Texas CDL Laws and Regulation Questions..

[Wingate]

The last young rooster that got in my face ended up getting his Jeep confiscated; quite legally I might add. He was just glad to get back to Georgia when it was all over.

Ultimatums are best given in anonymity.

Ed

Its not that I have ever had anything to hide, its just just the complete infringement of my rights as a law abiding U.S. citizen. The badge and gun does not give supreme authority to do wahtever one wants.
Any time there has been an "issue" on the side of the road during a routine traffic stop, its ALWAYS been the officer that has been trying to incite/elevate the situation. When in reality they should be the voice of reason and calmness.

 

[Wingate]

On I-476 yesterday near the Clarks Summit toll plaza. PA state police and a DOT van had a VW Jetta pulling a small U-Haul trailer pulled over. I didn't have a chance to get a pic. Looked like they had the driver out and were looking at the hitch.

DPS and county officers were having a field day with RVs this weekend..
Did yall know that in the state of Texas, your bumper pull pop-up camper up to a 40ft 5er must have a SAFETY INSPECTION sticker??? Officers were making BANK on that little nugget this weekend.

 

[jhenderson]

The last young rooster that got in my face ended up getting his Jeep confiscated; quite legally I might add. He was just glad to get back to Georgia when it was all over.

Ultimatums are best given in anonymity.

Ed

Maybe you should leave your badge and ID at home for a while and see what the rest of us deal with.

 

[RustyJC]

Did yall know that in the state of Texas, your bumper pull pop-up camper up to a 40ft 5er must have a SAFETY INSPECTION sticker??? Officers were making BANK on that little nugget this weekend.

Any non-farm trailer of 4501 lbs GVWR or higher must carry an inspection sticker in Texas. It's a pain to get a 38' 5th wheel inspected at the neighborhood Jiffy Lube, but I do it every year.

See HERE - bottom of page under More Information.

Rusty

 

[Bill Stockard]

DPS and county officers were having a field day with RVs this weekend..
Did yall know that in the state of Texas, your bumper pull pop-up camper up to a 40ft 5er must have a SAFETY INSPECTION sticker??? Officers were making BANK on that little nugget this weekend.

Yep, I knew that and always kept a current sticker on mine.

Bill

 

[mfurrh55]

Any trailer of 4500 lbs GVWR or higher must carry an inspection sticker in Texas. It's a pain to get a 38' 5th wheel inspected at the neighborhood Jiffy Lube, but I do it every year.

Rusty

Unless it's Farm use, then you don't have to have an inspection sticker,also if it's 4000 lbs or under , you don't have to tag it ,if it's farm use,Monte

 

[RustyJC]

Unless it's Farm use, then you don't have to have an inspection sticker,also if it's 4000 lbs or under , you don't have to tag it ,if it's farm use,Monte

Yeah, farm trailers are a whole different universe unto themselves. Point taken and correction made.

Rusty

 

[mfurrh55]

Yeah, farm trailers are a whole different universe unto themselves. Point taken and correction made.

Rusty

Yeah with all their jibberish it's still a little confusing, but a lot is just common sense and not acting like an idiot out on the road, Take care, Monte

 

[Killgore]

Jhenderson, you're right, I have had the opportunity to be the recepient of 'professional courtesy'. And, I'll be the first to admit that there are some folks that wear the uniform and carry the badge that couldn't pass a psychological exam. That being said, I think you would admit though that an attitude is like a mirror. If you come on strong, chances are it'll come right back at you.
- Ed

 

[jhenderson]

Agreed. Every stop and every Leo is different.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Not a authority on cops and cop work, but I don't think that being an officer in Exeter RI is anyplace close to being a cop in LA, NYC, Chicago different work places make for different attitudes, When we first moved to Seeley I was pulled over and the first thing I did was roll down the divers window and put both hands out the window IN PLAIN SIGHT!! The Sheriff that is now a friend came to the truck and asked what I was doing? preventing the **** being kick out of me for some misunderstanding. He said this is Not Calif sir, but thank you for making me feel better about pulling someone over with Calif Plates.

