DOT laws, regs, etc. question

[stocky]

Are there new laws and regulations in place and more coming into place that will change what a person needs to haul his own animals to a sales barn or home from a sales barn or even from one pasture to another if he uses a public road? I sell at a sales barn across the MO-AR state line from me, is there going to be something needed to be able to do that? Currently, I simply haul my own cattle whenever and where ever I want with just the farm license plate for the vehicle and trailer. Does anyone know if that is changing or has changed? The reason I ask is that I purchased some cattle from Wyoming and the DOT people told the owner that for him to use his own pickup and trailer to deliver those cattle, he would have to get a DOT number, several permits, fuel permit, etc. plus he would not be allowed to drive, he would have to get a person with a CDL to drive his pickup for him. The DOT told him the Federal Government is taking over DOT and everyone is under these new laws, it is no longer state by state. Was he told by them correctly?

 

[circlew]

I haven't heard that.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I don't know what kind of permits it would be.possible on the dot number.And yes pulling any trailer over 10.000 gvw you have to have a cdl.I have not heard anything about it all beeing the same in every state for every law.

 

[Angus Cowman]

I don't know what kind of permits it would be.possible on the dot number.And yes pulling any trailer over 10.000 gvw you have to have a cdl.I have not heard anything about it all beeing the same in every state for every law.

if you are hauling a farm product with farm tags a CDL is not requiredNO matter what the weight is but a medical card is if the combine GVWR is in excess 26,001lbs
they have been trying to change alot of the laws but as far as I know nothing much has changed
I don't beleive what the man was told is correct if he isn't hauling FOR HIRE especially if he is just driving a pick up and gooseneck unless he is saying he is doing it FOR HIRE
I learned along time ago that you can get 10 DOT officers and they can interpret the law 10 different ways

I know when I bought my last semi I had to jump thru hoops because I ran over 150 miles from home just coming to Jeds and had to get DOT #s and IFTA permits

 

[tom4018]

They had some meetings earlier this year here in Ky about this. The GVWR of more than 10,000 changes things which most 1 ton trucks will meet. You have to have the vehicle inspected for one. DOT number not required here as long as you are within 150 air miles or do not cross a state line. That is some of the things they told us, I would call your state DOT to see what I need.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I don't know what kind of permits it would be.possible on the dot number.And yes pulling any trailer over 10.000 gvw you have to have a cdl.I have not heard anything about it all beeing the same in every state for every law.

if you are hauling a farm product with farm tags a CDL is not requiredNO matter what the weight is but a medical card is if the combine GVWR is in excess 26,001lbs
they have been trying to change alot of the laws but as far as I know nothing much has changed
I don't beleive what the man was told is correct if he isn't hauling FOR HIRE especially if he is just driving a pick up and gooseneck unless he is saying he is doing it FOR HIRE
I learned along time ago that you can get 10 DOT officers and they can interpret the law 10 different ways

I know when I bought my last semi I had to jump thru hoops because I ran over 150 miles from home just coming to Jeds and had to get DOT #s and IFTA permits

That is interesting i was told by a dot officer that farm or no farm you had to have a cdl.I do so it didn't matter but i thought that it was the way you said it is when i was told.

 

[herefordlover]

i do know missouri farm plates are only spose to be good for 70 miles that dont get inforced and we go way over that at times ....

 

[stocky]

Thanks, everyone. I have 24,000 farm tags on both my 1 ton pickups, one is a dually, the other is not. I pull a 24 foot trailer. This is the same that the guy from Wyoming was told he had to have CDL driver, fuel permits, hauling permits, etc. I have been told that 26,000 and less no CDL is needed, but you can't get over 150 miles from home. I cross the state line every time I take animals to sell. Everyone I talk to has a different story from the DOT or license bureau, or state highway patrol. I was even told all the confusion and problems with interpretations are intentional so that they can raise more revenue through more citations. Sounds like it is for sure that the Federal law is 26,000 lbs, but then the states have alot of confusing additions. Also, what I read from the DOT is that beginning Jan. 1, 2013, there will be very strict enforcement. Thanks for all the replies

 

[Angus Cowman]

i do know missouri farm plates are only spose to be good for 70 miles that dont get inforced and we go way over that at times ....

