You need a CDL if your trailer if over 10,000# !!

[JHardwick]

read this guys website

 

[Pavemen]

Right from the Commercial Driver's License Program (CDL/CDLIS) - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website

"Drivers need CDLs if they are in interstate, intrastate, or foreign commerce and drive a vehicle that meets one of the following definitions of a CMV:"

If you are not for hire or otherwise making money from what you are transporting (haul for hire or towing your race car you race for a purse or trophy), then you are okay as long as you are within the regular licensing requirements.

Also, the part that says:

" Class A -- Any combination of vehicles with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds. "

does not mean that "if your trailer is over 10k" but "if your trailer is over 10k AND your power unit is 26k or more" then you need a Class A CDL

in CA you can pull a 15,500lb trailer as long as its within vehicle specs and a 5th or goose with your regular Class C

 

[JHardwick]

Yeah, I know ... .....



The FMCSA site says "provided"

The Ohio DMV site says "as long as"

And he changed it to read "OR IF" on his website.



We went back and forth in about 20 emails, and he finally added the FMCSA statement in red, but left "OR IF" in his original statement.



Here is one of the emails I sent him, am I reading this wrong? ... ... ... .



Buck,

read these 2 in succession ... ... .....



Class A -- Any combination of vehicles with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.



Class B -- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of 10,000 pounds GVWR.



take 2 combination vehicles, both with a 29,000# GVWR



a)9,000# truck and 20,000# trailer



b)27,000# truck and 2,000# trailer





truck "a" requires a Class A CDL



truck "b" requires a Class B CDL



This is why the 10,000# trailer clause is added to the regulations, not to require a CDL for any trailer over 10,000#. 26,001# is still the benchmark.

 

[steved]

Actually, if you operated a Yugo commercially you need a CDL CLass "C"...

The whole point of the CDL and Commercial Liscensing is that, you are operating for profit... that's how RVs are exempt that you know are well over CDL class limits.

steved

 

[Pavemen]

Yeah, I know ... .....

The FMCSA site says "provided"
The Ohio DMV site says "as long as"
And he changed it to read "OR IF" on his website.

We went back and forth in about 20 emails, and he finally added the FMCSA statement in red, but left "OR IF" in his original statement.

Here is one of the emails I sent him, am I reading this wrong? ... ... ... .

Buck,
read these 2 in succession ... ... .....

Class A -- Any combination of vehicles with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.

Class B -- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of 10,000 pounds GVWR.

take 2 combination vehicles, both with a 29,000# GVWR

a)9,000# truck and 20,000# trailer

b)27,000# truck and 2,000# trailer


truck "a" requires a Class A CDL

truck "b" requires a Class B CDL

This is why the 10,000# trailer clause is added to the regulations, not to require a CDL for any trailer over 10,000#. 26,001# is still the benchmark.

you are interchanging GCWR and GVWR. GVWR is the rating for a specific peice of equipment (e. g. the power unit only or the trailer only). GCWR is the power unit plus the trailer.

So you need a Class A to drive a 'big rig' tractor trailer setup. You only need a Class B to drive a tractor by itself

In your example of truck a) the 20k trailer alone requires a Class A of some type (regular or non-commercial).

The 9,000# truck and a 15,000# trailer, at least in CA, does not require anything special as long as its not commercial.

 

[GAmes]

Actually, if you operated a Yugo commercially you need a CDL CLass "C"...



The whole point of the CDL and Commercial Liscensing is that, you are operating for profit... that's how RVs are exempt that you know are well over CDL class limits.



steved

Where do you guys come up with this stuff? I, and many others, use our Dodges for commercial purposes and are not required to have a CDL of any kind as long as our GCWRs or GVWRs (kind of difficult with a pick-up) do not exceed 26,000 pounds.

 

[JHardwick]

Class C -- Any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials.

 

[JHardwick]

you are interchanging GCWR and GVWR.

No I'm not, it says ... ... .....



Any combination of vehicles with a GVWR of 26,001

 

[Pavemen]

No I'm not, it says ... ... .....

Any combination of vehicles with a GVWR of 26,001

mea cupla, i took part of your post out of context.

 

[GAmes]

No I'm not, it says ... ... .....



