Understanding Curb Weight, GVWR, Towing and CDL requirements

[Fixastuff]

Got a good trade in $ for my 14500gvwr 2008 f450, switching to a Cummins ram 2500 with 10000gvwr.

 

[Hay Dude]

Got a good trade in $ for my 14500gvwr 2008 f450, switching to a Cummins ram 2500 with 10000gvwr.

Pulls strong. You’ll love it.

 

[LD1]

Got a good trade in $ for my 14500gvwr 2008 f450, switching to a Cummins ram 2500 with 10000gvwr.

One is legal with a 16k trailer without a CDL. The other cannot even tow a 12k without weeks of training and thousands of dollars spent....

Guess which is which

 

[Hay Dude]

One is legal with a 16k trailer without a CDL. The other cannot even tow a 12k without weeks of training and thousands of dollars spent....

Guess which is which

We hear your beef with the CDL.

I think the issue here is they don’t want to create additional categories, although they should.
IMO, they should have some kind of “landscapers/excavator” license, but then someone would complain they can’t pull xx,xxx lbs of weight with that.

The problem started when GM created the 3500HD back in the 90’s. It had a 15,000lb GVWR and could tow a 10K trailer. The came Ford and later Ram with their versions. This created a new category of trucks that were useful, but not fully useful unless you had a CDL.

The current categories are too broad and somewhat vague. Hopefully something changes to include these 4500/5500 trucks that have been around for 25+ years, but don’t hold your breath. The G_______ has more immediate issues to resolve.

 

[two_bit_score]

The G_______ has more immediate issues to resolve.

Yeah, they are still trying to decide what pronouns to use.

 

[aczlan]

MO, they should have some kind of “landscapers/excavator” license, but then someone would complain they can’t pull xx,xxx lbs of weight with that.

The problem started when GM created the 3500HD back in the 90’s. It had a 15,000lb GVWR and could tow a 10K trailer. The came Ford and later Ram with their versions. This created a new category of trucks that were useful, but not fully useful unless you had a CDL.

The current categories are too broad and somewhat vague. Hopefully something changes to include these 4500/5500 trucks that have been around for 25+ years, but don’t hold your breath. The G_______ has more immediate issues to resolve

36-45k GCWR with endorsements like a CDL and call it a Class D?
Just move the CDL limit to there?
While I don't particularly want the average idiot on the road to be pulling that much weight, I'd rather they be pulling that much weight in a modern dually versus a overloaded 3/4 ton.
If you compare the skill level needed to drive a truck that can pull that kind of weight now versus what was needed back then, I would argue that the weight limit should be moved up, to either 36k or 45k GCWR.
You can already legally gross 36k GCWR in pretty much every state, let's make it legal to gross that much no matter if your trailer is rated for 10k or 20k.

Aaron Z

 

[Fixastuff]

Pulls strong. You’ll love it.

So far so good. I've moved the heavy plow and bobcat e50 with it and it's done well.

 

[Omega Woods]

So far so good. I've moved the heavy plow and bobcat e50 with it and it's done well.

What trailer are you using for your E50? I'm thinking of getting a similar excavator.

 

[Hay Dude]

36-45k GCWR with endorsements like a CDL and call it a Class D?
Just move the CDL limit to there?
While I don't particularly want the average idiot on the road to be pulling that much weight, I'd rather they be pulling that much weight in a modern dually versus a overloaded 3/4 ton.
If you compare the skill level needed to drive a truck that can pull that kind of weight now versus what was needed back then, I would argue that the weight limit should be moved up, to either 36k or 45k GCWR.
You can already legally gross 36k GCWR in pretty much every state, let's make it legal to gross that much no matter if your trailer is rated for 10k or 20k.

Aaron Z

On a theoretical class D, I would probably actually lower the powered unit (truck) weight from 26,000 GVWR to 22, 000 GVWR and raise the towed unit (trailer) from 10,000 GVWR to 20,000 GVWR for a total of 42,000 GCWR. Trucks today can tow so much more and safer, too. That would blanket all the 4500/5500/6500 class trucks pretty well.

If manufacturers start raising capacities again, that could cause a problem, but at least that would give the guys without CDL’s with a mini-ex a breather for a while.

Probably would still want to make it electric brakes only, and there’s very few situations where it wouldn’t be electric brakes.

OR also include

Offer a 1-day course/exam on the above mentioned packages just to make sure the lower IQ crowd knows how to attach trailer, strapping, dunnage, checking for mechanical issues. That would satisfy the wet hens in the state G_________t that all the “redneck truckers” that landscape their mansions that we are “trained”. It should be paid for or subsidized by taxpayers, since EVERYTHING ELSE IS and it would reduce accidents, so WHY NOT?

Well, there’s my take on it. Go ahead and tear it to shreds, I really don’t give a fart. I got my CDL 30 years ago.

 

[paulsharvey]

Does noone remember the old Class-D license? Don't remember what all it covered; it wasn't a CDL, just a class of regular license. Plumbing company when I was 18, you needed a Class-D for the service box truck. I assume it covered that 12-26k range or so.

Instead of simple rolling into Class-E; they should have upped Class-D to cover 26k-44k; and moved lower end of CDL B to 44k+


Edit: This was FLa; don't know if that's Fed thing or just FLa