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

[sandman2234]

Maybe just a California thing but CDL is required to tow over 10k unless it's a recreational trailer...

So towing my 3 axle boat trailer OK but towing my 8500lb tractor on a 2500lb tractor not ok.

Same rule applies in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina and Louisiana. I pull a trailer that is over 10K and have checked with these states before I went driving into them. Now, I actually don't need to worry about it, but I wanted to know how I would be handled if I got stopped in a state I was planning on driving in. I drive an OTR semi for a living, been in and out of most of the states since they went over to CDL's.
David from jax

 

[ultrarunner]

I know several in the horse community with beautiful trailers that ran into trouble... these are the kind with front living quarters even with the rigs being violation free they did not have the required operator license.

 

[sandman2234]

Drivers | FMCSA

Drivers have been required to have a commercial driver's license (CDL) in order to drive certain commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) since April 1, 1992. The types of vehicles and operations requiring a CDL are outlined below. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has developed...

www.fmcsa.dot.gov

Class A is 26001 with a trailer over 10,000 or if you pull a trailer over 10,000. Apparently a Prius pulling a trailer exceeding 10K will need a CDL.
I don't make the rules, I just have to follow them, as screwed up and hard to put down on paper as they are!
David from jax

 

[HayFarmer]

Drivers | FMCSA

Drivers have been required to have a commercial driver's license (CDL) in order to drive certain commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) since April 1, 1992. The types of vehicles and operations requiring a CDL are outlined below. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has developed...

www.fmcsa.dot.gov

Class A is 26001 with a trailer over 10,000 or if you pull a trailer over 10,000. Apparently a Prius pulling a trailer exceeding 10K will need a CDL.
I don't make the rules, I just have to follow them, as screwed up and hard to put down on paper as they are!
David from jax

I didn't know that. My trailer is 12,000. I am surprised I didn't get crap when it was originally inspected. I thought it was 26,000 GCVW. My truck being 9,500 + 12,000 trailer. Boy was I wrong!

 

[RandyT]

Drivers | FMCSA

Drivers have been required to have a commercial driver's license (CDL) in order to drive certain commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) since April 1, 1992. The types of vehicles and operations requiring a CDL are outlined below. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has developed...

www.fmcsa.dot.gov

Class A is 26001 with a trailer over 10,000 or if you pull a trailer over 10,000. Apparently a Prius pulling a trailer exceeding 10K will need a CDL.
I don't make the rules, I just have to follow them, as screwed up and hard to put down on paper as they are!
David from jax

From the website that you posted

Class A*: Any combination of vehicles which has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more) whichever is greater, inclusive of a towed unit(s) with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) whichever is greater.

So what part of your prius plus 10K trailer exceeds the 26,001 or more requirement for a CDL. It clearly spells out the combination must exceed 26,001 lbs with the trailer, not just the trailer exceeding 10K but the entire combination must exceed 26,001 to qualify

 

[ultrarunner]

In California it’s State Law enforced by Highway Patrol… that’s why lots of de-rated trailers here.

The Prius would also been a minimum unladen weight to tow over 6k…

 

[CliffordK]

In Oregon there is a "Light Trailer" that has a regular license and weighs under 8,000 lbs. And a "Heavy Trailer" that gets permanent plates with a gross weight of over 8,000 lbs.

For the Heavy Trailer the towing vehicle must have "T" plates and gets registered for the combination truck/trailer weight.

I haven't heard that a CDL is also required.

Oregon also has a "Weight Mile" tax with a PUC for any trucks or combinations over 26,000 lbs. And, I believe all of those do actually require a CDL. Big truck diesel has no state fuel tax.

As far as the 8,000 lb for the general trailer license, the state seems to not care if your trailer has a GVWR of 10K or so, although I suppose one could be ticketed if one is towing 2K over.

 

[CliffordK]

Something has changed with pickup manufacturing over the last few years. Almost all "half-ton" pickups are rated to tow around 10K. And "one-ton" pickups are rated to carry massive payloads and tow over 30,000 lbs. I was looking at the tow rating for my 1989 F350, and it is rather ambiguous, but I think it may be just 10K, the same as a modern half ton pickup.

Of course many of the used Equipment Trailers I see for sale have air brakes that traditionally require a CDL, but there are manufacturers that make quality heavy duty electric brake axles.

Anyway, I think it is time for Congress to write new legislation for national guidelines for towing. Probably push the limits up to 16K or so, or even 20K for trailer and 10K for the truck.

Then encourage states to follow suit.

I've been looking at small tracked equipment, and it is awfully easy to get over 10K. It has been years since Caterpillar has made a dozer under 10K, and the same for John Deere. Skid steers are picking up the slack a little, but there is still a gap for small equipment.

 

[hayden]

I think this all comes down to whether the truck use qualifies as "commercial" as defined by CT and US DOT. I don't know, but have been led to believe that it's whether you are carrying goods for hire, or goods for sale. If you are just moving your stuff, e.g. lawn mowing equipment, excavator, tractor, water pump, even if you will use that equipment to make money, I think it DOES NOT count as commercial transport in this context. This is where the "Not for Hire" sign comes into play, announcing that you are not hauling stuff for hire, but hauling it for your own use.

The OP got written up as though he were a commercial vehicle, and of course he didn't have any of the required stuff. But it doesn't sound like he was actually operating as a commercial vehicle, and the truck is always used only to haul stuff for the landscaping business, never for someone else.

Anyway, this is the detail that I'd dig into so you know for certain what's required when operating that truck.

 

[RandyT]

I think this all comes down to whether the truck use qualifies as "commercial" as defined by CT and US DOT. I don't know, but have been led to believe that it's whether you are carrying goods for hire, or goods for sale. If you are just moving your stuff, e.g. lawn mowing equipment, excavator, tractor, water pump, even if you will use that equipment to make money, I think it DOES NOT count as commercial transport in this context. This is where the "Not for Hire" sign comes into play, announcing that you are not hauling stuff for hire, but hauling it for your own use.

The OP got written up as though he were a commercial vehicle, and of course he didn't have any of the required stuff. But it doesn't sound like he was actually operating as a commercial vehicle, and the truck is always used only to haul stuff for the landscaping business, never for someone else.

Anyway, this is the detail that I'd dig into so you know for certain what's required when operating that truck.

USFMCA considers commercial as a vehicle or combination with a weight or weight rating over 10,001 lbs. with some other qualifiers, but every pickup truck including 1/2 tons could fall into that category.