Any combination of vehicles with a GVWR of 26,001

Exactly. GCWR-Gross COMBINATION Weight Rating. So the adding of the GVWRs of the tow vehicle and trailer is the GCWR. If the trailers GVWR is over 10,000 pounds AND the GCWR is over 26,000 pounds you need a Class A CDL if operating commercially (and in some states non-commercially). Since the GVWR of my 97 is 10,500 I can tow trailers with GVWRs up to 15,500 using my class C non-commercial license legally, and I do.

 

[JHardwick]

Has anybody figured out how to get 16 people in a Yugo?

 

[JHardwick]

Exactly. GCWR-Gross COMBINATION Weight Rating. So the adding of the GVWRs of the tow vehicle and trailer is the GCWR. If the trailers GVWR is over 10,000 pounds AND the GCWR is over 26,000 pounds you need a Class A CDL if operating commercially (and in some states non-commercially). Since the GVWR of my 97 is 10,500 I can tow trailers with GVWRs up to 15,500 using my class C non-commercial license legally, and I do.

Well, that is why this guys sites burns me.



I operate commercially with a DOT, but no CDL.



He is spreading crap to my prospective clients by saying that I need a CDL, and not to hire any company with out a CDL driver.

 

[GAmes]

Well, that is why this guys sites burns me.



I operate commercially with a DOT, but no CDL.



He is spreading crap to my prospective clients by saying that I need a CDL, and not to hire any company with out a CDL driver.

That is the unfortunate side of the internet. A lot of mis-information is spread and if repeated enough it is believed. Look at how many people believe that the D/A combo is just as effective in tow/haul as a diesel (of any kind) with an exhaust brake. The only way to combat it, for you, would be to produce a fact sheet with links to the different states DMVs showing that just because a trailer has a weight rating above 10,000 doesn't automattically mean that the driver of the tow vehicle requires a CDL.

 

[DonTX]

You cannot. You must get their bigger model, called a "WeGo"

Has anybody figured out how to get 16 people in a Yugo?

 

[DonTX]

You must first of all realize that the CDL is a FEDERAL requirement for commercial vehicles. Each state is charged with making laws that comply, they can make ANY vehicle need a CDL in their state, but they cannot REDUCE the requirements of the Feds. Therein lies the reason we get different views from different states.

In general, if you are hauling commercially, you need a CDL to be competitive and in compliance with each state. The GVWR 26001 rule is only ONE of several definitions. .

 

[steved]

Class C -- Any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that does not meet the definition of Class A or Class B, but is either designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver, or is placarded for hazardous materials.

My PA license did have all the classes at one point, but the newer one doesn't list them all... a Class C (as shown on the old license) was anything LESS than 26,000 and not towing more than 10k. There was no stipulation on passengers...



I get accused of making a bunch of stuff up on this site... but as it was, ALL the guys in my old company were required to have a CDL, whether a Class A, B or C. And that was for a drilling company... maybe it was for the hazmat as we had 100-gallon fuel tanks on the trucks for tranfer tanks.



steved

 

[DCreed]

if you're considering reliability it's "FEWGO"!! LOL!

 

[steved]

if you're considering reliability it's "FEWGO"!! LOL!

Of all the cheap cars, its one I haven't seen on the road in a few years... I think the last time I saw one was pre-98...



steved

 

[steved]

You must first of all realize that the CDL is a FEDERAL requirement for commercial vehicles. Each state is charged with making laws that comply, they can make ANY vehicle need a CDL in their state, but they cannot REDUCE the requirements of the Feds. Therein lies the reason we get different views from different states.

In general, if you are hauling commercially, you need a CDL to be competitive and in compliance with each state. The GVWR 26001 rule is only ONE of several definitions. .

IIRC, as long as you are say, licensed in TX and your meet TX criteria for a CDL, then it reciprocates to another state (even if they are more stringent on CDLs)...



I don't know about other places, but we have a separate "school bus" endorsement for buses and vehicles designed for multiple passengers.



steved

 

[JHardwick]

nahh... ..... I just check FLA law, says the same as FED LAW... .....



Class A: Commercial motor vehicles - trucks or truck combinations weighing with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 26,001 lbs. or more, provided towed vehicle is more than 10,000 lbs.