 

[Killgore]

Hah! Since this thread has completely drifted to another dimension, let me tell an amusing story:

In the 1930's my uncle was a young lieutenant carrying the payroll for a CCC camp. Driving through Clearview, FL in a thunderstorm late at night he exceeded the posted speed limit of 4 MPH. He was pulled over twice by the same officer. The second time he was stopped he told the officer that he was a US Army officer on official business carrying a payroll and further that he suspected that this officer was aware of that. Tapping his .45 on the window sill, he then told him that if he was stopped again he would be forced to assume that he was fixing to be robbed and would respond appropriately. The conversation ended with the LEO saying, "Yes Sir, and have a good evening".
- Ed

 

[BIGNASTY]

First car was a 57 Chevy Bel air 2 door, pretty clean had glass packs that had been ran until hot and then a water hose stuffed up the tail pipe to hollow them out sounded great but a bit on the loud side for the law, In Calif they had Hwy Patrol Safety checks, I got pulled into one on my way to school. The officer noticed that I was a bit fidgety and asked what was wrong? I told him my Mother was on her way to work and had been involved in an auto accident and I needed to get to the hospital, so if we can do this quickly that would be great.

He said tell ya what, you take it slow and we can do this another time, Drive safe and let me go :-laf

My Mother had not been an accident at all, and I thought that I was pretty slick to have gotten away with this.


Couple of weeks later same thing going to school, a buddy was in the car and said your in deep **** with these pipes being so loud, No Problem I've got this wired.

Pulled up to the inspection and was acting fidgety and the officer said what's wrong? I told him the same story as before, he said well Son your Mother cant drive to well, and im going to give your car an inspection THIS TIME to make sure you don't have any problems EITHER!!

He went to the back of the car and said OK let me hear these pipes let it rip!! I knew that I was going to have to change them anyway so I let him have it, he came back to the car door with his finger in his ear and said that he's not sure but those pipes might be just a bit LOUD!!! DON'T YOU?

Back then it was just a fix-it ticket get it fixed go to the nearest Winchell's Doughnut Shop and they would sign it off you mail it in and case closed.

Just happen that the same officer was at the doughnut shop and told his buddies I WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ONE. I had changed the glass-packs to regular mufflers, he signed off the ticket and said you know son this is what makes people suspicious about things, don't lie to me again and we will get along just fine.

 

[Killgore]

Mine was a '55 Ford, V-8 stick with glass-paks. Cruising one night, I popped the clutch and let it back off when I went from first to second. Coming the other way and hidden in the traffic was a motorcycle cop. I caught him in the mirror making a U-turn and I hung the next right and stood on it hoping to make the next intersection and disappear. No way, he came around the corner with it laid over and I just stopped, got out and stood at the back of the car while he rolled up.
"Boy, where you going in such a hurry?"
"I was headed down to the filling station at 4th and 22nd".
"And do what?"
"Take these glass-paks off and put on my regular mufflers".
"Well, you were headed in the right direction but why did you turn off?"
"Well Sir, I was tryin' to get away from you."
He started laughing and I smiled back. "Son, you just talked yourself out of a reckless driving ticket, but change out those mufflers, come by the station and get the ticket signed".
"Yes Sir."
My cousins in the car said I was the luckiest person they knew.
- Ed

 

[RAmy]

yep... but last time I pulled 17 round bales with the 3/4 ton... I was SURE glad I had enough trailer although I didnt have NEAR enough truck!

This thread really derailed, but...you sorta answered the question yourself with this post. Personal farm use according to the feds you will be fine if you keep the trailer 150 air miles or less from the farm. Unless Texas has something crazy on the books that even CA doesn't have Still believe you need triangles, fire extingisher. Under 26K gcwr you can go anywhere in the lower 48, over 26K up to 150 air miles from the farm (or maybe it was your post office), no med card, no log book, no numbers. Funny thing is, according to the books I can drag a 16K 25ft gooseneck behind my '08 F150 or my '01 2500 diesel anywhere in the lower 48 but can only drive up to 150 air miles if hooked to the old mans F350 SRW because of its 10,600lb gwr. Guess that was my little bit of going off the original question. Someday I'll remember to get a couple more sets of triangles and extinguishers for each truck so I don't have to worry about forgetting to move them. Roaming through a bunch of this verbage I did learn I've been braking the law for years dragging 3 empty gravity boxes with a pickup when we go to start another field. Apparently you can only tow two at a time. On another side note from one post I read trying to see if anyone else dove into and answered his question, we keep loosing our money (to higher taxes) and our freedom but they actually did increase it some more recently going from 100 air miles up to the current 150 air miles from home. I thought all states were coming into line because of fed changes and MAP 21 changes that took effect last month as far as DOT inspections go.

 

[Wingate]

agreed, somehow we started drinking beer and chasing squirrels.
Anyway, While I have towed way too much trailer and contents with my 3/4 ton before. The trailer was not registered FARM EXEMPT and neither was the truck.
I simply got away with it.
I really do NOT want to register the new trailer F/E due to the restrictions it adds to how the trailer can be used.