Pulled over for a one-ton truck pulling a water pump in CT.

[Sean2202]

Greetings,

We have a 3500 GMC one-ton single rear axle with a metal dump box at work. The truck GVWR is 11,100lbs. This is mainly a shop run around truck but do on a rare occasion pull a trailer or travel out of the state of CT pulling a trailer to pick up or drop off equipment or supplies that we have purchased or rented. We are not a commercial hauler or purchaser. The truck was driven 4k miles last year. My boss went to pick up a large diesel rented water pump on a trailer recently and was pulled over and cited for a list of items. The trailer GVWR is 5200lbs

What exactly do I / We need to be in compliance when operating said truck or pulling a trailer. I have done some research on my own with the CT DOT website. Just trying to make sure we are not missing anything.

• Does this truck need to go into weigh stations? Does it need to go into a weigh station when pulling a trailer?
• Do we need a "medical card" to operate said truck. My research said no but we have a citation for this.
• Do we need to have a USDOT number on the truck? If so where, how big etc.
• Do we need a carrier name on the truck?
• UCR fee? We have a failure to pay ticket. What is this?
• Do we need an annual inspection to operate this truck? We had this written twice. I'm assuming the second one is the trailer. Are we obligated to pay a fine for an item which the rental company did not perform?
• Do we need a fire extinguisher in the truck? Where? Citation also states "NO F/E" what is this?
• Citation for "Insufficient warning devices" Not sure even what this is? The truck is a 2023

Are there any other things that we may need that are not listed above?

Also, If we have a lawn mower on a 7x14' single axle trailer is there a minimum of how many tie downs it needs or what weight capacity the tie downs have to be?
Does there have to be specific tie down points that have weighted rate capacity on the trailer?
Would we have to have our 7x14' single axle cargo trailer inspected yearly?

My questions are just to make sure we are in compliance.

Thanks for any assistance.
Sean

 

[zzvyb6]

The (lack of) a D.O.T. registration probably got you the rest of the points. Wouldn't have needed it it you stayed in CT.

 

[Snobdds]

Next time put a "not for hire" sticker on the truck...

 

[Sean2202]

The (lack of) a D.O.T. registration probably got you the rest of the points. Wouldn't have needed it it you stayed in CT.

Do we need a registration number on a one-ton truck to cross the border without a trailer?
If we do not go out of state with the truck, do we need a DOT registration number? Do we need it in CT to pull a trailer?

 

[Sean2202]

Next time put a "not for hire" sticker on the truck...

What would this do? I see this on one ton trucks on the highway. Some have DOT numbers on them though.

 

[CliffordK]

Most of us haul personal items with personal pickup trucks. It is possible it is different if you are using it for a business.

Here in Oregon, there are two types of trailer licenses.

Under 8,000 lbs, regular trailer plate.

Over 8,000 lbs, permanent plate. With that, the trailer is part of the truck weight licensing, and it requires "T" plates on the truck.

I assume your trailer had working trailer lights, and electric brakes.

My guess is you have less than $1000 in fines and it will be easier to pay it then to fight it out of town. However, if it was a personal thing for myself, I'd be tempted to fight the charges. A lot sounds like complete BS from a junior officer that is still learning the ropes.

A good fire extinguisher is a smart idea.

 

[Snobdds]

What would this do? I see this on one ton trucks on the highway. Some have DOT numbers on them though.

It tell the enforcement cop you are not commercially hauling goods. It's not against the law for a company to haul materials for a job via trailer, nor would you need to get a CDL. If the truck and trailer are less than 26k GVWR, they shouldn't be messing with you.

I would fight it and I wouldn't care if the legal costs exceed the fine. My guess they are hoping you don't fight it.

 

[steve tym]

If it's not a commercial vehicle, as long as it passes state safety inspection, I would think you are exempt from most of the above. In Mass for a while ALL pickup trucks needed to be registered as commercial vehicles.
Warning devices are probably reflective triangle or road flares.

 

[Sean2202]

Thanks for the replies, I looked up the GVWR for the 7X14 landscape trailer and it is 2995.

One other trailer that I forgot about that we have that is primarily an onsite trailer but does see a rare over the road use is our PJ double axle dump trailer. GVWR is 14000 lbs. That puts it right at the limit unloaded if 26k is the limit non CDL.

 

[Peter 315]

Is the GMC registered with commercial plates to a company/ business?

 

[Sean2202]

If it's not a commercial vehicle, as long as it passes state safety inspection, I would think you are exempt from most of the above. In Mass for a while ALL pickup trucks needed to be registered as commercial vehicles.
Warning devices are probably reflective triangle or road flares.

The plate on the truck says "COMB" vertical on the left side.
The truck was purchased new last year. Does it need a yearly safety inspection? When I lived in NY all vehicles had safety inspections. In CT I have never had a safety inspection just emissions. Do certain vehicles need safety inspections?

 

[Sean2202]

Is the GMC registered with commercial plates to a company/ business?

It is registered with the Country Club where I work. Business. COMB vertical on the left side of the plate.

 

[Peter 315]

Any over 10,001 is commercial and you need a medical card, fire extinguisher, reflective triangles.

 

[Peter 315]

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/do-i-need-usdot-number

 

[Oaktree]

In Mass for a while ALL pickup trucks needed to be registered as commercial vehicles.

I got stopped for that there in the late 70s. The truck was a kind of ratty old pickup with a wood flat bed and I was driving on a street marked "passenger vehicles only". To add to the confusion, at the time N.H. (where I live, and where the truck was registered) had plates that designated the county, and on the registration under type of plate it said "coun" (for county) which I think the officer who stopped me misread as "comm". I did not get a ticket.

N.H. did away with county-designated plates a couple years later, and any subsequent trucks I've had were much more presentable.

Vermont has a truck plate, not sure what qualifies...I saw a tacoma once with one of those plates, so it sure wasn't GVWR rating.

 

[Snobdds]

Any over 10,001 is commercial and you need a medical card, fire extinguisher, reflective triangles.

Is that just the trailer?

Most trucks are rated higher than that for GVWR.

 

[Peter 315]

Is that just the trailer?

Most trucks are rated higher than that for GVWR.

Truck if you have a f450 or any other truck over 10,001 commercial reg you need all that crap..If reg to you personally then no.

 

[gsganzer]

Is that just the trailer?

Most trucks are rated higher than that for GVWR.

I have a 2020 F250 as my company truck. I believe a typical F250 has a GVWR of 11,400 (or greater). Mine is a Lariat "Fleet" and it has a GVWR of 10,001. I believe GM and Ram also offer fleet trucks with the derated GVWR.

 

[CliffordK]

The plate on the truck says "COMB" vertical on the left side.
The truck was purchased new last year. Does it need a yearly safety inspection? When I lived in NY all vehicles had safety inspections. In CT I have never had a safety inspection just emissions. Do certain vehicles need safety inspections?

"COMB" seems to be a Connecticut specific designation, that largely applies to pickups.

https://www.geocities.ws/ctplates/ct_comb.html

It apparently can be either commercial or non-commercial.

A lot of the other regulations will be state regulations. Oregon only has SMOG inspections in a few metro areas, and in the rest of the state, vehicles only need a VIN inspection if they have a new registration from out of state. Virtually no other inspections. At least for private vehicles.

Federal DOT requirements may be different.

 

[USMC43]

Peter315 has it correct.

You are commercial, participating in interstate commerce, and over 10,000 you need a FE, triangles, a medical card and a dot number.