Running a Semi on the farm? Tags and licensing?

I know some of this varies a bit by state but we bought a semi and need to figure out how much red tape we will have to deal with. In our state it seems we can get a ag tag for it and have to put "not for hire" on it but there is also issues with the driver's license. In our state, they indicate if we operate within 150 air miles of the farm, we need only a class A and can sidestep such things as log book, etc, but I know we will need to run it a few times outside that radius.

What is frustrating is we might do this a few times/yr. I am not familiar with all the procedures but I know the cops just look for semis so our paperwork needs to be in line.

Thoughts on all this?

Thought is ask the DMV.

Every state is different, check with your state's DMV. Those are questions to ask before making a large purchase. If the semi will pay for itself on the shorter hauls, I would hire someone to do your hauling outside the farm limit. Would the trailer also have farm plates, so someone else couldn't pull it outside the limits?

I have been trying to get in touch with someone with the state but not much info just yet. Per my reading online, it looks like the tagging of the tractor and trailers is straight forward and should be able to operate outside the state as long as it is "not for hire". There is a provision for tagging the tractor only as ag, but trailers seems to have one basic tag regardless.

It seems only the licensing is at issue, being that once we step outside the 150mi limit, we need a CDL and subject to all the inspections and such as a commercial truck.

It is a bit frustrating to have to cross all the T's just for a few trips but our thinking is these trips might make the difference for us in having it.

What state are you in?

I would check with the farm bureau as they probably have info related to your situation. Of course the publications from the DMV have the info but it can be confusing how much of it you need to follow for farm plates.

If you don't already have a CDL, I would stop into you DMV and pickup the study material for a CDL and any info available on farm tags. Farm tag are only a limited exemption from some of the rules, not a completely different topic, dispite what some people want to believe. You will be ahead to know all the requirements.

I can say that in Indiana you do not need a cdl if you are hauling you own product and stay in state.( heard you can cross state lines if you farm on both sides). Another thing is you can plate your truck for empty weight if you are only hauling product off of your farm for sale,but you cant not haul stone or crop inputs or such. I have a article from the Indiana farm bureau some where on all of the rules. Seems like the cops leave the farmers alone around here.

Im in KS. I have verified from officials that the tags are straight forward and applicable in all 50 states as well as trailer plates but seems we would be bound by all the requirements of any commercial trucker otherwise.

I am trying to understand the fuel permits, dot numbers, and UCR fees right now.

external_link's DOT was threatening to require DOT numbers and cdl's, fuel permits, insurance ect, for all farm equipment, on and off road a few years ago. The US Congress passed specific legislation and tied it to the road funding bill to prevent veto to rein in the DOT on this issue. All farm equipment and farm vehicles carrying your own material, grain, machinery ect, within 150 miles from your home are exempt from everything with the exceptions of maintenance logs on trucks over 26000 lbs and DOT numbers if you cross state lines. States can still enact limited specific rules tho so check with your state DOT.

Do NOT ask your local DMV. Most of
the time they are clueless. Get in
touch with the vehicle enforcement in
the states in question. Get answers
along with officer name and rank.
Enforcement division is who you will have to deal with anyway.

I know if you run under 5000 miles a year you don't have to pay 2290 heavy hiway use tax. In most states
if your truck grosses over 23,000 lbs or has air brakes you have to have a cdl. I have seen one ton
trucks pulling 40ft trailers ticketed for not having a cdl.

Fastline: The fuel permit is just that a sticker. It is a registration for the feds to keep up with the fuel bought and used by state. It is payed to the state you live in and then apportioned out by them to the listed states. It is much easier than in the old days where you had to send it to each state. The UCR is the replacement for the old single state registration. It lists the states you are registered to run in. You pay per truck and trailer with that one, so if you have one truck and one trailer you pay one price then if you add a trailer you pay some more. Not sure just how it is figured other than the per truck and per trailer.
The fuel or (ifta) is figured and payed quarterly. The UCR is and annual deal. The DOT is what they use now in place of using the old ICC number.
Now if you have not had enough you will get to pay property tax in AR,KS,Ky if you cross them based on the miles and value of the equipment. Then there is a Highway Use Tax (HUT) that has to be paid if you cross NY,NM,KY,OR based on miles in the state, in NY you will need to keep track of the toll and non-toll miles as there is a difference in the tax rate for tollroads versus non-toll roads.
And now of course you will need to go to the electronic logs starting in either the end of 16 or 17.

If your not going to need many trips it would probably be less problems to hire the out of state trips with a reputable carrier. Depending on the product it can be quite easy to get carriers.

If you put farm tags on the truck you are allowed to run within 150 miles of your farm without a CDL; medical card; or log book. The catch is you can only haul product to and from the farm.

You will still need a DOT number; Ifta fuel permit; and your farm name painted on the door.

If you go outside the 150 miles your farm tag is still good but you lose the CDL; medical card; log book exemptions.

went to the dot website... If I stay in state,, I dont need a dot.... for farm use.

I'm in Kansas and have verified this with a friend who is a DOT officer.

Kansas did away with the 150 mile rule. If you stay in state all you need is a farm class A. That
test is a driving test and written test (for farm A the written test is just the regular car test). You do
not need an IFTA sticker if you stay in state. You can buy day passes but they must be purchased
in the state you are traveling to. You can haul commodities or items owned by you (like me driving
the semi and trailer to pick up a tractor I bought). I thought we were all going to have to get DOT
numbers but Pauline says not yet. I'm not sure about "not for hire" posting as mine have both the
farm name and Not For Hire posted on them already so I haven't worried about it. I know here
when you go get your class A for farm it isn't anything like CDL (which I have for bus &
passenger). You don't pretrip or anything for farm.

Do yourself a favor. Get a rule book, and READ it. Don't take it from opinions from a tractor forum. You will get as many different answers as there are posters.
Regulations do vary from state to state. Advice is to comply with your state's regulations while operating within the farm exemption area (150 mile radius?), and comply with federal regulations when outside that area.
Rule books are published by J. J. Keller, and are readily available.

P.S. I drove big trucks for 20 years. When in doubt, I looked it up. I sure don't know all of the rules. That is why trucking companies pass out new books every year or two.

(quoted from post at 13:32:33 09/12/16) Im in KS. I have verified from officials that the tags are straight forward and applicable in all 50 states as well as trailer plates but seems we would be bound by all the requirements of any commercial trucker otherwise.

I am trying to understand the fuel permits, dot numbers, and UCR fees right now.

Click to expand...

If you live and will operate in Kansas then go find your local police agency that enforces your STATE commercial motor vehicle laws, not the local PD or County sheriff that may or may not know his stuff. Tell them EXACTLY what you want to do and get the answers in writing if possible or at least get the sections you need to abide by so you can refer to them. Law on this stuff varies widely from state to state. Your state farm bureau may be able to help too. DO NOT take the word of someone in another state as gospel for your state.