Truck & Trailer ideas to tow 14,000 and be under 26,000 pounds

[Hersheyfarm]

In the state of Florida, you do not need to go to a driving school to obtain a CDL. If you are driving for yourself, you can get the manual from the DMV and take the test. The gray area comes when you try to drive for somebody else, and need the CDL, there is a requirement for driving school, but it applies when you want to drive for somebody else not your own vehicle.

Not any more.

 

[Hersheyfarm]

As somebody said further down, Texas has a special exemption for farmers where as long as the trailer is under 20K the combination can be over 26K and still be legal without a CDL.


@EddieWalker here is one that couldwork: Used Construction, Agricultural Equip., Trucks, Trailers & more
102" wide, 25' deck, should weigh around 4200#, rated for 16,000# on the axles, so as long as your truck can handle around 2500-3000# on the gooseneck hitch you could haul your 14k backhoe on it and be just under max weight.
Looks like many of the F250/F350s can be setup to tow a 16k trailer with capacity for 2-3200# of tongue weight (15-20%) while staying under 26k GVWR if you want to not be as restricted in your driving:
2022 F250 5th wheel/gooseneck towing specs:
View attachment 782061 2022 F350 5th wheel/gooseneck towing specs:
View attachment 782063



Which many States including New York do, here are the rules for New York license classes:
https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/osss/repository/Driver License Classes.pdf

View attachment 782067

In New York, without a CDL or farm exemptions you can drive:
1. A vehicle with a GVWR of 26k or less.
2. A vehicle with a GVWR of 26k or less towing a trailer with a GVWR of 10k or less.
3. A combination of vehicles with a trailer that has a GVWR of more than 10k IF the combined GCWR is less than 26k.

Aaron Z

That trailer would haul it, but technically not legal. Cant guess at a trailers weight to figure out payload and you cant go over a trailer rated payload capacity (gvwr - actual weight) no matter what you transfer to tow vehicle. Trust me, i want to be able to do it, but it’s not legal. You could take a 20k rated trailer that weighs 5k, derate it to 10k and you would never be able to legally haul more than 5k on it. I think the fines are per lb over Capacity like a speeding ticket. Again, this is if you are commercial,ie in business. They may pull over a private driver for overloading, who knows.

by the way, that New York licensing chart needs to be burned. Life should not be that complicated. Just crazy.
but, are you saying New York is not a nanny state? You dont have to get a cdl just to pul a 10001lb trailer for business?

 

[Hersheyfarm]

i drew a pic! Regardless if trailer is hooked to a hitch or on its own jack, the wight is ON the trailer and the manufacturer says that is the most it can carry(payload capacity), regardless of were the weight is actually supported. Its not that the axles can only weigh so much.

 

[stumblinhorse]

Maybe, maybe not. Depends upon your state and your luck that day with the DOT officer.
I got my CDL as I found the potential ticket cost exceeded the licensing cost.
Overweight is one ticket, driving without a license is another ticket (yes if it requires a CDL and you don't have it you don't have a license to drive).
Potential vehicle impound until you get a licensed driver to move your vehicle with the correct weight tags.
And there are more tickets that they can pile on top if they want to. The ones I listed above are the minimum you are looking at.

I don’t think they are handing out $4800 fines. That is what it costs to get a CDL these days.

 

[stumblinhorse]

In the state of Florida, you do not need to go to a driving school to obtain a CDL. If you are driving for yourself, you can get the manual from the DMV and take the test. The gray area comes when you try to drive for somebody else, and need the CDL, there is a requirement for driving school, but it applies when you want to drive for somebody else not your own vehicle.

That is a federal law. From 2/7/2022 most sites are not updated to reflect the requirements. When you call to try to take the test they will tell you it is required.

 

[stumblinhorse]

I don’t want to throw water on the farmers exclusion, but the training school guy told me that if you you are hauling stuff to sell from your farm you are not excluded. Just what he said, it will come down to the LEO that you run into I suspect. But hauling stuff around is fine. But hauling a few head of cattle to auction is not excluded.

 

[MGP4506]

I don’t think they are handing out $4800 fines. That is what it costs to get a CDL these days.

The tow bill for a tractor trailer alone can be over $1,000 per time. Not to mention you would still have to go through the school to get your license and pay. You would save your fines and tow.

 

[stumblinhorse]

The tow bill for a tractor trailer alone can be over $1,000 per time. Not to mention you would still have to go through the school to get your license and pay. You would save your fines and tow.

I won’t need a tow. I will just grab a 1/2 ton pickup and pull the trailer home completely overloading that truck, and be legal…. But 1,000 a pop gives me a lot of years to risk it.

 

[MGP4506]

I won’t need a tow. I will just grab a 1/2 ton pickup and pull the trailer home completely overloading that truck, and be legal…. But 1,000 a pop gives me a lot of years to risk it.

Yeah for some reason I don't think the police would allow you to do that.

 

[stumblinhorse]

Yeah for some reason I don't think the police would allow you to do that.

Not literally overloading. But with the 1500 they can only do anything about the actual weight not the rating. I can easily pull my 18k equipment trailer with the 1500. I can even put a bunch of stuff on it. But empty with the 18k trailer I am illegal on a 3500 without a CDL. Brilliant. I am gonna swap the 3500 on an older straight axle 2500 and stop thinking about this issue.