Re: Hauling your tractor and the D.O.T.

Posted by F20II on April 28, 2003 at 11:06:51 from (208.187.159.181):

In Reply to: Hauling your tractor and the D.O.T. posted by rustyfarmall on April 28, 2003 at 08:16:18:

I own an drive a commical rig 48 states, most weeks over 3300 miles, I also haul my own tractors with a dually an trailer all over the country as well. What your talking about is only if you haul for hire or other peoples equipment.
Most of these laws have been in affect for some time, the only newer laws that have come in to affect are weight wise(some states). I strongly advise you look at each state your in to see what they require, note; no two states can agree on the DOT reg's, nor can two DOT officers, they all say they follow the rules that are put fourth in the reg's but if you talk to each one they read the book the way they see it. I have gotten in some very interesting conversations in scale house's reguarding this subject, leave the scale house with the people inside still disagreeing on what was what an what the law reads.

I have been looking into buying a old truck like a Transtar II. I have ask all across the country or in a least 40 some states about hauling my own equipment to shows. I have also ask the State of Washington about home base plates so maybe I can clean up at least something in your mind.

First, Nation wide if you do not haul for "hire" you are not required to pay road tax's in each state you drive in an do not fall under Interstate Commerce regulations. This means you do not have to have a ICC number, nor you have to buy the high price truck insurance. A word to the wise though is make sure you have enought insurance to cover your equipment, you can buy trip insurance if you don not move the vehicle more than a few days a month. NOW!!! if you ever haul anything, an I mean "anything" that you have "forsale" then all bets are off. You can not ever haul "anything" you want "to trade" or have "sold" to someone else, if you do then you have to have insurance for truck an cargo as well you "must have an ICC number", "pay the road tax's" in each state that you have hauled said equipment in. Also, at least in Washington State an most states I have ask, your base plate will be charged for the weight of the load you haul (ie: 80,000 gross etc). In some states there is no antique plate's for tractor trailers ( tractor
trailers meaning the tractor that pulls a semi trailer) only pickups an cars, however they do
have a Farm plates in every state that I ask that can go on tractor trailers (semi's) for farm use but are restricted in most states no all to 150 miles from the farm.

Ok now in some of the states if you are hauling for yourself an "not for hire" (which has to put on side of truck on 4" letters) you do not have to cross an truck scales. But it is strongly advise that you do anyway because of weight restrictions on roads an that you don't waste there time stopping you because you by-passed the
scale. Now I'm no saying that if you are driving your pickup an have it loaded you have to stop I'm only talking about Semi trucks or pickups with trailer that exceed over 16,000 pounds or as required by the state law in which you are driving. Again the reason is that you do not have to stop is you are not a comercal vehicle, "not for hire" an do not fall under ICC reg's. BUT !!you do fall under weight limits for each state an "can not" haul overloaded. Overloaded being the amount of weight per each axle on the truck per state weight limits an bridge laws, if you do haul overloaded then you are subject to stiff fines.

Now one more thing, alot of states now have changed there weight laws as far as crossing there state(DOT) scale's, this is because of what is called hot shots (pickup trucks with fifth wheel trailers) hauling stuff under which is under
20,000pds. These hot shots were getting away with alot because the old law said if you were under 20,000 in some states an 16,000 in others even if you were hauling for hire you didn't need to stop at scales. Well alot of the states now have change
there weight restrictions to 12,000pds to get these guys because they were hauling overloaded alot, as well there equipment was not in tip top shape. Now in most state, not all states they have changed the law and even if you do not haul for hire you must cross the scale so they can make sure you are legal weight wise, an not hauling someone else's equipment.

Sorry I'm so long winded, but alot of people have got nicked over the years for hauling either someone else's equipment or being overweight an not stopping at scales when they should.

So here is what I have ask DOT people:
a. Is there any plate's for semi's other than farm plate's, answer was no(State of Washington)
b. Can I buy a yearly lic plate for equipment, answer was yes you can buy a regular truck
plate at the cost of what year an weight to be hauled ( State of Washington)
b. If I haul my own equipment "NOT FOR HIRE" do I fall under ICC or DOT reg's, answer was no
note: I can not haul any other equipment other than my own "ever", this means even if I haul a
friends tractor for free, or one small item to sell at a show even if it's mine to sell I will fall under the term "comercial" an be required to buy ICC number an permits an be subject to DOT reg, (ie: log books, insurance an all}.

I have not ask these questions in all states but all the DOT scales I have stopped at an ask they
all seem to be along the same line's. Hope this helps a little, sorry for being so long winded, an some of the spelling may not be the best but I don't have a spell checker on my lap top for the truck.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Re: Hauling your tractor and the D.O.T. rustyfarmall 14:03:20 04/28/03 (0)
• Re: Re: Hauling your tractor and the D.O.T. sammy the RED 13:22:51 04/28/03 (0)

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