Towing story with BIG fine involved

[Mark_Kendrick]

He could have fought it and won. They cannot make it stick if you fight it.



There are some states that don't require you to register a trailer at all(OK). I have never seen a tag GVW/GCVW on an Okla registration.



in this case it would be impossible to be legal because there is nop way to register the trailer/rig to PA's std.

 

[RustyJC]

Re: Reciprocity

Originally posted by RustyJC

If what I'm being told is that I'm going to be fined and/or jailed because I don't carry vehicle registration (not required in Texas)... .

OK, let me explain. Actually, I do carry my Texas registration with me (for the truck, anyway). It's a bar-coded sticker that is renewed annually and goes on the lower left corner of the windshield. The DPS Trooper swipes it with a bar-code reader - that gives him information regarding who owns the vehicle, etc.



Now, if the Pennsylvania State Trooper isn't equipped with a compatible bar-code reader, is that my problem? Insofar as the state of Texas is concerned, I am carrying my registration right in that bar-coded tag. That's all the registration I was given. If Pennsylvania can't read it, I really don't see how that makes me liable to prosecution.



Rusty

 

[JohnMcIntyre]

You tell 'em Mark......!

Thanks for the reality bypass Mark... .

 

[Mark_Kendrick]

Re: You tell 'em Mark......!

Originally posted by JohnMcIntyre

Thanks for the reality bypass Mark... .

 

[TowPro]

out here on the RIGHT side of pa the turnpike is the smothest road around! Only problem is they always are working or it somewhere.

Originally posted by Prostock





You heard right. The PA turnpike, which is a toll road, is probably one of the worst I've ever been on.

 

[Goddard]

checked my registration today on my truck the gvw in the top right corner said 2000 lbs. to start with when i renewed my tags last month, the woman told me that i had the wrong tags on it. non-com truck tags were not right that i had to have HEAVY USE NON-COM. so to be legal i got these@ a total of $75 in stead of $35. i called them today and asked about the gvw@2000 and she said "well thats a ton". :--) . i said that the truck weighs almost four times this empty. i was told to bring the registration back to them and they would fix it, told to get the numbers off the door. in the fine situation this would still not work because that would only make it 11,000. i am 23,??? with my 5ver in tow. i will ask about a 23- 26000 tag to see how much it is non-com and post my findings. this is turning into bull s^&t !!!!!!!!!!! they want to treat these trucks like commercial and thats not right. although i can probably play the game because i carry a class A cdl. but i should not have to just to drive my pick-up!

 

[CharlieMiller]

PA is definately one screwed up state. Lived there for way too many years but not anymore. Problem is I don't think there is a state out there that the vehicles laws can be understood by the average person. I think most can be interpreted differently by different people. So where does it leave us, The average Joe that is trying to do everything by the book? Sooner or later we get the shaft and not by our own doing.

I thought that the fines for overloading in PA were a dollar a pound? I guess that isn't the case and probably a good thing.

Seems to me that there needs to be more uniformity with the laws thoroughout the 50. We as recreational users shouldn't have to worry about being legal in another state if we are OK in our home state. Just my . 02



Charlie

 

[SlyBones]

OK, for late comers like me, this was because the trailer weight was over 10,000 lbs. If the trailer weight is under 10,000 lbs then the truck does not need to be registered with the 'combined' weight.



Under 10,000 its the trailers GVWR on its own, and the trucks GVWR on its own. The combined weight only needs to be less than the GCWR of the truck, and DOES NOT have to be less than the GVWR of the truck.



Correct?

 

[Prostock]

In PA, yes.

 

[gsmith1]

Checked my trailer registration in Arizona and it showed my weight at 828. Went to AZDOT and they told me this was ok because Arizona records recreational trailers by size, not weight. My 5th wheel is 8 feet wide and 28 feet long, hence the 828 on the title.



I asked about the combination gross weight title and was told Arizona requires that only with trailers over 10,000 lbs. , that are NOT recreational type trailers. This would proabably be trailers for hauling, moving, etc.



A recreational trailer could weigh 100,000 lbs and Arizona would not require a combined weight title. When asked about laws in other states, I was told to check with those states before I travel through them.



That's not a real solution. My trailer is labeled at 10,000 so will not be too concerend about it.



This discussion did make me look at my paperwork and learn some new stuff. Cool!!!

 

[E7mack96]

Has anyone bothered to look at the federal regs. If I remember correctly, if the item (trailer, ect. ) being towed is over 10K, you must have a class A cdl, regardless of the vehicle doing the towing. I remember an exception being towing/recovery vehicles. In Ohio (The true truckers Favorite state), my Ram has commercial plates and is registered for 14K lbs. Now, as I understand Ohios' laws, I am fine as long as I am pulling a trailer less than 10K. If I was to get popped with a big drag with machinery then I better have a class A. As a side note, I think that if your truck is rated for 10k and up, then it is considered commercial no matter how you plate it. Then there are other things to consider such as IFTA, KYU, HF, ICC, PUCO, ect.

