Cdl for pickup and 20,000 gvw trailer

How many of you guys have been stopped with pickups and trailers and been asked if you have your Cdl,for not for hire/private use? Do you stop at weigh stations? Im located in Ohio.

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I have lived in Ohio and Pennsylvania hauling pulling tractors for 40 years, I have never gone across a set of scales and do not have a CDL. My brother does have his CDL and he also goes past the scales unless he is driving his tractor trailer.

My luck might run out tomorrow, but so far so good.

My thoughts as well..some people seem to have the stories of being pulled over and having issues. I dont worry about it being in the same state Im licensed in but more crossing state lines.

I have a cdl so doesnt apply to me but I dont cross scales unless Im in a big truck

The state of Virginia has declared war on anything over 10,001# if it has a trailer behind it, even if they think you might be making a dime with it. Friend of my got pulled last week and red tagged with his 16 ft box trailer because his break-away cable was broken. Was told he had ten days to get a medical card and a DOT number. He was going to get siding for his own house. Another one got the same deal hauling his skid steer loader with a Dually truck and a tandem axle dual wheel trailer, put him over 26,001 and he was told he had to have a CDL, medical card and Dot number. Had to get a friend with CDL to come and get his truck and trailer. We live in WV and never see a DOT officer. We have a farm exemption up to 80,000# that allows us to haul our tractors and equipment without issue, but don't cross the line into VA or you are in trouble.

Ohio has many portable scales set up on roads with places to weigh and do DOT inspections so not going over the scales is kind of mute in OH. The DOT usually has a white van they carry the scales and such in. I have not had issue with Ohio other than speed over the years. Some of the most polite officers in the business. I used to run from Sugar Creek to MI by way of 250 and 224 up to Mi no scales and no place to do that along there. Barely enough room for the shoulder as it is. Used that route for lots of hauling from ESE OH to MI also used 20 and 30 some though they have added some places in 30 for inspections. I never cross a scale if it is reasonable to avoid it. I used to run from MI to TX or MT without crossing a scale and even to other places with out it. did have to cross them in FL since they put the Ag inspections next to the scales on 75.

Fifteen years or so ago the state put on a special enforcement initiative on pick-ups and trailers. I didn't get stopped myself but I heard from guys that were. They were mainly after landscapers that had graduated to bigger heavier equipment, but of course all kinds got stopped and summonsed.

Missouri pretty much leaves us alone if we are under 26,000....Most of us pullers drive right by the weigh stations with no problems but I guess that could all change one of these days..

Even if your over the 26,000lbs if you have farm plates they leave us alone in Missouri

We had the luxury of dealing with Iowa dot years ago. Long story short if your GCWR of your rig is over 26,000 you better have a CDL, DOT number, medical card and log book. We were driving a ram cummins dually and a 30 ft dual tandem gooseneck behind us with a tractor cab and a few other small items on the trailer. Made us sit for 45 minutes til it got settled on a $300 fine for no log book or dot number and thankfully my brother was driving and he had a cdl.

Thank You Scott
Best laugh I have had in a long time.

You never know who is going to say anything about trucks. I have one scale I cross every two weeks,I deliver across the street from them. I here all of the scale house conversations across their PA. THe sign says anything over 8 tons must stop,I guarantee you will get a sharp retort from them if you pull up with a 1 ton or under. I asked a Missouri Truck Enforcement Officer Still dot to me. Plain old 2500 Chevy 2wd pulling a camper,do I need the 18,000 plate to keep everyone happy? 13,000 total weight. He told me no because they were never going to pull me over for a weight check,the but was if you were ever in an accident and being heavy was ever in question then I might really be glad for the heaver plate. But no I did not need flares or fire extinguisher. The best part about the MO 18,000# plate, is there is only one, so my Farmall plate can go on the rear!

(quoted from post at 19:06:12 12/29/21) You never know who is going to say anything about trucks. I have one scale I cross every two weeks,I deliver across the street from them. I here all of the scale house conversations across their PA. THe sign says anything over 8 tons must stop,I guarantee you will get a sharp retort from them if you pull up with a 1 ton or under. I asked a Missouri Truck Enforcement Officer Still dot to me. Plain old 2500 Chevy 2wd pulling a camper,do I need the 18,000 plate to keep everyone happy? 13,000 total weight. He told me no because they were never going to pull me over for a weight check,the but was if you were ever in an accident and being heavy was ever in question then I might really be glad for the heaver plate. But no I did not need flares or fire extinguisher. The best part about the MO 18,000# plate, is there is only one, so my Farmall plate can go on the rear!

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504, there you have the crux to the whole issue. Anyone can drive an illegal rig for a million miles without a problem, but then when something goes wrong it is an entirely different story, and one's world can be suddenly turned upside down. Like Nancy Howell and her 'phone.

Wow. I have my Cdl but have never stopped at weigh stations or been messed with yet. Dont have a valid medical card, here in Ohio theres Cdl self certification (4 categories)to choose from. I dont use my Cdl but dont want to give it up so I can pick medical certificate exemption and keep my Cdl. I just need to get a physical and send it in to state and change my category and Im good to go.

