Proper Registration Weight

[HBarlow]

For anyone considering raising his truck's registered weight remember if you are pulling your own trailer it is already registered for it's own weight so you don't need to register your truck for a weight heavier than it's loaded GVW.



When we were hauling commercially we had to register the truck for 26,000# because we were pulling unregistered trailers. They were treated as cargo so our truck had to be registered for gross combined weight.

 

[DonTX]

Sorry, but it don't work that way. The registration weight on the truck registration MUST cover the entire weight of the trailer AND the truck.

 

[HBarlow]

Don,



You better check your trailer registration and/or talk to your local tax assessor/collector.



A Texas trailer has a registered weight and the cost is proportional to the weight.



Registering the truck for gross combined weight is only required for commercial trucks.



There are probably not 1% of privately-owned trucks in Texas, probably no other state as well, registered for gross combined weight.

 

[DonTX]

Well, I would HOPE you are correct, but I cannot find anything that supports your opinion. Let me make sure I understand you. You are saying you can have a truck with a 500lb load rating registration, pulling a trailer say at 30,000lb registered and actual weight and be legal?

As you say, it sure don't work that way commercial, not even a little bit, but then I have been commercial and a commercial cop most of my life. As I recall, this thread started with the need to up your truck rating for trailers - RV's.

I can sure agree that we are paying twice, once for the trailer weight, then again for the combined weight on the truck. Now I am confused.

 

[HBarlow]

Don,



No, what I mean is each vehicle must be registered for its own individual weight for private use. For pulling heavy 5ers the truck should normally be registered for GVWR and the trailer should also be registered at GVWR.



I know very little about big trucks, my only trucking experience was as an RV transporter, but my understanding is that since RV transporters usually pull new, unregistered trailers for hire, and transporter license plates are not "weighted" their tow truck must be registered for combined weight of both units.

 

[DonTX]

Interesting concept. My own experiences at commercial and commercial cop give me a mindset that the registered weight MUST be sufficient to cover your combined weight. You register your class 8 truck for 80k for instance, to cover the loaded weight. I had never thought about it in private or RV terms before.

 

[CDonaldson]

When my truck was first registered in New Mexico it had a weight rating that was the dry weight, shipped from the mfr weight, my dealerships clerk was new to her job and didn't up the antee from the dry weight.



I had to go to a registered scale, get it weighed.



In all the checking out of the dry weight numbers, I learned that the dry weight was for a 1500. It was something like 7200#s, and my scale weight was 8700#s. Nothing like being overloaded sitting on the wheels, eh?



Anyway, I got it all straightened out, the state of New Mexico looked at the door tag, then added some above that as I have a 13,899# weight rating on my registration now. I did learn that you can literally register up to the max of something like 26,000 because of towing unregistered or farm equipment, all about what you are willing to pay for your plate.



CD

 

[Pavemen]

I am finding out in CA that a pickup is exempt from the GVWR registration for private use as long as you dont exceed the mfg GVWR when towing.

Registered weight is the unladen weight and you pay accordingly.

As long as the mfg GVWR is under 11,000lb, has an open type bed and not a "utility body" its a pickup and not subject to commercial weight fees.

now as for hauling unregistered RVs I can see how you need the truck registered for the higher overall weight though.

this private heavy truck stuff is a very gray in many areas and not a lot of folks know about it, regardless of the state you are dealing with.

 

[HBarlow]

"I am finding out in CA that a pickup is exempt from the GVWR registration for private use as long as you dont exceed the mfg GVWR when towing. "



"Registered weight is the unladen weight and you pay accordingly. "



"As long as the mfg GVWR is under 11,000lb, has an open type bed and not a" utility body" its a pickup and not subject to commercial weight fees. "



That's interesting. All Gen III Ram duallies and Gen II Ram dually 4x4s have manufacturer's GVWR of 11,500#. I wonder if CA considers them "trucks" rather than "exempt pickups"?



"now as for hauling unregistered RVs I can see how you need the truck registered for the higher overall weight though. "



"this private heavy truck stuff is a very gray in many areas and not a lot of folks know about it, regardless of the state you are dealing with. "/QUOTE]



That's true and the laws are probably seldom enforced as long as weights don't exceed tire ratings which DOT officers are familiar with.



On my way to San Diego about ten days ago I rolled onto the AZ DOT scale westbound at San Simon on I-10 and asked for truck and trailer weights. I figured it was about a 50-50 chance whether I'd get chewed out and told to "get the hell off my scale" or given the weights. Surprisingly, after asking me if I was transporting, which I was not, the officers were friendly and gave me my axle weights. My truck was 800# over registered weight at 13,280# but they showed no interest, just handed me the scale tickets.