I know that is true on local farm tags but with Beyond local tags with a farm sticker you can travel anywhere in the US as long as you were on farm related business
I had farm tags on my semi and as long as I was hauling my own goods or equipment I was legal but if I hauled ANYTHING for anyone else even for free I wasn't legal this coming from MoDOT when I licensed my semi

Farm to Market transit has a whole different set of rules than commercial use
also a CDL IS required if you are over 150 air miles from home

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Thanks, everyone. I have 24,000 farm tags on both my 1 ton pickups, one is a dually, the other is not. I pull a 24 foot trailer. This is the same that the guy from Wyoming was told he had to have CDL driver, fuel permits, hauling permits, etc. I have been told that 26,000 and less no CDL is needed, but you can't get over 150 miles from home. I cross the state line every time I take animals to sell. Everyone I talk to has a different story from the DOT or license bureau, or state highway patrol. I was even told all the confusion and problems with interpretations are intentional so that they can raise more revenue through more citations. Sounds like it is for sure that the Federal law is 26,000 lbs, but then the states have alot of confusing additions. Also, what I read from the DOT is that beginning Jan. 1, 2013, there will be very strict enforcement. Thanks for all the replies

when i said you had to have the cdl I may have been wrong because of the farm use deal that ac brough up. But i know on anything else you would and it is anything over 26,000 on a single vehicle and no matter what the vehicle is pulling it and what weight it is licensed for any trailer over 10,000 it is required.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

NY is being a real stickler on the DOT regs.
Effective July 5, 2006 - Any pickup (GVWR 10,000+ hauling a trailer) used for business purposes (even hauling 4-H calves) has to have DOT number and business name on door if GVWR is 10,000 or more or COMBINED GVWR is 10,000+. Anything over 26,000 combined GVWR weight (trk & trlr), you must have a CDL (no matter how far). I know, my truck is my "car", but when it's hooked to my trailer, I am illegal driving it.
GVWR is what's actually printed on the door of your truck - not what you have it registered as.
Supposedly, the Nat'l Truckers association claims that all agricultural vehicles are exept from this law - but states are interpreting it differently.
I ran an article in my newsletter. We've had DOT & state troopers give talks about it.

 

[Crazy Farmgirl]

Obviously each state is different. In Michigan ANY vehicle used in commerce (including farms) must have DOT numbers displayed on vehicle, company name on the vehicle and the driver must have a CDL if GVWR is 10,000lbs or more (farmers can get a "F" endorsement but that is only good within 150 mi radius of your farm), must have vehicle inspections on all vehicles used in commerce (including agriculture). This is for hauling ONLY for your personal business/farm if you haul "FOR HIRE" then you must have the appropriate CDL and Medical card and all the proper permits for what you are hauling. If you plan to cross the state line then you must meet all federal regulations. This all took effect Jan. 1, 2011 here and the weighmaster has been out in full force pulling over everything he can and ticketing anything that was non compliant.

 

[Bigfoot]

Does anybody know approximately how much a 2007 3/4 ton Chevrolet pickup with a gas burner would weigh?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Does anybody know approximately how much a 2007 3/4 ton Chevrolet pickup with a gas burner would weigh?

It doesn't matter how much it WEIGHS or how much you register it for - it's what the GVWR is listed on the door of the truck.
As you can see - there is a LOT of discrepincies in knowledge about these regs. You will find the State Troopers & the DOT interprit many different ways.

 

[Dave]

Here any thing with the capability to haul over 16,000 pounds for commercial use (that includes ag) has to have DOT number. For ag use you don't need a CDL. At this point they are only pulling over people with no number. But those who get pulled over get an entire safety inspection and generally a big ticket. I heard for the ex vp of the state cattleman's assoc that if you go across the state line you need another permit but I don't remember what it is.

 

[stocky]

I stopped by the License Bureau today with my question. They looked at me like I was nuts. They said we sold you 24k plates and you are pulling your farm products to sell or what you bought, you don't need anything else. They said they have had no instructions that anything is changed from that. I told them of the problems others have had and the boss just gave me about a 50 pages book and said look it up, they just sell license plates and titles. They are not in the business of interpreting laws that are so confusing that even enforcement agencies can't agree on.

 

[DLD]

From Oklahoma Country, Fall 2012 (Oklahoma Farm Bureau's magazine);

Federal transportation bill clarifies long-standing issues with farm vehicles

"The new federal transportation bill passed June 29 includes exemptions for farmers and ranchers and covered farm vehicles from several federal regulations. The language helps to clarify current transportation laws and removes inconsistencies that make it more difficult for Farm Bureau members to transport their products.

The language exempts a covered farm vehicle, including the individual operating that vehicle, from requirements to obtain a commercial drivers license, medical certificates, hours of service restrictions and any requirement relating to vehicle inspection, repair and maintenance. These exemptions apply for any properly marked farm vehicle that weighs less than 26,001 pounds, and also for farm vehicles that weigh more than 26,001 pounds and are traveling within the state or within 150 air miles of their farm if that vehicle were to cross a state line..."

(rest of article just talks about Farm Bureau's efforts, and those of the legislators who helped to get this clarification included in the federal transportation bill)

I have read this from other sources as well, this just was the simplest version I found. So these are the federal regulations, in a nutshell. State regulations seem to vary greatly, however.

Most of the problems I hear of people having are with 26,000# + vehicles (which would include most late model one ton trucks pulling a trailer with tandem 7000# axles, or greater). It would appear that lighter rated, farm tagged, truck/trailer combinations are pretty much free from current federal regulations.