CDL for 33K# Cabover?

[4Papa]

Hello from New England. I'm considering buying a used cabover chasis truck rated at 33K GVWR for private use and I don't plan to tow trailers with it. Am I correct in assuming I still need a CDL? If so, would the CDL driving test be taken in this truck and the license restricted to "no trailers" or would I have to take the driving test in a tractor/trailer combo even if I never intended to tow anything heavy enough to require a CDL? Thanks in advance.

 

[RickB]

You need a CDL B.

 

[Rock knocker]

You need a CDL B.

Not so fast. I suggest that the OP read the regs. Recreational, farm and non-commercial completely private use is exempt from CDL requirements in many states

 

[4Papa]

Thanks guys. I'm in MA and my (admittedly) brief online read of the MA RMV (Registry of Motor Vehicles) does seem to give an exemption. There are "Farm" plates and I dig deeper to see if therein is the exemption. I was surprised, a few years back, when I looked into farm plates at my insurance agent for a pickup that the insurance rates were more expensive. Bizarre given the truck would never have been on public roads to cause liability mayhem.

 

[Rock knocker]

Not from Massachsetts, but a common excemption.

Recreational Vehicles. When used for recreational
purposes a motor home which truck or motor
home is used exclusively for pleasure, enjoyment,
other recreational purposes, or family
transportation of the owner, lessee, or occupant
and is not used to transport cargo or passengers
for profit, hire, or otherwise in any business or
commercial enterprise.

 

[big lar]

I am from Mass. and also have a CDL so I have some knowledge on this subject: As noted above, you do not needeed a CDL for that vehicle if its used for personal or recreation use. Farm use also allows for an exemption,no CDL regquied if used for farm purposes; there is a certain mileage retriction (100-150 miles, I am not sure, you'll have to check with farm bureau or the rmv.)
Whether you haver a farm plate or commercial plate, that farm exemption still applies, I believe.

On the issue of farm plates, this farm has had farm plates since they were initiated in Mass 50+ years. However, I have had to re-apply with name change (death). Thet are VERY hard to get now. You need to file copies of your section F tax return, andfd an affidivid from your assesors office if you are under 61A or 61B, or if you are under 5 acres, show your product (greenhouses) ,$ volume. You will also get an inspection by a Registry official (state police) to verify you are indeed a farm, whole paperwork process takes about 6 months. Cost is $100 per registration and $20 per plate (you need a seperate insurance policy for each plate) There are advanatges and disadvatanges of a farm plate.

Most insurance agents/companies don't know how to write farm plate policies and thats why your quotes are high.Farm Family insurance has the absolute cheapest rate for farm plate insurance and even commercial plate insurance if farm related. You do however have to have your farm property insurance with them too. Depending where you are in central mass. there is a office in Northboro, soon to move to Marlboro, but there are offices throughtout Mass.

 

[RickB]

Proving personal use vs. commercial use is a sticky wicket indeed. If this truck isn't a recreational vehicle as normally recognized, or does not qualify for a farm registration, sooner or later somebody with a badge will expect you to have a valid CDL to legally operate that truck.

 

[madmax12]

When u r moving yourself or friends, u can rent a class b truck with no truck experience at all. Ryder, u haul... Perhaps u could ask them a few questions and compare your new truck ratings with the ones they rent out to college kids.

 

[tcartwri]

When u r moving yourself or friends, u can rent a class b truck with no truck experience at all. Ryder, u haul... Perhaps u could ask them a few questions and compare your new truck ratings with the ones they rent out to college kids.

They get away with this by registering the trucks for a max of 25999 lbs, even though mechanically they can carry more.

 

[Martian]

If you could get a residential exemption, you would definitely have to have a 'not for hire' located somewhere on the truck.

Personally I would just get the CDL. It's not very expensive compared to a stickler cop that wants to hit you with a huge fine should the law be 'interpreted wrong'.

 

[newbury]

<snip>
Personally I would just get the CDL. It's not very expensive compared to a stickler cop that wants to hit you with a huge fine should the law be 'interpreted wrong'.

Easy to write.
CDL cost $$ to get MAY increase your insurance and makes you abide by a whole new set of rules.

I just drove from Mississippi to Virginia and it took me about 16 hours. I don't think that's OK with a CDL.

 

[4Papa]

If you could get a residential exemption, you would definitely have to have a 'not for hire' located somewhere on the truck.

Personally I would just get the CDL. It's not very expensive compared to a stickler cop that wants to hit you with a huge fine should the law be 'interpreted wrong'.

You might have a point. An interesting can of worms I opened. I will drill down on the RMV regs. Thanks again guys.

