Stopping at weight scales
08-23-2005, 06:04 AM
#16
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Originally posted by RickCJ
If you run commercial. You must stop at the scales.
If you run private, you don't need to stop.
Regardless of weight.
I run private up to 26k and never stop at the scales, I know a couple people that did stop and caught heck for stopping!
Herb,
Hauling all those carriages on that big trailer you definately look commercial. Simpler and cheaper to keep your operation private. You are just taking your carriages to a show, not delivering them to a customer!
You must still obey the weight limits. DOT can stop and check you anytime and if you are involved in an accident and overweight you will be at fault.
Just weigh your rig on the scales and make sure your axle weight and gvw weight are within the limits. The axle weight is posted on the driver door and the trailer weight is posted on the vin tag. You also must be registered for the weight you are hauling. If your truck is 8800 gvw and trailer is 14000 gvw you must be registered for 22,800.
I'm registered for 26k and pay $405 per year. You should be some where near that. Over 17,000 you also need a medical card.
If you are commercial you also need commercial insurance, $10,000 year. You must keep logs and all the other ...... that goes with it.
If you run commercial. You must stop at the scales.
If you run private, you don't need to stop.
Regardless of weight.
I run private up to 26k and never stop at the scales, I know a couple people that did stop and caught heck for stopping!
Herb,
Hauling all those carriages on that big trailer you definately look commercial. Simpler and cheaper to keep your operation private. You are just taking your carriages to a show, not delivering them to a customer!
You must still obey the weight limits. DOT can stop and check you anytime and if you are involved in an accident and overweight you will be at fault.
Just weigh your rig on the scales and make sure your axle weight and gvw weight are within the limits. The axle weight is posted on the driver door and the trailer weight is posted on the vin tag. You also must be registered for the weight you are hauling. If your truck is 8800 gvw and trailer is 14000 gvw you must be registered for 22,800.
I'm registered for 26k and pay $405 per year. You should be some where near that. Over 17,000 you also need a medical card.
If you are commercial you also need commercial insurance, $10,000 year. You must keep logs and all the other ...... that goes with it.
08-23-2005, 08:05 AM
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In PA if your trailer is over 10,000 gvw you must register it along with the trucks gvw. I'm sure MI is the same way.
You'd better hope you don't ever get stopped! I can't believe you don't know any of this.
You'd better hope you don't ever get stopped! I can't believe you don't know any of this.
08-23-2005, 03:05 PM
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in my 33rd year of delivering these carriages nationwide and have never been challenged until this past year. so until know i have never had the "need to Know"
08-23-2005, 04:40 PM
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LOL.....You guys in the states have it rough!!! No need too do that here in canada. I know for sure here in alberta I am allowed too pull 42000# with my truck, and GVW has no bearing, just axle weights. The same holds true for private and commercial here.
08-24-2005, 11:59 AM
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Herb, sending you a PM, also, you might look into painting your door or haveing a door magnet made up with your company name. Your hauling commercial, so you're required advertise your name. I like the idea of "office" or "tool shed" on the door of the trailer.
08-24-2005, 04:32 PM
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Originally posted by Redleg
Herb, sending you a PM, also, you might look into painting your door or haveing a door magnet made up with your company name. Your hauling commercial, so you're required advertise your name. I like the idea of "office" or "tool shed" on the door of the trailer.
Herb, sending you a PM, also, you might look into painting your door or haveing a door magnet made up with your company name. Your hauling commercial, so you're required advertise your name. I like the idea of "office" or "tool shed" on the door of the trailer.
taking these carriages to "display" at horse shows ect. , not for sale---still commercial ?
08-24-2005, 04:38 PM
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As long as no money changes hands or anything of any value to include services are not rendered in trade you are not commercial. Had to check this out for my trailer rental company and how it applied to my truck and that is what the Secretary Of States Office told me.
08-24-2005, 04:50 PM
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Hauling your "own" buggy to a non-trade show like an antique show, then no. Advertising models, then yeah, I think you'd be pushing it. The guys I told you about can give you a good idea on what they normally check for and opnions on the "gray areas".
08-24-2005, 06:41 PM
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Originally posted by RickCJ
If you run commercial. You must stop at the scales.
If you run private, you don't need to stop.
Regardless of weight.
I run private up to 26k and never stop at the scales, I know a couple people that did stop and caught heck for stopping!
If you run commercial. You must stop at the scales.
If you run private, you don't need to stop.
Regardless of weight.
I run private up to 26k and never stop at the scales, I know a couple people that did stop and caught heck for stopping!
08-24-2005, 06:52 PM
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Originally posted by hovisimo
in OH the signs say all vehicles over 10,000lbs must stop.
in OH the signs say all vehicles over 10,000lbs must stop.
Like I said earlier, that means commercial vehicles over 10,000. I travel OH all the time! No need to stop if private, ever see any motor homes or big campers stop? Just commercial must stop. OH is where he caught heck!
