Mega cab and car hauling?

[run2trouble]

I am wondering of anyone is pulling a 3-4 car carhauler?



Thanks.

 

[GaryOwen]

Check out this site. Haulin RV is using a Mega for car hauling.



2008 Dodge Mega Cab Dually - Auto Expeditor Forums

 

[run2trouble]

Thanks for the info.

 

[TexasRam3500]

Hey run2trouble, I figured out today about the problem with our MC short box dually and the Kaufman car hauler. I did go to Auto Expeditor Forum but didn't create a log in. I have the new Reese slider hitch (will have to get model number). Been pulling 5th wheel and Airstream TT. Did you get a modified trailer?, if so could you give me some hints. Also would appreciate any feed back from GaryOwen as well. Need to get some cash quick so "BigRed" stays mine. Thanks ahead of time for any tidbits. dj

 

[run2trouble]

I have not secured a trailer yet, I have fond a Take 3 trailer near by, but I would have to cut off part of the top deck. The lower deck is 48ft.



I am still looking into all of my options. Lots of people say "as long as you are under 26k you dont need a class A CDL. " But it is my understanding, that anytime you haul "for hire" a CDL is required. Can someone input???



The GVW of the MC is 10,500, the trailer I found is 21k this = 31,500#



The trailer weight is 7,900# so I could have a legal load of 23,600# which I dont ever think would happen with cars/trucks.



On the flip side if I stay at 25,599# with the same truck it would leave me a load weight of only 7,599# which is not that much.



The trailer I have looked at and like is the Infinity GN301



http://www.infinitytrailersales.com/products.htm



What I like is the 35ft length.



They have a 4-5 week build time as of yesterday.



I have not pinned down the insurance requirements either. Some say 500k for the truck some say 1mil for the truck. All have said 100k load insurance.



Any ideas on this??

 

[GAmes]

The 26,000 for a CDL is based on Gross Combined Weight Rating. In other words, if Your truck has a GVWR of 12,000 the biggest trailer you can pull without a CDL has to have a GVWR of 14,000 or less. The GVWR of my 97 is 10,500 which allows me to pull trailers up to 15,500 without a CDL. You do not have to have a CDL to operate commercially below 26,000 GVWR or GCWR. You do have to have a DOT medical card if you operate commercially over 10,000. No way you can pull a 3 car trailer without a class A license, even if you were not commercial.



On edit; I looked at the 301. Granted, it would allow you to operate without a CDL. Think you can make a profit limiting yourself to little riceburners?

 

[run2trouble]

my thoughts exactaly.



From what I have found I will have to gat a class A, no problem.



I have not dug deep enough for my info yet, but I think my GCWR is 23k for the 07 mega cab dually. If my math is correct, that would only provide me with a payload of 12,500#.



Is this correct?

 

[GAmes]

I have not dug deep enough for my info yet, but I think my GCWR is 23k for the 07 mega cab dually.

Don't confuse the manufactuers GCWR with the DOT definition. Dodge bases their recommended rating on a variety of things, one of them being warranty claims. If you habitually pull trailers that put you over their rating you can count on decreased drive train component life. DOT doesn't give a rats behind what Dodge rates the truck at. As long as your registration covers the combined weight and you have the right class of drivers license you can pull just about anything your heart desires.

 

[GaryOwen]

What GAmes stated is true, but DOT will also care about tire and axle overloading. From what I understand it sometimes takes a bit of repositioning of vehicles on a hauler to keep from over loading your truck rear axle.

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

If the GVWR of a trailer is over 10,001 lbs or more then a Class A CDL is required.

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[GAmes]

If the GVWR of a trailer is over 10,001 lbs or more then a Class A CDL is required.



Godspeed,

Trent

That is a myth perpetuated by the internet. Check your local CDL requirements (which are the same nationwide for commercial vehicle drivers). Re-read post # 6.

 

[GaryOwen]

Agree w/GAmes -



Just checked Tenn handbook for commercial lisence requirements -



CDL-A for commercial over 26k lbs w/trailer over 10k



CDL-B for commercial over 26k lbs w/trailer under 10k



Class D w/For Hire endorsement for any combination under 26k

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

The following link is to the Indiana CDL drivers manual. Scroll down to page 13 which is at the very bottom. Class B and Class C both clearly state that the "vehicle being towed", meaning trailer, cannot exceed 10,000 lb GVWR. That leaves only Class A for a trailer over 10,000 lb GVWR. There is no Class D in Indiana. Apparently not all states are the same.

http://www.in.gov/dor/files/intro.pdf

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[GaryOwen]

Class D is not a CDL. No CDL required in Tennessee or Indiana for under 26k, even if trailer is over 10k and either hauling commercially or not. Some states call it their normal non-commercial lisence a Class C, some a Class D.