Thats kind of what brought up this discussion.last week in Ohio two dually pickups with bumper pull box trailers were pulled over in the same spot, two hours apart by the highway patrol and dot .looked like personal trucks

Last summer they were stopping EVERY truck, suv, motorhome or car if it was pulling a trailer of any kind in Southern Illinois to see if you had the correct plate for weight rating of the trailer. The DMV started selling ST plates to everyone telling them a one time fee and you are good to go. ST plates are a semi trailer plate, and now they are trying to get that straightened out. They did that when trailer plate fees went stupid expensive here. My annual renewal fee on a 10K trailer is $360

(quoted from post at 18:11:38 12/29/21) Thank You Scott
Best laugh I have had in a long time.

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Happy to help where I can!!

Funny thing about me is that since I cant pass a medical, I cant drive a F550 with a bucket truck mounted to it weighing 19000 lbs. But I can pull a 41 foot toy hauler RV with a pickup weighing 28000 lbs anywhere.

(quoted from post at 10:01:38 12/31/21) Funny thing about me is that since I cant pass a medical, I cant drive a F550 with a bucket truck mounted to it weighing 19000 lbs. But I can pull a 41 foot toy hauler RV with a pickup weighing 28000 lbs anywhere.

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Tony, convert that bucket truck to something that can not be used to make money and you will be able to drive it anywhere you want.

[b:654c4848f0]But I can pull a 41 foot toy hauler RV with a pickup weighing 28000 lbs anywhere[/b:654c4848f0]


Yes those RV manufactures sure do have some powerful smoke filled back room lobbyist with deep pockets.
CDL laws would have essentially put RV manufactures out of business

Almost lost my coffee. :O

Scott, you must be on your fourth kettle of popcorn by now. LOL

(quoted from post at 10:12:28 01/04/22)
Scott, you must be on your fourth kettle of popcorn by now. LOL

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No, it is just about time to get the bigger bag out, though.

Well lets go back to the day all this CDL B/S started , that was a monday evening at midnight that the CDL went into affect many moons back . My one friend and i had gone to a sale out west that Saturday before , We took Donny semi , i got stuck driving it . Donny and had a field day at the sale and had acquired just about five semi loads of STUFF between the two of us . I bought two 706 Gassers a 1066 and a 560 for tractors got some nice plows and disc bought and some other STUFF Donny got like five tractors bought and a bunch of other Stuff . Sale was winding down and don said give me your check book and i'll go settle up and you try and get the truck into the dock . I got into the dock ok about the time he came out of the office with our bills and pick up tickets . He said ya want to make it and easy load or do you want to stack Iron . I said easy , i would like to get the two 706's home and the 560 so the one 706 with the wide ft. can go up on the top deck the narrow ft can go backed on the 560 and nest next to it and we can get a couple more narrow on and set sale and be home by midnight . So that is what we did . Come monday i went down to his place to start bring home my treasures , i loaded the narrow 560 and the narrow 706 on one load and brought them back to the shop and dropped them and went back after the wide ft. . As i was coming home as i was about to make my turn north off the US highway up the state road.i saw a state bear coming at me off a good ways and i had plenty of time to make a safe turn to the left and i did so . It was just after sunset but still light , i had my lights on i could see my side lights on the trailer were all on and as i am paddling along thru the 35 Mph Zone i look in the mirrow and i see Mr. Bear coming with the hammer down and lights on , Humm he is in a hurry and i pull over in a wide spot to let him on by , Nope he pulls in behind me , and the one thing about Buckeye bears that you learn over time of dealing with then is HOW they get out of the car . as he got out and Screwed his hat on his head i knew this was going to be badas he has and attitude . so here he comes he stops at the neck of the trailer and writes down all the info on the tag. He next comes up to the truck and just plum jerked the drivers door open and looks at the sticker and writes down that info then asked for license and reg. . He looks at my license as it was the OLD Chauffeurs and looked at me and said COME MIDNIGHT YOU CAN NOT DRIVE THIS TRUCK AND TRAILER anymore . and we had a few words . i said what do you mean this is MY truck MY trailer and MY tractor NOPE you are over the 26000 GVW . Just like back then a lot of bears would stop you for doing over 55 and try and write you up and would IF you did not know the law . My truck empty weight was 7500 on the money full of fuel and me and my junk so it was UNDER the 4 ton limit as anything OVER 4 ton/ 8000 lbs EMPTY weight could only do 55 so my unladen weight was UNDER and i could drive the same speed as cars , And when i had the trailer on i was now 15000 lbs and my Laden weight . But since the tow vehicle was under i could run the 65 . Had to point that little unknown fact out several times . along with them wanting to know what i was doing or going or coming from . Stayen up on driving laws is a wise thing to do . At times bring out the Ohio revised code BOOK when one is tryen to Feed you a line of B/S and yes they do do that . But any way i was NOT going to get the CDL just so my Buddy would stop wanting to ALWAYS drive the semi when we went to the sales . BUT i ended up running around like a wild man to get it so i could go to the sales . The three part test took me less then and hour to get , While taking the test i saw a lot of old friends from my coal bucket days tryen to take the test and many failed and lost there jobs . Not that they were bad drivers as they really were great drivers and had driven many years , they just may not have been the smartest in test taking . I missed one question on each test whoopy dingdong fizz . IMHO it was a total Joke Did tasking this test make me a better driver then i was NO all it told me is i can take a multiple guess test and pass it . Just because you can pass a test either written or driving does not make you a driver As we can see on the highways today.