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Old 06-29-2018, 10:45 AM   #1
Javi
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Texas Class A Non CDL License

A few months ago there was a thread about the different classes of driver's licenses and what qualified you for each... After expounding on my experiences with the situation here in Texas I was advised by a couple of people that I was totally wrong... Funny thing is I don't believe that any of those folks actually reside in Texas..


Here is the funny thing about Texas...


The law says that for a class A NON-CDL (EXEMPT) driver's license is needed if the GCVWR of your truck and trailer is greater than 26,000 pounds if the trailer has a GVWR greater than 10,000 pounds.


That's all well and good... and some take that to mean that if the door sticker of the truck says 14,000 pounds then the GVWR is 14,000 pounds... Herein lies the conundrum, Texas allows you to register your truck (within reason) to a GVWR of less than the door sticker GVWR. For example you can register an F350 Dually for 9600 pounds GVWR... curb weight (7600 pounds) plus 2000 pounds.. “ONE TON” TRUCK.


Now take your license plate receipt to the DPS office to take your driving test for your new license, as is required by regulation.. OOPS.... you can't take the TEST... Your truck doesn't QUALIFY... because the GCVWR isn't more than 26,000 pounds... but the DOOR STICKER says it is... NOPE your REGISTRATION says it ain't...


Note... MY trailer has a GVWR of 12,300 pounds...




Before the experts start up again...


I actually took my old registration receipts for both my truck and my trailer to the Regional Office for Testing in WACO... and asked them if I needed a Class A license... the answer was a resounding NO from all six officers standing in the room... I then showed them a PHOTO of the door sticker from my truck... STILL NO...


Then I showed them the corrected registration receipt which reflects the 14,000 pound GVWR and they all said.... Huh.... Well NOW you need a class A...


I thanked them and said I'd be back...


Bottom line... if your combined GVWR is greater than 26,000 pounds check your registration receipt and correct it if necessary... and get your CLASS A NON-CDL license...
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Old 06-29-2018, 12:47 PM   #2
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Remember you heard this from me: The most misinterpreted thing in the United States of America is DOT REGULATIONS!!!! If I'm not mistaken California also has a NON CDL class A requirement of heavy RV's and by now there are probably other states that do too. Honestly, you can ask four DOT officers the same question and get four different answers about weights on RV's. This is NOT a knock on my DOT Brethren! It's just that so much can be open to interpretation and each state has it's own rules. I used to haul these RV's from Indiana and it was amazing how each state's rules differed!
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Old 06-29-2018, 12:52 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by Javi View Post
That's all well and good... and some take that to mean that if the door sticker of the truck says 14,000 pounds then the GVWR is 14,000 pounds... Herein lies the conundrum, Texas allows you to register your truck (within reason) to a GVWR of less than the door sticker GVWR. For example you can register an F350 Dually for 9600 pounds GVWR... curb weight (7600 pounds) plus 2000 pounds.. “ONE TON” TRUCK.
I wish California would let me do that with my toy hauler! CA goes by the trailer GVWR (not combined); over 15K you need a non commercial Class A, 15k or less you just need a simple Class C "endorsement" requiring only a written test. My toy hauler's GVWR is 16,755, but I don't get anywhere near that (more like 14K fully loaded according to CAT), I would happily "derate" it to 15K if they'd let me.
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Old 06-29-2018, 01:02 PM   #4
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I have a 96 F250 crew with 460 CID and I forget what the thing weighs but it is heavy and I have a 27' 5ver. I also have a Class B exempt. I wonder if I could get by on that if I actually needed a non-CDL license for an RV at some point. The Class B exempt is for driving a fire truck over 26K lbs gross. The big thing on the Class B exempt drivers test is to fully stop at railroad crossings, look in the rear view every second and don't hang your arm out the window when driving. There is a written test but it isn't anything like the CDL test. You need to know marker lamps and putting out flares and such. I was a volunteer fireman for 12 year with the Mico VFD but now retired.
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Old 06-29-2018, 01:55 PM   #5
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I have a 96 F250 crew with 460 CID and I forget what the thing weighs but it is heavy and I have a 27' 5ver. I also have a Class B exempt. I wonder if I could get by on that if I actually needed a non-CDL license for an RV at some point. The Class B exempt is for driving a fire truck over 26K lbs gross. The big thing on the Class B exempt drivers test is to fully stop at railroad crossings, look in the rear view every second and don't hang your arm out the window when driving. There is a written test but it isn't anything like the CDL test. You need to know marker lamps and putting out flares and such. I was a volunteer fireman for 12 year with the Mico VFD but now retired.
The class B just doesn't allow pulling a trailer over 10,000 pound if the GVWR of the truck and trailer combined equal more than 26,000 pounds.

https://www.dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense/dlClasses.htm

Also, I doubt your rig will fall under either "A" or "B" But you can check your door sticker and registration receipt for the truck and the Yellow sticker on the trailer and/or the registration receipt for the trailer..