Now if you are over 26k and hauling commercially with a trailer over 10k, then a CDL-A is required. Guess that is where it gets confusing.

 

[GAmes]

blacksheepdiesel, I will try to explain this so there is no confusion.



All the states in the USA have adopted the same requirements for commercial drivers. They are uniform and not different.



Class A CDLs are required for commercial vehicles that exceed 26,000 pounds Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) WHEN the trailer(s) GVWR exceeds 10,000 pounds. GCWR is the total of the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the tow vehicle and all trailers attached. If the GVWR of the tow vehicle is 8000 pounds a CDL A is not required unless the trailer exceeds 18,000 pound GVWR, which would put the combination over 26,000.



The Class B CDL is for vehicles that have a GVWR over 26,000 pounds. You are allowed to pull a trailer up to 10,000 GVWR with that vehicle.



The Class C CDL is for vehicles that have a GVWR less than 26,000 pounds and carry passengers or hazardous materials. They are also allowed to pull trailers less than 10,000 GVWR.



If your commercial vehicle does not fall into one of the above catagories you can drive commercially with your non-commercial drivers license, be it Class C, D or Z, depending on what your state calls a license that is for vehicles under 26,000 GCWR or GVWR. That covers taxis, delivery vans, small box trucks and pickups hauling for hire with trailers attached whose GCWR is less than 26,000 pounds.



Still confused?

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

GAmes,

Sill confused? Heck, I STAY confused all the time!!!! Especially with DOT regs. Seems like every DOT officer has their own interpretation. Last year a GA DOT officer wanted to see the Vehicle inspection report for the portable cell tower trailer I had picked up at the manufacturer in OK and was delivering to the port in Savannah. It had never been licensed or titled. I asked if I was required to have a vehicle inspection report for a non commercial camper I would be transporting and he said "Yes"!!!! His contention was that since I was a commercial driver for hire then ANY trailer I towed had to have a vehicle inspection report. He didn't give me a ticket for it, good thing because that would have been a rugged discussion.

Appreciate the explanation. For my purposes of transporting campers, boats, horse trailers, cell towers, etc. , there have been many times when only a Class A would do. I got by with a Class B for 4 years but was very careful what states I towed big loads through, never got caught. Now have a Class A with every possible endorsement on it.

Funny thing is I was able to get my Class A by driving my own pickup with a goose neck trailer over 10,000 GVWR for the driving test. Already had my Class B with air brakes and rarely drive semis so I would have had to get in practice with one before testing. I was told about the loophole in the law so I used it to my advantage. Don't know if the loophole is still there.

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[GAmes]

Trent, I hope you didn't limit yourself to trailers under 10,000 when you had the class B. You could still go to 26,000 GCWR just like a non-commercial class C.



The trooper in Georgia was mistaken. As long as the trailer has transporter tags affixed it is considered cargo. That is why the RV exempt laws that some states have do not apply to transporting RVs in those states. I doubt he was DOT certified, not all police are.



To get a CDL in TX with a pickup requires a trailer that puts you over 26,000. That is how HBarlow got his. What was the trailer's GVWR that you used?

 

[blacksheepdiesel]

Oh dude, I have hauled so many big 5th wheels that put me over 26,000 GCWR it's not even funny. The biggest GVWR I have hitched on to was a 2009 Newmar that had tandem axles with duals on them. Can you say 20,000 GVWR. Or was it 21,000 GVWR?? Can't remember.

When I was over 26,000 GCWR I only went to states where I didn't have to stop at the Port of Entry when I had the Class B license. Now with a Class A I don't even have to consider what I am hooking on to anymore, GVWR wise.

The officer in GA was a DOT officer in blue overalls at the weigh station at Forsyth on 1-75. He was pretty young.

The goose neck I used for the CDL A driving test was probably 20,000 GVWR which easily put me over.

Godspeed,
Trent

 

[GAmes]

Can't fathom the DOT guy unless he was still in training.



I've snuck a few across state lines too. The worst was a 40 ft dovetail gooseneck with tandem duels. IIRC the GVWR on it was 30,000. Snuck out of TX, thru OK and into KA. I sure don't make it a habit though.



Safe trips to you.

 

[kenny61]

Maybe these will help explain the cdl criteria