreational vehicle and get by on a technicality.

 

[DLD]

This issue has gotten lots of attention around here in the past year or so, so we had a DOT officer speak at our county cattlemans association conference. I'll try to recap what he said...

1) If the gvwr of your truck plus the combined gawr's of your trailer (because the trailers gvwr includes tongue weight) is 26,001 # or greater, then you need to have a cdl, dot numbers for your truck and trailer, and all that other fun stuff

2) If said combined weight rating is 26,000# or less then you (including your family and employees) are  legal within 150 miles of any agricultural land you own or lease, with a standard drivers licensce and farm tags

3) If the combined weight rating is 10,000# or less, you are under no restrictions (even a half ton pickup and a smallish trailer will most likely exceed that weight rating)

4) If it's for recreational activities, then the dot restrictions don't apply. According to this officer, livestock shows qualify as recreational, if you're not going for the purpose of selling the animals - this can be proven by official health certificates that state the animal(s) are being transported for exhibition ... (not sure if that's "official" or just kind of a rule of thumb that they use)

5) He also said that unless you have attracted their attention otherwise (moving violations, non working lights, etc...) that they will very rarely question a single rear wheel truck pulling a trailer with tandem singles, maybe a dual rear wheel truck pulling tandem singles if something looks iffy, but will pretty much always check out anyone pulling a trailer with triple axles or tandem duals - none of that's official, of course, but just some things he mentioned that they look out for

I guess it just goes to show how much difference there is in how the laws are translated and enforced from place to place. Too bad they can't be more uniform, but at least I'm glad they seem to be pretty easy to get along with here compared to some other places.

 

[Show Heifer]

DLD: What if the combine weight is less than 26000 but you're traveling more than 150 miles??  CDL???

And what lobby group thinks it is smart to have a 70 year old drive a 30 foot RV down the road pulling a car????
Hmmmmmmmmmm

 

[DLD]

DLD: What if the combine weight is less than 26000 but you're traveling more than 150 miles??  CDL???

And what lobby group thinks it is smart to have a 70 year old drive a 30 foot RV down the road pulling a car????
Hmmmmmmmmmm

That was where the "recreational" thing came in. All he really said about that was that it's not a problem for someone over 150 miles away to haul their show animals to the fair. The example he used was going to Tulsa, and I wanted to ask about out of state, but he ran out of time before he got to my question.

Perhaps the AARP? Probably a pretty powerful political lobby there... I'm sure the RV manufacturers do their part, too.

And I completely agree. Most of us are far more competent and capable drivers of larger vehicles and probably keep our equipment in better shape. I bet alot of people might be surprised at how many of those "recreational vehicles" are involved in some type of commerce, as well.

 

[JbarL]

This issue has gotten lots of attention around here in the past year or so, so we had a DOT officer speak at our county cattlemans association conference. I'll try to recap what he said...

1) If the gvwr of your truck plus the combined gawr's of your trailer (because the trailers gvwr includes tongue weight) is 26,001 # or greater, then you need to have a cdl, dot numbers for your truck and trailer, and all that other fun stuff

2) If said combined weight rating is 26,000# or less then you (including your family and employees) are  legal within 150 miles of any agricultural land you own or lease, with a standard drivers licensce and farm tags

3) If the combined weight rating is 10,000# or less, you are under no restrictions (even a half ton pickup and a smallish trailer will most likely exceed that weight rating)

4) If it's for recreational activities, then the dot restrictions don't apply. According to this officer, livestock shows qualify as recreational, if you're not going for the purpose of selling the animals - this can be proven by official health certificates that state the animal(s) are being transported for exhibition ... (not sure if that's "official" or just kind of a rule of thumb that they use)

5) He also said that unless you have attracted their attention otherwise (moving violations, non working lights, etc...) that they will very rarely question a single rear wheel truck pulling a trailer with tandem singles, maybe a dual rear wheel truck pulling tandem singles if something looks iffy, but will pretty much always check out anyone pulling a trailer with triple axles or tandem duals - none of that's official, of course, but just some things he mentioned that they look out for

I guess it just goes to show how much difference there is in how the laws are translated and enforced from place to place. Too bad they can't be more uniform, but at least I'm glad they seem to be pretty easy to get along with here compared to some other places.

what about air brakes? used to be other than the test (written)  an air brake cert was really the only thing to obtaining a cdl..course i think all the license/ fees/tax stamps/yada yada the state gets is the main catalist behind the "rules"....do you all have to stop at all the weigh stations as well with "show" stock vs commercial  sale loads?  jbarl

 

[DLD]

Air brakes I don't really know about, that never actually came up that day.

We're not supposed to stop at weigh stations here unless we're over 26K. My trucks are 10,000# ( Ford F250) and 9500# (Ford F350 srw) gvw, stock trailers are a 20' with tandem 6K's and a 24' with tandem 7K's, so we run well under the 26K mark. I never stop at weigh stations in OK or anywhere else unless there's a sign that says pickups with trailers and/or livestock must stop.

The only problem I've ever had was once in Nebraska - I pulled onto a highway from a side road just past a weigh station and I got stopped and accused of trying to dodge the weigh station. I explained that I was coming from a farm down that road, and going the other direction, and I was empty anyway. He still kept me setting there for over an hour trying to find something to write me a ticket for, but in the end he didn't. Must've been a slow day...