 

[klenger]

All this talk about 10,000 lb trailers. Is that GVWR, empty weight, or loaded weight. Empty mine is about 9K, loaded is about 10K, and GVWR is about 13K. I think I'll just stay away from PA.

 

[Bob Cochran]

I think I maybe in trouble. The 5er I plan on buying is 14,000 all by itself!!!!:--)

 

[DarrellB]

Farm Tags

Are any of you running farm tags on your trailers? I have farm tags on every thing except my camper and my 16 TT and have never been stoped. My truck has 11,000lb tags on it also. I've been through many states this way with not ever a second look from a DOT or State Trooper. Is it just a mater of time before I'm caught or do you guys just have bad luck.



10,000lbs, I laugh at 10,000lbs. :-laf :-laf :-laf :-laf



Darrell

 

[Spaceace]

Portable scales are as common as K-9s around here

Our local township DOT checkpoint was so good... it is now a permenantly placarded inspection area.



A lot of small local departments now carry scales in the trunk of thier cars. They put them next to the doggie biscuits. I think there is a required course on truck inspection that you must complete prior to using. (Sally Struthers endorses school)



PA is unique..... if you can afford to live here(taxes and bureucracy) you can afford to pay the fines.

 

[Deezul1]

It sounds like weight violations bring in more money than trafic fines. Might be time to keep our tourist dollars out of PA.

 

[rob10858]

okay..

some quick replies, farm tags enable you to pull up to 150 airmiles from home with no restrictions, this doesnt mean weight restrictions, just the paperwork bs. if you are overloaded, it doesnt mean squat, private or comm. period. as far as the dot, they concentrate on big rigs, but if you have a 2500 loaded with bags of cement, or a 3500 loaded with an unstable, too heavy fiver, you are fair game, interstate, intrastate, it dont matter. they can fine you and will private or comm. if your vehicle or comb veh is considered "unsafe" another thing is very simple, stay in your state, you might be considered exempt from certain regs, but cross a state line, you are "interstate" and subject to fed rules too. the line between rvs and farmers, and comm pickup uses is being looked at now, just another way as others have said to collect more tax rev. when we increase our trucks from 10100 to 24999 gvcwr, it cost us another $766 a year apiece in taxes for our trucks. since we've complied to this law, we havw had very few problems, and even less safety inspections, [which is a whole different deal].

 

[TowPro]

Re: Portable scales are as common as K-9s around here

Not sure what you mean about "Permenatly placarded inspection area". I live just west of you and don't know where your talking about.



I talked to a local police man (member of my dirt bike club) this weekend. He has done this DOT Training, carries the scales and runs inspection sites from time to time.



I was asking him about the weight on tags/trailer etc.



He said "were only pulling over the comercial guys like landscapers. We find 90% of them don't have brakes hooked up, lights out (or not even wired) and most of them are overloaded. Plus they work over all those mulch trucks we have here in Chester co.



He also said "were not after the RV's, UNLESS we see something real dangeros like a S-10 towing a 30' RV or something way over loaded it looks unsafe.

Originally posted by Spaceace

Our local township DOT checkpoint was so good... it is now a permenantly placarded inspection area.



A lot of small local departments now carry scales in the trunk of thier cars. They put them next to the doggie biscuits. I think there is a required course on truck inspection that you must complete prior to using. (Sally Struthers endorses school)



PA is unique..... if you can afford to live here(taxes and bureucracy) you can afford to pay the fines.

 

[Spaceace]

TOWPRO

Rt 110 North at Ship/Marchwood Road. Weigh station signs are perm posted like on the interstates.



Convienient location. . right at the Uwchlan Township Building.



Heck... they did so well Wednesday last week... they opened it bright and early Thursday .



Oh, and BTW. . I got the impression that all you needed around these parts to be a landscaper... . is a Pinto with a mower sticking out the back..... Those guy with trailers must be REAL pros...

 

[TowPro]

Re: TOWPRO

I will have to look for that. I think that is the same intersection you would use on 100 if you were going to Losortas Tavern?

Originally posted by Spaceace

Rt 110 North at Ship/Marchwood Road. Weigh station signs are perm posted like on the interstates.



Convienient location. . right at the Uwchlan Township Building.



Heck... they did so well Wednesday last week... they opened it bright and early Thursday .



Oh, and BTW. . I got the impression that all you needed around these parts to be a landscaper... . is a Pinto with a mower sticking out the back..... Those guy with trailers must be REAL pros...