3500 GVW Concerns

[mpfeiffer]

I own a 06 3500 Quad Cab DRW 4x4. The GVW of these trucks has been upped to 12,200 lbs. If you put at 14,000 GVW trailer behind this truck it puts is 200 lbs over the 26,000 lb. CDL guidlines. Does anyone have an idea why Dodge may have done this? All of the duallies I have owned though the years have had GVW's of 10,000 - 11,000. It appears that the 03-05's are 12,000 even. Any suggestions here? I would hate to buy a lesser truck to pull the trailer, as the 1 ton dually/ 7 ton GN combo has worked well for me as well as many others for years. This 200 lb increase is of no benefit that I can see. This may be a concern over nothing, just looking for everyones input.

 

[WyoJim]

You are right, it is a concern over nothing.

 

[jelag]

If you are pulling a commercial trailer you need to upgrade your license to a class A when you exceed 26,000 lbs... and if you cross state lines you need apportioned plates on the truck...

We have several trucks and trailers... . Those trucks that have a combined weight over 26K are licensed correctly and we follow the rules...

Understand that this is an understatement when I tell you that if you get caught you will pay... . ignorance of the law is not something these officers(commercial enforcement) understand.....

We often tow with our 04 a trailer that goes to 22K lbs. . with the weight of the truck and the fuel in the 120 gal tank you can see we are always over the 26K limit... .

Once you see all the expenses that this will cost you, you'll see why it costs so much to haul stuff around commercially... .

Once the truck is licensed correctly the guys at the scale houses don't give a darn what the tag on the door frame says as long as you don't exceed the weight per axle...

If this is personal stuff, and can't be considered commercial than go for it and the 26K window doesn't exist... . Like a 5er for your family... .

On a note of interest... each of the enforcement officers have a laptop in their car connected to the internet... in 2 minutes they can run your DL #, plate #, DOT # and see any information that has been input by any other officer in the nation... . the key here is to follow the rules and stay clean... . last night out of Las Vegas I saw a commercial officer who had stopped a guy with a pickup/flat deck and 2 forklifts on it... it was a 3 axle trailer and he had jump scales testing the weight. While all this was going on (I was stopped having dinner) the tow truck showed up... .

 

[WyoJim]

Nice explanation jelag... . I am smarter now than I was a minute ago.

 

[RVTRKN]

Your truck does not weigh 12K and only if you load it to the GVW does it matter, also when you connect that goose neck some of the weight transfers to the GVW. What I would recommend is to load it like you will use it and then have it weighed at a CAT certified scale per Front axle, rear axle and trailer axles individually, and as long at it stays within those ratings don't worry about it.

 

[Pavemen]

in CA, you can't even have a non-RV trailer over 10k without a Class A, so it doesn't really matter here.

 

[GaryOwen]

IF hauling commercially -



CDL A is required if your GVWR of truck + your GVWR of your trailer exceed 26000 lbs. Doesn't matter what it actually weighs.



Apportioned plates required only if actual weight of combined vehicles exceed 26000 lbs.



Gary

 

[Pavemen]

IF hauling commercially -

referring to my post? in CA you hook up a 10K+ non-RV registered trailer, you need Class A. Does not matter if its personal or commercial.

 

[HBarlow]

Your truck does not weigh 12K and only if you load it to the GVW does it matter, also when you connect that goose neck some of the weight transfers to the GVW. What I would recommend is to load it like you will use it and then have it weighed at a CAT certified scale per Front axle, rear axle and trailer axles individually, and as long at it stays within those ratings don't worry about it.

Your information is incorrect.



If engaged in commerical activity which means most activity other than pulling his/her own private RV trailer, and the driver does not have a CDL, DOT officers will add the GVWR tags of the tow vehicle and trailer. It the total exceeds 26,000# a CDL "A" is required and the driver will receive a large fine and be put out of service and ordered to drop the trailer behind the scale house or, if alongside a highway, a tow truck will be called. Another truck and driver with a CDL will have to retrieve the trailer.



It happens all the time with RV transporters who dare to pull a heavy fiver.

