dot and truckin

Brian806

Member
Any weekenders out thier been stopped and fined by the dot with thier pickups and trailers! I gotta f250 and a 25 ft gooseneck and everytime i go somewhere i worry but never been stopped! I try to have fire extinglisher road flares and everything chained and strapped down good but im sure most of the time im over loaded on 3/4 ton!
 
The secert to keep the D O T out of your pocket is too not look like you are over loaded, and have more than enough tie downs on the load. have my trailers setup so that when loaded they set level or just a bit up from level. Do not give them a reason to take a second look at you.
 
Most of the time the guys you REALLY need to watch out for is the code inforcement. Your regular state troopers probability arn"t going to give you hassle. Of course that can very state to state. And my experience on the weekends is the best time to haul. Code inforcement doesn"t work on weekends.
Best thing is try to get a vehicle that won"t be overloaded.
 
As long as your only hauling your own stuff for personal use you are not under dot reg and they can't do anything to you as far as dot rules go. They can stop you for safety reasons tho just like they can a car if they think your unsafe.
 
Have been dragging a 20ft tag a long for better than 30 years. Have never been stopped... yet. Have had them look me over as they go by. Biggest thing is keeping it right. Chains, lights and so. They tend to leave farmers alone, around here anyway.
 
As long as you have the proper registration, license, and aren't over any GAWR you're fine.

Unless you're in Alberta, where they actually enforce pick-up "tow ratings".
 
pretty much what the others said is what I have seen.

I've been all over georgia, lousiana, alabama, miss, some of texas, in a 1 or 1.5 ton f350 / 450 with a gooseneck and my personal tractor .. never been stopped or challanged.. never went thru a scale.

I have plenty of straps and tie downs. nad plenty of truck.

A few years ago i finally gave up white knuckle hauling on a 1/2 or even a 3/4 ton. got tired of thinking.. well.. it's only 1 trip. or a short haul.. etc.

bit the bullet and got plenty more enging, barakes, frame and rubber under me.

feels safer.. is safer..e tc..


didn't break the bank either.. my 7.3psd's are used and older 99's
 
In Ia the DOT is basically the same as Highway patrol only they have portable scales to weigh you.They also have radar and past experience if you are speeding with a gooseneck and pickup then they have more reasons to find other things wrong.Their main focus is big trucks.
 
I am from Alberta,Usually the dot doesnt bother pick- up trucks as a rule.They are mostly concerned with commercial trucks.I would rather have someone that's grossly overloaded pulled off the road instead of getting into a wreck because they couldn't stop or control the vehicle.I spent 20 years driving class 8 trucks and from what I saw in that time,the pickups usually got a break...
 
out here they dont bother with light duty trucks except if your obviously way overloaded, if you roll by with say a 25 or 30 foot deckover sporting something like a 580k case backhoe on board and all headed up with a 1 ton dually your going to be seeing the judge, [ thats actually been tried here] a load of hay, or a REASONABLE size farm tractor doesnt get bothered there much more intrested in big rigs, especially tankers or heavy haulers, we have a lot of brand new mine haul trucks rolling by in pieces lately, somebody is spending some serious bucks somewhere
 
Same setup here Brian. Never a problem with the DOT. I'm anticipating it though. I've also never had a load come loose or a safety issue. I take every precaution. I've hauled 12K# on it several times. Once I got stuck with 17K# that was supposed to be 11.5K# and VERY CAREFULLY delivered it. It cost me a tire. Never again.
 
I need to go the way you did. My F250 95psd keeps chugging along but 12K# is pushing it on my setup. Better trailer tires would help. The old 1989 D350 dually sits behind the barn. Not as nice a ride, but a Dana 80 and a stack of springs that would carry a house.
 
Yeah, I moved the hitch some on my trailer so the front is always taller. The overloads keep it level or above on the 95 F250. Lights always work. No problems ever. Also, a rusty red Ford and old heavy and rust speckeled yellow trailer. Nothing really stands out. I'm afraid of putting my dually flatbed on the road... more professional looking.
 
69 between Pt Huron and Flint. Hardly ever a day you don't see them. I run that way every Sunday and 2 or 3 times during the week. Also scales on 75 north of Toledo. May be closed once in a while, but pretty much just open.
 
(quoted from post at 14:22:32 12/07/13) As long as your only hauling your own stuff for personal use you are not under dot reg and they can't do anything to you as far as dot rules go. They can stop you for safety reasons tho just like they can a car if they think your unsafe.

I don't believe that's true. I once went and found Michigan's rules, and printed them off. Michigan's rules are the same as federal rules, and there's a weight limit, like 10,000lb empty or something like that, that automatically makes you a "commercial vehicle", whether or not you're private use, and therefore subject to all of the CMV code. I know that my rig, a 1 ton Ford and gooseneck, are over the weight limit. I'm pretty certain any pickup and gooseneck combo will fall in the "commercial vehicle" category. That being said, I chain stuff down well, drive reasonably, I haven't had a single problem, yet... -Andy

Here is the link to the rules I mentioned... http://www.truckingsafety.org/faq/faqgen.htm
 
(quoted from post at 19:56:59 12/06/13) Any weekenders out thier been stopped and fined by the dot with thier pickups and trailers! I gotta f250 and a 25 ft gooseneck and everytime i go somewhere i worry but never been stopped! I try to have fire extinglisher road flares and everything chained and strapped down good but im sure most of the time im over loaded on 3/4 ton!
I've been an occasional hauler for many years and got stopped for the first time a couple of weeks ago hauling a small tractor w/loader. DOT guy never said why he stopped me, just asked if I was a farmer (which I said yes) and if I was hauling for hire (I said no)....he says get outa here, farmers have enough problems!. Hopefully I am good for another 10 years or so, but I am thinking DOT is expanding their fund raising....
 
(quoted from post at 18:15:57 12/22/13) "I've been an occasional hauler for many years"

"if I was hauling for hire (I said no)...."

So you lied to get out of a ticket.

Well I didn't have to this time because it was my tractor....and don't tell me you have never lied or I'll call you a f***g liar LOL!
 
You're missing the part about the question; are you private or commercial. 10K isn't an automatic declaration of being commercial. If you're hauling your tractor to a show, not taking it to advertise your restoration skills for hire, not taking it to do work for pay, not using it in any sort of business activity, not taking it to a contest where you could win prize money, and don't have a sponsor helping to pay any expenses, you're private and exempt from commercial scrutiny.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top