U-Haul hauling a tractor

This message is a reply to an archived post by GMC Sprint on April 09, 2022 at 16:30:07.
The original subject was UHaul hauling a tractor.

The weakest link in light truck towing is the brakes.

Thankfully, the U-haul trailers have the inertia brakes on the hitch, so at least there is that.

Best to check your local and state laws regarding hauling laws an restrictions. Many states require your trailer must have electric brakes for one example. You can be ticketed if not and if the law officer really wants, can impound your vehicle. Also important that tractor is chained down with binders or HD straps, NO bungie cords or rope. All lights must also be working too. Your local UHAUL outlet can usually set you up to be legal with lights and brakes, but it's your responsibility for chaining down the tractor.

Tim PloughNman Daley(MI)

[b:654c4848f0]Many states require your trailer must have electric brakes[/b:654c4848f0]

Uh....
Surge brakes are legal by federal law for trailers under 20,000 lbs.
Problem is you need a heavy truck to use them.
A 5000 lb pickup can only pull a trailer that weighs 8,750 lbs with surge brakes.
You get between 12,000 lbs and 20,000 lbs and the ratio of truck to trailer weight gets closer.
That is why U-Haul wants to know what you are towing and what you are towing with.

[b:654c4848f0]NO bungie cords or rope[/b:654c4848f0]

Double Uh...
Per 393. Rope is a legal tie down as long as the rope is of size; material and quantity to cover the weight being tied down.
Such as 1 inch nylon rope is good for 1140 lbs.
With a 4 point tie down IE 4 pieces of rope we are talking tying down a 4500 lb tractor.

(reply to post at 05:47:21 12/27/22)

Click to expand...

any states require your trailer must have electric brakes[/b:a84ab6efd7]

Please site one state that requires electric brakes and does not allow surge brakes.

Such a law would make every Uhaul trailer illegal.[/b]

DoubleO7
The federal law use to be interpreted that electric brakes were required.
Since most state laws mirror federal laws the interpretation was the same.

I will try to explain it not word for word but in laymen terms.
Federal law required trailer brakes to work from one central control.
Some took this to mean the truck brake pedal as it activated both the truck and trailer brakes.
Federal law also required trailer brakes to work all the time.
Some took this to mean surge brakes were not good enough because they could not be activated on the side of the road during
an inspection.
So while federal and state laws did not outlaw surge brakes it was easy to interpret the law to say surge brakes were not
allowed.

Then in 2000 give or take 5 to 10 years some (mainly places like U-Haul) asked the federal DOT for an official
interpretation of the law.
The interpretation came back as surge brakes were legal.
They sighted that the brake pedal did activate the trailer brakes when the truck was in motion.
All you had to do was step on the truck brake pedal and both the truck and trailer brakes would work.
They also sighted that while surge brakes could not be tested on the side of the road they did work every time the truck
brakes were used while the truck was in motion.

But in the interpretation they added that surge brakes were only to be used on light and medium duty trailers.
They even gave weight restrictions that no trailers over 20,000 lbs could use surge brakes.
They also set weight limits for the truck when the trailer had surge brakes.
They wanted the truck to be heavy enough to activate the surge brakes.
For light duty trailers with a weight less than 12,000 lbs the limit is 1 to 1.75 ratio truck weight to trailer weight.
For medium duty trailers 12,000 lbs to 20,000 lbs the ratio is 1 to 1.25 lbs truck weight to trailer weight.

So while we have clarification today at one time surge brakes were illegal just by the laymen's interpretation of the laws
on the books. And more times than not a DOT officers interpretation of the law is the law.

Thanks for that explanation.

Surge brakes on boat trailers have been very common here in Florida and Alabama for twenty years. Maybe more since I did not get here until 2001.

Yes you can tie down that 4500 tractor with your 4 pieces of rope like that. You will also see all kinds of bouncing and rocking as the rope stretches and gives traveling down the road. I also don't like straps for that either since they do the same thing to some extent. I laugh at the ones paint and polish then put the strap through the rear casting with that sharp casting mold seem that will chaff the strap fast on it. As for the surge brakes I've seen them on trailers and would doubt the illegality of them just would be hard to test at a roadside stop for service ability though. I can also see where since it is not testable at a roadside check where they would be considered invalid by the officer. then it becomes the job of the driver to prove they are valid and working.

I can understand your point.
It would be hard to prove if the brakes are adjusted properly and working on the side of the road.
But I am of the mind if the drums are shinny and not rusted over its the officers job to prove they are not working properly.

The link is all the legal lawyer arm wrestling and testing that got the rules changed.
It is very long but if you scroll all the way down you can see the exact word changes that were made to part 393 that clarified that surge brakes are legal.
A Rule by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on 03/06/2007

I've rented several U-haul trailers. 16 ft open top tandem axles to 12 ft x 6 ft x 6 ft tandem enclosed trailers, they pull hard about like the wheels are locked, most of the surge brake master cylinders are rusted solid. They interrogate you about what you're going to haul. You say your hauling a 'tractor and they won't rent you a trailer, even if it's a Cub Farmall. The one open top car trailer I pulled about 500 miles had three out of four wheel bearings almost out of grease, first 150 miles at 70 mph 3 of 4 hubs too hot to touch. Talk about pulling hard!
I rent most times from local rental companies, some trailer sales companies also rent. Local hardware store had a Contractor's supply rental company under the same roof. Had a 12,000# cap. Corn Pro 16 ft Flatbed with 3-4 ft beavertail, rented it twice, hauled Dad's '51 Farmall M w/Stan-Hoist loader 200 miles home, guess the M weighed 6000-6500#, hauled SON'S '93 F-150 180 miles for him to part out, it was minus engine & transmission, so 3500#, maybe a bit more. They don't have trailers to rent anymore.
Last trailer I rented was a single axle open top box trailer, about 2 ft high sides by 8 ft long, hauled my new #2000 IH loader 600 miles home last Febuary. 1200 miles in about 20 hours.

Why can't the roadside brake test simply be trying to back up a trailer that has surge brakes??

Standard procedure is to lock the actuator with a pin if you want to backup the trailer. If you don't, the brakes will activate.

[b:654c4848f0]roadside brake test simply be trying to back up a trailer[/b:654c4848f0]

True
I never considered that.