 

[HBarlow]

I own a 06 3500 Quad Cab DRW 4x4. The GVW of these trucks has been upped to 12,200 lbs. If you put at 14,000 GVW trailer behind this truck it puts is 200 lbs over the 26,000 lb. CDL guidlines. Does anyone have an idea why Dodge may have done this? All of the duallies I have owned though the years have had GVW's of 10,000 - 11,000. It appears that the 03-05's are 12,000 even. Any suggestions here? I would hate to buy a lesser truck to pull the trailer, as the 1 ton dually/ 7 ton GN combo has worked well for me as well as many others for years. This 200 lb increase is of no benefit that I can see. This may be a concern over nothing, just looking for everyones input.

Dodge has done this because buyers demand an adequate carrying capacity and the trucks, particularly 4x4s, start out heavy when empty. Dodge is not interested in DOT CDL requirements. They design their trucks with the capability to carry an adequate load. A 2wd truck identical to yours has an 11,500# GVWR which gives you a little more carrying capacity under the CDL limit.



The easy way to resolve your problem, if you're hauling commerically, is to obtain a CDL Class A. I had to do that when I was transporting RVs.

 

[GaryOwen]

referring to my post? in CA you hook up a 10K+ non-RV registered trailer, you need Class A. Does not matter if its personal or commercial.

Not referring to your post. Only meant to address commercial requirement. Each state has own requirements for non-commercial.



Gary

 

[jelag]

Lets go back to the first post... ...

He really didn't say in his first post if this is a commercial load... . lets first address that.....

As I stated earlier, if its commercial you need the license and Harvey hit it right about being sighted and towed... .

IF this is an RV then he can do what he wants...

If this is not an RV than some states, like CA force those drivers to get a higher rated license so they are safe on the roads in CA and some other states do the same... .

In BC Canada, they go so far as to make RV owners get a special license which requires a class and drivers test... . with all the 45 ft diesel class A's with 500 HP pulling a car we need the same thing here... .

It all falls back to if its for profit than its commercial... . if you haul your neighbors boat to the shore for him and you take money for it... and its over 26K you've just crossed the line in the eyes of the law... . there is no exception once money changes hands... and what out if the trailer isn't registered to the same guy that owns the truck...

 

[RVTRKN]

Your information is incorrect.



If engaged in commerical activity which means most activity other than pulling his/her own private RV trailer, and the driver does not have a CDL, DOT officers will add the GVWR tags of the tow vehicle and trailer. It the total exceeds 26,000# a CDL "A" is required and the driver will receive a large fine and be put out of service and ordered to drop the trailer behind the scale house or, if alongside a highway, a tow truck will be called. Another truck and driver with a CDL will have to retrieve the trailer.



It happens all the time with RV transporters who dare to pull a heavy fiver.

I'm sorry but it is correct, if he is not commercial and pulling an RV in which he does not clarify that, as jelag pointed out as well, so lets say it is an RV.



1) The truck does not weigh 12K empty.

2) If the RV is a 5ver or gooseneck, then some of the trailer tongue weight will transfer to the truck to add onto the trucks GVW

3) Truck loaded with gear and passengers and tongue wt. 10K+14K trailer is 24K (he didn't say what his GVW would be).

4) The recommendation to have it weighed per axle weight is the best method.



There is too much missing information to come to the conclusion that I'm wrong, so I'll have to respectfully disagree with you. Also, he only has to follow the laws of state his lic. is issued in, if he is not a commercial driver. So I won't go into three axle or over 10K TT weight

 

[HBarlow]

I'm sorry but it is correct, if he is not commercial and pulling an RV in which he does not clarify that, as jelag pointed out as well, so lets say it is an RV.



1) The truck does not weigh 12K empty.

2) If the RV is a 5ver or gooseneck, then some of the trailer tongue weight will transfer to the truck to add onto the trucks GVW

3) Truck loaded with gear and passengers and tongue wt. 10K+14K trailer is 24K (he didn't say what his GVW would be).

4) The recommendation to have it weighed per axle weight is the best method.



There is too much missing information to come to the conclusion that I'm wrong, so I'll have to respectfully disagree with you. Also, he only has to follow the laws of state his lic. is issued in, if he is not a commercial driver. So I won't go into three axle or over 10K TT weight

It is true that the original poster didn't say he was commercial but if he were not commercial why would he have a question about "CDL guidelines?"



