Tripple singles VS Dual tandem

[Mark Nixon]

Oh and damn I'm glad I have a class A CDL .

It'll keep you out of trouble if you have it, or worry you to death if you don't.
I let mine go a couple years ago, after I found out I couldn't take safety classes to drop a speeding ticket, since I had a CDL at the time, which didn't help me, of course.
I bought a 24,500 GVW truck a month back and I'll need to get a class A again, if I want to pull a trailer with it.

Funny though, when I had a CDL and drove a 1 ton and trailer, when the DOT guys would stop me at the scales, their attitudes usually were better when they saw the med card and CDL.
If you're running DOT numbers, you need a med card, whether you have a CDL or not, for hire or not for hire.

Mark.

[PToombs]

I need to renew my class B CDL and need to get a physical. Another $100 that the insurance doesn't cover. What a rip off.

[pulltilbroke]

Bill, actually we do about 10 miles up the road but he doesn't stock any over deck Load trails, he carries Elite overdecks.

I've been doing some comparing and another local dealer caries Finishline trailers and they seem to be a very well built piece. All of the Overdecks have 2 torque tubes no matter what length.
http://finishlinetrailers.com/trailers/ ... 0/Straight

I've been planning on getting my CDL but I guess it will be sooner than later now.

[KTA]

I have had 3 diffrent cornpros and all have been excellent. They pull nice and dont jerk around like some trailers aka hillsboros.

[MMiller]

FWIW, I would get a CDL Class A and a medical card. I would avoid getting a DOT number for your truck at this time. If you get a DOT number for your truck (which is free), but will put you on a list and you will then start getting hit up for Fuel tax, Drug Testing pool requirements and the list goes on. I don't know how Nebraska is handling it, but as long as I stay in Iowa, I don't need to get a DOT number. I'm just hoping that on weekends I can go into Missouri truck pulling with little problems.

If you get pulled over on the way home from a pull, and the officer askes if you won, report NO. Do NOT tell him you won any money......then you become a business that generates revenue and you have a commercial vehicle! The cowboys that rodeo learned that lesson the hard way. Its bull that you can spend a whole pile of money on a hobby, but when you win $20 over your entry fees, you are making money.....

Michael

[bmoeller]

x2 on what Michael said. He is right on.

Every state has its own requirements, so you'll need to find out what is needed in your home state. And possibly where you might be headed with the pulling trucks. I know even farmers in some states (like VA and WV) that just pull a 20' stock trailer are required to get DOT #, because the pick up is now considered a commercial vehicle. (Not to mention that in VA and WV, they are now supposed to be pulling a 16' bumper stock trailer with dually trucks. BS, yep!) And, if you go into KS, you'll most likely be required to have one, whether you live there or not. I know some farmers had problems with the DOT and crossing state lines with their own livestock.

[MMiller]

If I haul my cattle from Iowa to a Missouri Auction, I stand the chance of a Missouri officer nailing me for no DOT number, fuel tax requirements, plus whatever else.....If an Iowa officer catches me coming back from Missouri with my pickup and trailer with cow crap in the trailer, he will also nail me for the same thing.....because its commercial. I think it will be easier to slide by hauling around a hobby truck, but be careful what you say to the officer.

I can see one side that yes farming is a business, and can be considered commercial. Yes I will be getting income from selling my cattle.........however, I am not doing it for hire. My pickup and cattle trailer is for hauling my product, not everyone elses. Plus for the couple times a year its dumb to jump through all these hoops. I think if the DOT doesn't get their head out of thier butts, lots of guys will have stuff for sale, and one guy will be hauling for everyone else. PLUS each state is shooting themselves in the foot to bring Ag commerce in from neighboring states. I will not haul my cattle to a Missouri auction just for the headaches. I will not put DOT numbers on my pickup to haul my pulling truck around. If it gets bad hauling around my pulling truck, I will hook the goosneck to the Peterbilt in my yard and haul it like that until I can afford a van trailer, or I sell the pulling truck.

Michael

[Mark Nixon]

My original reason for even commenting at all is that his GCVW with either Dual Tandems or single triples will likely put him over 26,000 pounds and into CDL required weight range.
Anything under that, plus if you're not pulling cars around for hire, and DOT can go piss up a rope, because it's for the hobby or to fix up and drive.
Most DOT agencies are like dogs after the cat, with their tongue hanging out if it looks like you need a CDL and might not have one.
Pick-ups with trailers are especially interesting to them.

It's more of the "drain the little guy for all the money they can", because big business(government) wants it that way.

Mark.