08-24-2005, 09:26 PM
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I'm trying to figure out what you guys mean by "registering for 20,000", etc. In your states, do you have to reg. the TV planning in advance what kind of trailer you will be towing...for example, have it listed on the trucks's reg. what the combined truck and trailer weight will be?
Here in N.H. we register the truck to the rated GVW listed on the door. No more, although some towns will allow you to go less to save $$$ on reg. We reg. the trailer the same way, but we don't need a rating...we reg. it for whatever we want. The laws for weight here are that the overall weight of the truck with the trailer hooked up can't be more than it was registered for, and the individual axle weights can't be more than whats posted on the door plates.
There is also an overall limit that doesn't really pertain to the registered weight, which is GCWR, but I won't go into that here.
Jim
Here in N.H. we register the truck to the rated GVW listed on the door. No more, although some towns will allow you to go less to save $$$ on reg. We reg. the trailer the same way, but we don't need a rating...we reg. it for whatever we want. The laws for weight here are that the overall weight of the truck with the trailer hooked up can't be more than it was registered for, and the individual axle weights can't be more than whats posted on the door plates.
There is also an overall limit that doesn't really pertain to the registered weight, which is GCWR, but I won't go into that here.
Jim
08-25-2005, 08:51 AM
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Originally posted by NHDiesel
I'm trying to figure out what you guys mean by "registering for 20,000", etc. In your states, do you have to reg. the TV planning in advance what kind of trailer you will be towing...for example, have it listed on the trucks's reg. what the combined truck and trailer weight will be?
Here in N.H. we register the truck to the rated GVW listed on the door. No more, although some towns will allow you to go less to save $$$ on reg. We reg. the trailer the same way, but we don't need a rating...we reg. it for whatever we want. The laws for weight here are that the overall weight of the truck with the trailer hooked up can't be more than it was registered for, and the individual axle weights can't be more than whats posted on the door plates.
There is also an overall limit that doesn't really pertain to the registered weight, which is GCWR, but I won't go into that here.
Jim
I'm trying to figure out what you guys mean by "registering for 20,000", etc. In your states, do you have to reg. the TV planning in advance what kind of trailer you will be towing...for example, have it listed on the trucks's reg. what the combined truck and trailer weight will be?
Here in N.H. we register the truck to the rated GVW listed on the door. No more, although some towns will allow you to go less to save $$$ on reg. We reg. the trailer the same way, but we don't need a rating...we reg. it for whatever we want. The laws for weight here are that the overall weight of the truck with the trailer hooked up can't be more than it was registered for, and the individual axle weights can't be more than whats posted on the door plates.
There is also an overall limit that doesn't really pertain to the registered weight, which is GCWR, but I won't go into that here.
Jim
I know a lot of people in PA that just think you hook your 1/2 ton up to the biggest trailer you can find and as long as it will pull it they are fine. They have been cracking down on boaters and campers, and just recently they DOT have been checking the stock car racers, boy that bunch are the worst ones.
Can anyone other than PA chime in about the laws in there state!
Rick
08-25-2005, 09:24 AM
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Jim/Herb: Some states will say you register the truck for the max gross combination weight, say, 26000. In NJ you would register the truck (8800), then the trailer whatever the max GVW of that trailer is... up to 17200--if you want to stay under 26000.
Herb, You could lie and say you are bringing it just for showing but it might bite back at you when they get to ask other questions... so where is this show? what do you do for a living, etc. You could also play dumb... "I didn't know I needed to do this, I only deliver one them once or twice a year as a vacation."
If you go "fully legal" it is a can of worms really... I will post my TO DO list later on and it's about a mile long!
Herb, You could lie and say you are bringing it just for showing but it might bite back at you when they get to ask other questions... so where is this show? what do you do for a living, etc. You could also play dumb... "I didn't know I needed to do this, I only deliver one them once or twice a year as a vacation."
If you go "fully legal" it is a can of worms really... I will post my TO DO list later on and it's about a mile long!
08-25-2005, 09:44 AM
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If you go "fully legal" it is a can of worms really... I will post my TO DO list later on and it's about a mile long! [/B][/QUOTE] This is why I tried to steer you {Herb} to go in on your own to your local or state office to find out what all is involved, it is extensive as njoverkill states, but don't let it cause you to make a grave mistake and get into trouble by not doing it legal. There are overkill on regulations, medical physicals for you, drug testing, commercial insurance, commercial tags,logbooks, driving restrictions on hours you drive, etc., etc. I don't know your buisness as in how many times you deliver or if it is weekly etc. So you might even find out that it is more expensive and a headache and have them delivered by someone else. If you do go and find out all the info let us know. Goodluck,,,Rick
08-25-2005, 10:09 AM
#30
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I'm a commercial driver & I was always under the asumtion that if you were hauling your own personal belongings from one place to another you were not required to stop at the scales. Exception would be if you were hauling for hire, you were hauling something that was sold to a customer, making $$. I would put a sign on my truck NOT FOR HIRE. Now that you put that sleeper on your trailer it's going to draw the D.O.T. attention. Like others have said check with the department of transportation in Michigan to be above board.