As a note: Your mileage may vary on the sticker vs registration receipt when talking to the DPS or other LEO... The one thing I've learned on this three or four year journey is that you can ask 50 officers and get 50 answers, every one slightly different to completely contradictory ... just like any government agency...
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Old 06-29-2018, 05:10 PM   #6
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Hey Javi...some Tony's for my popcorn please.
So I bought the dually a few weeks ago. I had this conversation at the dealership. I asked what it would be rated at. "9600, we don't have anything to do with that, Austin does that". So why are they rating it at 9600 when it's 14,000? "I dunno, but I would let sleeping dogs lie".
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Old 06-29-2018, 05:26 PM   #7
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Hey Javi...some Tony's for my popcorn please.
So I bought the dually a few weeks ago. I had this conversation at the dealership. I asked what it would be rated at. "9600, we don't have anything to do with that, Austin does that". So why are they rating it at 9600 when it's 14,000? "I dunno, but I would let sleeping dogs lie".
They lied to you... As I told you my dealer did the same thing to me... After I couldn't take my test without changing the registration I went to my local County Clerk and in 5 minutes had a registration in my hand for 14,000 pounds.. Austin has nothing to do with it... Country Clerk does it...
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Old 06-29-2018, 05:54 PM   #8
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Hey Javi...some Tony's for my popcorn please.
So I bought the dually a few weeks ago. I had this conversation at the dealership. I asked what it would be rated at. "9600, we don't have anything to do with that, Austin does that". So why are they rating it at 9600 when it's 14,000? "I dunno, but I would let sleeping dogs lie".
http://www.txdmv.gov/registration-an...2-56-27/013-13 This is what they using to do the registration instead of supplying the GVWR as required when the MCO is present...

They're probably breaking some law...

You will probably be ok until some LEO decides to weigh you and you're over the 9600 pounds..
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Old 07-01-2018, 07:22 AM   #9
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This is the part that some dealers and County Clerks are screwing up on...

A vehicle accompanied by a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO) may be titled using the “Gross Vehicle Weight Rating” (GVWR), as shown on the MCO. The empty weight, or shipping weight, may be subtracted from the GVWR to obtain the carrying capacity.
COUNTY ACTION
Use the chart as a guide, only when the owner/applicant cannot provide a carrying capacity. The gross weight of a vehicle should not exceed the GVWR on a MCO; and, the carrying capacity should not be less than the manufacturer's rated carrying capacity.



The dealers and the County Clerks by ignoring this are putting the new vehicle owners at risk of several substantial fines should an observant LEO decide to get aggressive with the ticket book..
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Old 07-01-2018, 07:38 AM   #10
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This is what Texas law says about weights... No where is it stated the recreational vehicles are exempt from this law..


If the gross weight of your vehicle is found to exceed the
maximum gross weight allowed by law plus a tolerance
of 5%, you may be required to unload to the limit
provided by law plus the tolerance, or if the axle weight
is found to exceed the maximum allowed, the driver
may be required to rearrange the cargo or unload the
vehicle to the limits provided.

Trucks registered for less than the load they are hauling must secure additional registration up to the legal limit from the nearest County Tax Assessor-Collector.
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Old 07-01-2018, 08:50 AM   #11
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I have a Kentucky drivers license. I am allowd to weigh up to 80,000 pounds and up to 70' long non-commercial by KY law. If I pull my toy hauler down to Texas or California(doubt it), I am not required to have a special endorsement, correct? KY laws follow me I believe.
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Old 07-01-2018, 09:20 AM   #12
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Racebug,

You are correct, your license will cover you for interstate driving. BUT !!!!!

You must comply with all of the laws of the state you are operating in. That means that if Texas has a 65' maximum length, you can't pull a 70' trailer through Texas using your Kentucky license as an "excuse" to exceed the maximum length. Your license is for "operation of the vehicle" not "physical characteristics that exceed laws in another state"....

I get "caught up in that trap" with my rig and "triple towing".... Michigan maximum length is 75'. My rig is 73' long. I have the required "RV Triple Towing" endorsement on my driver's license. I'm legal in Michigan to tow my rig which is 73' long. When I cross the Ohio/Michigan state line and tow in Ohio, the maximum length is 65'. If I get stopped, I have the proper license to triple tow, but I'm violating Ohio law by being too long. So, if I were stopped, I wouldn't get a ticket for "operating without a license, but I could get a ticket for being too long....

California was stopping out of state motorhomes when the diesel pushers first came out with 45' motorhomes and giving the drivers a ticket for not complying with California driver's license endorsement requirements. Those tickets were later found not to meet interstate federal law.... If you're legal at home, you're legal in any state but it only applies to the actual license, not the physical equipment.