 

[DK35vince]

Easy to write.
CDL cost $$ to get MAY increase your insurance and makes you abide by a whole new set of rules.

CDL's also include needing driver phisicals, and then there are the random drug test and alcohol breathalizer tests that come with it.

 

[madmax12]

Well, if ryder and uhaul can register their vehicles for a lesser GVW... Maybe the OP can too?

I agree that if the only reason the OP got a CDL is to drive a truck for personal use, that would be bringing with it a lot of baggage.

 

[WM75Guy]

In Texas any vehicle 26001 GVWR and up requires a Class B. There is a Class B CDL and a Class B Non-CDL operators for the 6 exempt vehicles listed, such as farm use with the 150 mile radius, firefighting, RV, etc. The written and the driving test are the same, you do not need the medical or get any endorsements such as airbrakes with the Non-CDL. You must take the driving test in a vehicle 26001 GVWR or higher. Someone with the proper license must drive the vehicle to the testing station and yes they do check that.

 

[Rock knocker]

CDL's also include needing driver phisicals, and then there are the random drug test and alcohol breathalizer tests that come with it.

Which are enforced at the employer level, thereby if you are not a professional driver either employed by a company or self-employed, this would not be a requirement.

 

[Rock knocker]

When u r moving yourself or friends, u can rent a class b truck with no truck experience at all. Ryder, u haul... Perhaps u could ask them a few questions and compare your new truck ratings with the ones they rent out to college kids.

They get away with this by registering the trucks for a max of 25999 lbs, even though mechanically they can carry more.

Actually, probably not. This used to be a common dodge, but the rules have been tightened in many if not all states, and trucks must now be licensed for at least as much as their name-tag GVW.

If and how rental companies rent >26K lbs trucks, I do not know. From past experience, I know that the rental fleets have large amounts of voluminous box trucks rated at 25,999 lbs.

But getting back to the initial premise, here are the Federal regulations:
Definitions. - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
which clearly define a commercial vehicle as one based on the manufacturers GVW and one working in commerce. There used to be a huge variation in chauffeur license requirements throughout the states, but the US Federal Motor Carrier Administration and the DOT, using interstate commerce as their leve, have made these much more uniform. This effort started during the Reagan administration.

 

[Texan4Life]

I would first see about registering it at 25,999 lbs. If you can, do it and avoid the hassles that come with a CDL. I don't know if it is because im young, but I get the book thrown at me with no leeway if i get pulled over in my personal vehicle compared to when i didn't have a CDL. Also the judges gave me no leeway aswell even with legal representation. So I'm at 2 strikes already. And they were honest mistakes. I get made fun of all the time cuz I drive the speed limit everywhere.

I have yet to be pulled over in a truck tho. And yeah any tickets in your personal vehicle count against the CDL, 3 violations and it gets suspended. I think the count resets after 3yrs.
If you do get a CDL (or others that have them) I highly recommend getting a membership with Drivers Legal.

 

[Cat_Driver]

I don't think Uhaul etc are registering lower than rated - they can't. Only way is if they DE-RATE the vehicle.

Uhaul shoes a Gross vehicle weight: 20,000 lbs. max. as their MAX size truck.
Penske is under unless you go commercial truck rental.
Enterprise shows 9,000 to 11,000 lbs. payload on their 26 footer. So the GVW would be under also.

I don't believe they are registering class B trucks under their DVW - what would be the upside. They don't want the general population to haul heavy loads any way.

 

[madmax12]

I would first see about registering it at 25,999 lbs. If you can, do it and avoid the hassles that come with a CDL. I don't know if it is because im young, but I get the book thrown at me with no leeway if i get pulled over in my personal vehicle compared to when i didn't have a CDL. Also the judges gave me no leeway aswell even with legal representation. So I'm at 2 strikes already. And they were honest mistakes. I get made fun of all the time cuz I drive the speed limit everywhere.

I have yet to be pulled over in a truck tho. And yeah any tickets in your personal vehicle count against the CDL, 3 violations and it gets suspended. I think the count resets after 3yrs.
If you do get a CDL (or others that have them) I highly recommend getting a membership with Drivers Legal.

Excellent points. The rules keep changing. In the last decade, the log book / hours of service / sleep rules have changed a few times. The whole TWIC program is another challenge if u r transporting via ports.

And the CDL applying to personal vehicle use is another thing most don't realize. Potentially, that was the best point on the thread for the OP. Having a CDL forces him under a much stricter standard / penalty... Even if he is on his motorcycle.

Excellent post, Texan4Life.