RickG

A lot here is hard to believe and I don't accept any of it until somebody produces the regulations . The type of fuel doesn't have and won't have anything to do with log books . Log book requirements are determined by the weight of the vehicle , miles driven , and type of cargo . Expedite drivers of gas powered cargo vans under 10,000 lbs GVW are required to log when hauling hazmat .
If you operate in your home state and don't cross state lines FMCSA has no authority over you .

chaikwa

That's the goal... AGAIN. That was the goal when the whole CDL structure was implemented and you can see how successful that was!

How do you figure you're going to get screwed? Fees may be going up, yes. But auto fees are going to increase as well, no one is going to be exempt from price increases. They may start with trucks, but when they realize there are more cars on the road than trucks because the new truck fees haven't kept up with their rate of spending, then they'll raise fees on cars. If it's just the safety equipment that you might be required to carry in your truck, you should have that stuff anyway.

Yes, I agree. When you see it in writing and it's costing you money, THAT'S when you can start believing! I too have heard the diesel fuel rumor, but I haven't been asked to read anything that pertains to it, only things regarding weight issues.

chaikwa.

annabelle

I hope it is false. I pass by a weigh station 1 to 3 times a day just here at home. It will be a hassle if any of it comes to pass.

rich

I am begining to wonder if this something that just new mexico is trying to pass for the state. theonly people that are saying this stuff live their and only talk to their officials. everyone else has not heard anything nor have the law people we talk to said anything. i know everytime i go into nm i alwys have to pay extra stuff that i dont pay in other statesso maybe this is where ya'll are getting your info

annabelle

They claim it will be nation wide.........I don't know.

CD in NM

Rich.

One thing I can say for New Mexico is that our State Gov attempts to be as transparent as possible, and we DO get a lot of heads up on things out of our legislature that may, in the future, impact us.

When it comes to the DOT stuff, New Mexico's laws parallel those of the fed DOT very precisely. So, maybe it is not that New Mexico is doing some State DOT thing differently than the fed, but maybe more that New Mexico is trying to stay on track with the fed, and it is other states that are lagging behind in changing their laws and informing their citizens. Our DOT people, our State Police, our County Sheriffs people, ALL of them are friendly, like to tell us what's going on, they like us to be informed and I also think that they like our feedback.

As far as my own particluar circumstances in being timely to what commercial laws I would have to comply with in 2010 - I am already there, I have all the necessary gear, the right drivers license, the medical card - even all of my chains and straps meet the FED DOT requirements.

The only thing that I would be lacking right at this very moment would be the tools in hand to change my license plate to the new truck plate I will have to run when it becomes the requirement.

Even IF the new laws take another year to come to pass, I will still already have all the equipment I have now, and again a year further down the line I will just have to get my tools in hand to change my plate. I already PAY the correct amount of registration for my weight class, I didn't try the game of lighten my load and get a weight ticket to support some lesser fee, instead I went the direction to just pay for the max and not have to look back and worry about some roadside scale biting me in the butt because my registration didn't support my load at the time I would be being pulled over.

IF the registration fees increase in cost, I will just pay that amount, keep driving down the road with the usual big smile on my face that comes with driving my Cummins powered truck. Truthfully, the only reason I ever bother sharing any information on these kind of threads is to let people know about some experience I've had or to put out what may be very good information about something coming that we all should be looking out for. The best part is, I really don't care if someone else gets bit in the butt, it is all of our responsibility to go down the road as leagal as the laws require, and IF people don't take that responsibility to get it right, the ticket is on them.

CD

rich

i have dealt with the scale houses in nm and their permiting and fuel request do not parallel the fed's. i deal with the txdot it seems like on a monthly basis due to roadside inspection stops. As far as any registration unless you run multiple states the fed's don't have anything to do with it even the multiple states registration fee's have limited fed involvlement. as far as fuel taxes when i run my ifta paperwork the tax money goes to the states not the fed. i am asked how many miles in each state and how much fuel is consumed and purchased. the medical card is only required for cdl drivers above 26k, crossing state lines or if you where born after 1970. a lot of what ya'll are saying is based on the fact of what your state guys are telling you not any fed dot guys. as a trucking company owner i get and have to be up to date on trucking rules and regs and some of these that are being stated that are coming out of nm i have not read or heard so much as a peep about. a lot of the regisration you are talking about i believe is your state raising money for themselves

CD in NM

I moved here from Pennsylvania 7 years ago. I can tell you that IN Pennsylvania I was required to run a truck plate. I do not remember how PA's truck plates were weight classed, and at that time I had a gasser for a pickup, so I have no information about what differences might have been between the two non-commercial truck levels or if there was one regarding gas vrs diesel, and I have really NO idea about anything commercial as I am not commercial and never have been.

I HAVE spoken with FED DOT guys, in fact, they are the people who first sent the flag up my pole about all this stuff eventually coming into play down the line in 2010, the same as annabelle has spoken of year-wise. My State DOT guys pretty much confirmed the same year, and also my state DMV. That's 3 out of 3 all saying stuff that parallels the other guy. If the guys in Texas are not talking about this stuff, we then, they are not talking about this stuff and people would not have any reason to consider it.