I hope that explanation makes sense to you.....
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Old 07-01-2018, 10:29 AM   #13
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I have a Kentucky drivers license. I am allowd to weigh up to 80,000 pounds and up to 70' long non-commercial by KY law. If I pull my toy hauler down to Texas or California(doubt it), I am not required to have a special endorsement, correct? KY laws follow me I believe.
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Racebug,

You are correct, your license will cover you for interstate driving. BUT !!!!!

You must comply with all of the laws of the state you are operating in. That means that if Texas has a 65' maximum length, you can't pull a 70' trailer through Texas using your Kentucky license as an "excuse" to exceed the maximum length. Your license is for "operation of the vehicle" not "physical characteristics that exceed laws in another state"....

I get "caught up in that trap" with my rig and "triple towing".... Michigan maximum length is 75'. My rig is 73' long. I have the required "RV Triple Towing" endorsement on my driver's license. I'm legal in Michigan to tow my rig which is 73' long. When I cross the Ohio/Michigan state line and tow in Ohio, the maximum length is 65'. If I get stopped, I have the proper license to triple tow, but I'm violating Ohio law by being too long. So, if I were stopped, I wouldn't get a ticket for "operating without a license, but I could get a ticket for being too long....

California was stopping out of state motorhomes when the diesel pushers first came out with 45' motorhomes and giving the drivers a ticket for not complying with California driver's license endorsement requirements. Those tickets were later found not to meet interstate federal law.... If you're legal at home, you're legal in any state but it only applies to the actual license, not the physical equipment.

I hope that explanation makes sense to you.....
What John said, but I will add that weight laws are a separate issue from driver's license laws.. Even with a proper license you can be ticketed, and/or impounded if you are in violation.

Texas driver's licenses classes while weight related https://www.dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense/dlClasses.htm

are a completely difference issue from the weight laws.. which are reflected in the vehicle registration and title.https://www.txdmv.gov/txdmv-forms/do...istration-fees
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Old 07-01-2018, 10:43 AM   #14
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Sounds like the states have found new and innovative ways to enhance their "revenue intake"!!
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Old 07-01-2018, 10:54 AM   #15
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Sounds like the states have found new and innovative ways to enhance their "revenue intake"!!
These laws have been on the books since the late 60's in Texas and in 2013 they removed the tonnage rating and went to a straight pound based registration system.. there is a link posted in one of my earlier postings in this thread..
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Old 07-01-2018, 10:54 AM   #16
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Sounds like the states have found new and innovative ways to enhance their "revenue intake"!!
Which is the main reason I keep urging people not to ignore their GVW/GCWR on tow vehicles. Gone (or fast departing) are the days of hitching a 38' 18,000 pound toyhauler to a F250 diesel and heading cross country. States are beginning to monitor these things and ticket/impound violations.

Currently, if you read the "arrests section" of any local newspaper, you'll read about OWI/DWI arrests where the policeman stopped a vehicle for a tail light out or a cracked windshield and "noticed the driver's impaired speech"..... Or the report of "officer noticed the smell of marijuana while approaching the vehicle".... Those stops were probably made because the officer noticed something and used the "excuse of a cracked windshield, etc to further investigate the situation.... I'm guessing it won't be long before police start using those kinds of stops to check GVW/GCWR on RV towing.... The more expensive road repairs get, the more "innovative" the means to get money to pay for the repairs......
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Old 07-01-2018, 11:01 AM   #17
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Oklahoma is really cracking down on the registration/weight and licensing issues.
Lot of horse trailers/tow vehicles being ticketed and impounded up there according to social media posts... Laws have been on the books for years... enforcement... that's a new thing and it's catching a lot of folks with their pants down..
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Old 07-01-2018, 11:45 AM   #18
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I'm guessing it won't be long before police start using those kinds of stops to check GVW/GCWR on RV towing.... The more expensive road repairs get, the more "innovative" the means to get money to pay for the repairs......
The DOT Officers in your state (or any state) differ from other LEO's in that they don't need probable cause to stop you. All you have to do is be driving a truck. They can inspect them at will.
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Old 07-01-2018, 12:32 PM   #19
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The DOT Officers in your state (or any state) differ from other LEO's in that they don't need probable cause to stop you. All you have to do is be driving a truck. They can inspect them at will.
This is true, but now, the local LEO's still need a "reason to stop you".... They are using tail lights, cracked windshields, etc as a "reason". Once they have you stopped, then looking at the door post/registration weights becomes "fair game..... DOT has never "needed a reason" just being there is sufficient for them to stop you.... Other LEO's, however, still have to be "creative" if there's no apparent violation......

In many locations it's not DOT that is doing the ticketing, it's the locals who are looking for an additional source of revenue...... Forewarned is forearmed.....
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Old 07-03-2018, 05:20 PM   #20
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Hmmm....what to do, what to do. Truck is 14,000 GVWR and 5th is 12,500 GVWR.
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