Weigh Station Stop for Private Trailer?

[BlueMuleTrucking]

Originally Posted by dr-diesel

I'm a mechanic for smusd in San Marcos Ca. and must maintain a commercial B lisense. I pull a 30' warrior bumper pull that weighs approx 13k to 15k lbs. The law states that in order to pull anything over 10k by the bumper, or 15k in the bed (5th wheel) the driver must hold a non-commercial A. Now since you can not have 2 classifications, I have to get a commercial A. Funny thing is that on the way home from the sierras last week I was pulled over by a CHP for a seatbelt violation and he only sited me for the belt violation, not anything about the commercial A. And from what I've heard they are hot and heavy about nailing people driving out of there classification. So my point is it depends upon the officer and whether he or she got laid the night before!!!!

Federal law covers your weight at a Class B.

[kooters]

Here's a good website for state specific info reguarding weather you need to stop or blow by the weigh stations.

Truck Scales, Weigh Stations & DOT Rules · CoopsAreOpen

[quakinator]

I have been looking at hauling a 30' enclosed trailer with a GVWR of 13,300 from Columbus OH through Chicago, Winnipeg, Edmonton and then up the Alcan to Anchorage. My GCVW with my truck and trailer combo would be in the range of 23,000 lbs.

My only real concern now is that I've been hearing that in order to pull that heavy of a trailer that I would have to get my CDL Class A drivers license. I've seen a lot of people going back and forth on this topic and would like to know if anyone has had any experience with a trailer over 10,000 lbs going through Canadian and/or American customs and if they even cared whether or not you had your CDL. I'll also be traveling through Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota.

The Ohio law states:

You need a CDL if you operate any of the following vehicles:

1. Any combination of vehicles with a combined gross vehicle weight rating of twenty-six thousand one pounds or more, provided the gross vehicle weight rating of the vehicle or vehicles being towed is in excess of ten thousand pounds;


CDL Exemptions

The law exempts these categories from the CDL:

8. A motor vehicle that is designed primarily for the transportation of goods and not persons while that motor vehicle is being used for the occasional transportation of personal property by individuals not for compensation and not in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise.

I will obviously not be doing it for any commercial enterprise. I have been told that if I am simply traveling through that my states regulations will be enforced based upon my license and plates. I just think that it's utterly ridiculous if I have to check every single state/province to make sure I'm not going to get impounded for driving my own belongings up to Alaska. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

[Justin C.]

The CDL law is supposed to be federal (50 state wide), but it still seems to be open to interpretation. I know in Georgia you are taken to jail if caught without a CDL, and in Tennessee you are issued a citation.

Justin

[LandShark-47]

I go into Canada towing a 12500 toyhauler and have not needed a CDL. You will need a declaration letter though with Vin#s for any thing in the trailer. PA CDL is required for an airbrake vehicle which my 350 is not. FWIW I have towed this trailer up and down the entire east coast and I never stop at the weigh stations. From what others indicate you may need to stop in Nebraska and SD. I never did with a 35ft motor coach and 18ft enclosed. However that was some years ago.

[diesel_brad]

OK now to completly open another can of worms. any straight truck over 26100k is a class B, and vehicle towing ANY trailer over 10k needs a Class A. This means ANY VEHICLE . so if driving a motor home that is reg over 26,100k you need a class B licence. If your driving a pickup w a trailer reg at 10,100 you need a Class A. Trust me i know!!! At the PA/NJ water gap crossing the cops have a field day! They dont care if you are passenger plates or or commercial. It all goes by your weight, nothing else. My brother has the licence most you need, A class A w no air brake restriction. IT entitles you to tow Any non air brake trailer. Without the class A you cant tow anything over 10k. Some cops may not hassle you but you get 1 prick and there goes you weekend. Get someone there w a Class A or the truck and trailer gets towed
3 years ago when CDL went FEDERAL All this came into effect. Now the max weights varry from state to state. PA and NJ alow Triaxle straight trucks to haul a mx of 80k while a tandem is 70k and tractor trailers 80k. And there again, the truck has to have the axles rated at the weight.

It all comes down to what can you get away w. I drive 70 mph in 65 mph zone all day. Yes i am braking the law but the guy doin 80 attracts more attention and he is more likely to get stopped but that doesnt mean i'm not goin to get stopped

[RatherBNtheWoods]

I have the license I need also, but I still don't stop at inspection stations when on private trips. I did once, because I wanted to see how much I weighed(before CAT scales were popular), and the guy acted quite annoyed. Mumbled something about RVer's etc...So that answered that for me.

[quakinator]

Originally Posted by diesel_brad

OK now to completly open another can of worms. any straight truck over 26100k is a class B, and vehicle towing ANY trailer over 10k needs a Class A. This means ANY VEHICLE . so if driving a motor home that is reg over 26,100k you need a class B licence. If your driving a pickup w a trailer reg at 10,100 you need a Class A. Trust me i know!!! At the PA/NJ water gap crossing the cops have a field day! They dont care if you are passenger plates or or commercial.

I understand that certain states have more strict legislation and PA does, just like CA. What I also noticed is that PA offers a non-commercial CLASS A permit. States that require you to have a non-commercial Class A permit offer a test for that permit, Ohio does not. Ohio doesn't distinguish between Class A, B or C in their non-commercial licenses and they define any vehicle not involved as a business vehicle to be exempt from CDL requirements. I couldn't even get my non-commercial Class A (such as is offered in PA and CA) if I wanted to, and I certainly am not going to pay $5,000 to go take a CDL course and rent a truck to do it. I am positive the law wasn't set up to make me do it that way. It seems to me that from the states I have looked at which require non-commercial Class A permits in order to pull 10k+ trailers, all offer a non-commercial Class A test. I'm also going to assume that reciprocity between the 50 states will be observed and that if I'm making a cross country move that traverses Pennsylvania and I am compliant with my home states regulations, that Pennsylvania wouldn't require that I go take the course in their state, obtain their non-commercial Class A just to drive through their state.

I can understand why they are having a hay day at that site between NJ and PA but I can bet it's not cross country movers they're ticketing, it's locals who should be aware of the laws and who have had opportunities to take the test to become compliant with them.

At least, here's hoping!

[LandShark-47]

Brad good lookin out but as you know simply crossing the Del water gap with more money in your pocket than the toll will cause every LEO in the area to sniff ya out. That place is no joke! Anyway no CDL for me but it is a non commercial class A.
Unfortunately for us since the new NJ race track opened we find ourselves crossing that bridge quite a bit. The traffic pattern is my main concern over there. On a side note though the gas is somehow cheaper in NJ.
Just to stay on topic I don't hit any weigh stations on that route.

[diesel_brad]

Originally Posted by LandShark-47

Brad good lookin out but as you know simply crossing the Del water gap with more money in your pocket than the toll will cause every LEO in the area to sniff ya out. That place is no joke! Anyway no CDL for me but it is a non commercial class A.
Unfortunately for us since the new NJ race track opened we find ourselves crossing that bridge quite a bit. The traffic pattern is my main concern over there. On a side note though the gas is somehow cheaper in NJ.
Just to stay on topic I don't hit any weigh stations on that route.

Friend of mine from blairstown w farmer tags and a goose neck trailer hauling hay in the spring thru the gap had to have someone w a class A come pick him and his rig up because he did not have a class A licence. I know everyone is gona say farmers dont have to comply to that rule but as soon as you cross state lines you do.
And the gas and fuel is great in New Germany but thats where the great ends. I just swing thru twice a week to fuel up