To tell a fellow member "don't worry about it" is to potentially cause him to get himself in trouble.

 

[RVTRKN]

It is true that the original poster didn't say he was commercial but if he were not commercial why would he have a question about "CDL guidelines?"



To tell a fellow member "don't worry about it" is to potentially cause him to get himself in trouble.

Well I guess mpfeiffer will have to chime in and let us know. The way I read it was that he is worried about going over 26K which will then require a CDL.

 

[HBarlow]

Well I guess mpfeiffer will have to chime in and let us know. The way I read it was that he is worried about going over 26K which will then require a CDL.

Could be . . . but if he's not engaged in commercial activity why would he need a CDL if he exceeds 26k gross rated weight? Even the socialist state of California only requires a non-commercial license upgrade when a private citizen not engaged in commerce is pulling his own RV, right?



I'd bet he is on the road right now as an RV transporter or hotshotter.

 

[jacqnbill]

Lets go back to the first post... ...



He really didn't say in his first post if this is a commercial load... . lets first address that.....



As I stated earlier, if its commercial you need the license and Harvey hit it right about being sighted and towed... .



IF this is an RV then he can do what he wants...



If this is not an RV than some states, like CA force those drivers to get a higher rated license so they are safe on the roads in CA and some other states do the same... .



In BC Canada, they go so far as to make RV owners get a special license which requires a class and drivers test... . with all the 45 ft diesel class A's with 500 HP pulling a car we need the same thing here... .



It all falls back to if its for profit than its commercial... . if you haul your neighbors boat to the shore for him and you take money for it... and its over 26K you've just crossed the line in the eyes of the law... . there is no exception once money changes hands... and what out if the trailer isn't registered to the same guy that owns the truck...

Regarding an RV in California if the RV Trailer has a GVWR of 10,001 to 15,000 the driver needs a special endorsement on the back of his class C Drivers License which requires a written test.



If the trailer has a GVWR of 15,001 or higher the driver needs a Class A, Non Commercial, drivers license which requires all Class A Commercial written test plus a road test in the weight class. This gets tricky during the pre road test inspection . Your vehicle better be rated to pull the combined gross weight of both vehicles. Been there, done that.



Bill Davis

 

[RVTRKN]

OK, this will be my last post on this subject. Apparently he has goose neck trailer between 12-14K and tows excavating equipment, per a post he wrote. I'm not an expert on the laws of my state of California, but after reading the Commercial handbook on this subject, it is even more confusing than before he needs to contact an attorney in his state or go to his state DMV.



Let's all just get along.

 

[RTFoster]

I own a 06 3500 Quad Cab DRW 4x4. The GVW of these trucks has been upped to 12,200 lbs. If you put at 14,000 GVW trailer behind this truck it puts is 200 lbs over the 26,000 lb. CDL guidlines. Does anyone have an idea why Dodge may have done this? All of the duallies I have owned though the years have had GVW's of 10,000 - 11,000. It appears that the 03-05's are 12,000 even. Any suggestions here? I would hate to buy a lesser truck to pull the trailer, as the 1 ton dually/ 7 ton GN combo has worked well for me as well as many others for years. This 200 lb increase is of no benefit that I can see. This may be a concern over nothing, just looking for everyones input.

If you register the truck at 26000 and the trailer at 0 you can get away with untill you get a DOT that really knows his stuff Ive been in the scales alot and have not been bothered i have an 06 dually with a 40 ft 2 car open trailer rated at 14000 i just upped the registration on the truck

 

[jelag]

rvtrkn..... I agree with you when you say, contact his DMV and DOT... .

I've found in my home state of WA that sometimes what DMV says is not what is written into the law... but the DOT commercial guys really know the law.....

Your comment is an excellent one... you caught "12-14K and tows excavating equipment"..... if you than add the weight of the truck he's going to be over the magic 26K every once in a while... with the commercial equipment on the trailer "excavating equipment" I'm guessing he's going to be open prey for the DOT commercial inspectors... .