As far as the LEGAL issues when I go into other states, I am pretty much as a non-commercial vehicle bound to actually know what each states laws are regarding my non-commercial vehicle and operate accordingly. When you sign the bottom line of your drivers license it DOES include that intent - spirit of the law, yadda-yadda.

When it comes to FED DOT laws, that puts me in the GRAY area of who's in charge, state or fed, and both could be barking up my tailpipe in a road side check. How am I supposed to know ANY of this stuff??? They surely don't go out of their way to see that we the public are informed about non-commercial things and when we might be crossing the line??? And as far as I see it getting information from the fed, state, and local authorities certainly has some weight and bearing, even if it is future speculation about what's to come.

I have gone the xtra distance in getting an annual physical and carrying the medical card, it is not a requirement for my non-commercial drivers license that gives me the ability to gross over 26001 and pull beyond the 10K limit of a regular license. I was born 20 years before that 1970 reference point, but still got that card/physical because it is to me just a good practice to have it. I have also gone the xtra distance in carrying a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, flashlight, safety triangles, and having the DOT approved/required chains and straps.

I figure if/when the time comes for all of us to HAVE to comply with this stuff, no biggie, as I am already compliant, I will have to do nothing but keep going down the raod same as always. BUT mark my words WE WILL HAVE TO COMPLY SOMEDAY IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE as it IS coming.

I know nothing about the scale houses and permitting for commercial vehicles in NM. I did go to a local DOT scale and have my vehicle weighed, my curiosity came into play. But then, if I had to prove what my truck actually weighs, I DO have that record and it could come in handy possibly, who knows?

I really do not care to know stuff that doesn't apply, if they change the laws and force me to have to comply at a commercial level I will make certain that I have a copy of the laws pertinent to my situation and will comply precisely to them. But so far, it is my understanding that we will have to have a truck plate that is designated non-commercial, ie for private use ONLY if that is who we are in the use of our trucks. IF/when that time comes, I will get the correct plate, and I will get the correct publication from the correct agency that has relative information regarding my non-commercial vehicle and make sure I am in compliance.

Right now, all my trailers are marked NOT FOR HIRE. If I didn't have that 'private use' designation/indicator on them, I would have to stop in the livestock checks when pulling my horse trailer or stock trailer. I only know about putting the 'not for hire' on my trailers because right after I moved here to NM I drove right past a livestock check point thinking it was for commercial trucks transporting livestock and I got pulled over about a half mile past that checkpoint. The officer asked me why I didn't pull in, everyone except those who letter the 'not for hire'/private use have to stop.

He was very nice to me, he fully explained the NM laws, I got the lettering pronto. That was a NM State Trooper talking NM laws regarding livestock. I have no idea about any other states laws and livestock, just that one time experience I had. Since then I have learned about other livestock laws that exist from county to county and believe me, all these laws about all this stuff are enough to drive you crazy, I just want to get stuff right, be prepared for the future and go down the road with my usual big smile driving my truck.

CD

annabelle

Problem is not all highways are State highways. Alot of them are Fed owned.

CD in NM

That's right anabelle, I live just a couple miles off of US-380, which IS a fed highway, 25 miles to my east on US-380 is US-70, another fed highway. Then, 20 miles to my west, NM-54, a state highway. Up to Ruidoso is NM-48, state highway.

Those DOT checks I keep seeing just south of Tularosa are on US-70, fed highway AND fed DOT checkpoint/employees. Of course just close to 100 miles south is a border check area, everyone has to stop there, then add to the mix the border patrol agents, they have another set of rules.


CD

annabelle

Yeah, any where I go it's on I-10, I-25, US 70, and US 54.......all Fed highways. I thought 54 was FED. but maybe I'm wrong.

CD in NM

54 COULD ??? be a fed highway, but it has the NM prefix, I thought the feds have either 'US' or 'I' as a designation. Something like 65% fed money in NM-54 when they built it, matching dollar thing. I read that a couple/three years ago when they got money for those passing lanes down near Tulie that they did. Supposed to go from a 2-lane to a 4-lane from Santa Rosa to El Paso over the next 5 years, fed money in place, state money gets spent when the do whatever sections at a time.

Have you been on that stretch they are working on just north of Corona lately, is it finally done or is it still miles of barriers? VERY dangerous throughout that area, been lots of accidents due to the narrow limitation of 10' lanes.

CD

annabelle

You are most likely correct. They were doing alot of work between Carrascosa and Santa Rosa.

rfeiller

it really becomes a problem trying to comply with two different residences in two different states.
like CD while in CA I meet all of the requirements for this state and the DOT as enforced here. i just don't like looking over my shoulder in fear of the axe falling, it tends to fall at the worst times. a few hundred now saves a few thousand if caught.
like everyone else, i don't like the regs or the fees required, especially to own a 5500, would never have bought it if i had known.

rfeiller

it really becomes a problem trying to comply with two different residences in two different states.
like CD while in CA I meet all of the requirements for this state and the DOT as enforced here. i just don't like looking over my shoulder in fear of the axe falling, it tends to fall at the worst times. a few hundred now saves a few thousand if caught.
like everyone else, i don't like the regs or the fees required, especially to own a 5500, would never have bought it if i had known.