3500 dually new law

[jaymxr]

Hello I'm on the market to buy a ram 3500 DRW and the dealer I'm working with told me that the highway patrol is making the dealerships have us consumer sign some documents that I won't be towing more than 14k if so I need to pay 800.00 more a year for registration for weight and get a Comercial drivers license. Now if the truck is rated to tow 29k why I'm I limited to only tow 14k. Anyone out there have this problem. I live in so California. Thanks

[BirchyBoy]

I don't think it's so much what the truck is rated for, but how much the state is willing to allow a driver to pull without receiving some sort of qualification. A commercial license might be too much, but I think an endorsement, like a motorcycle requires, is not too much to ask.

[Ken / Claudia]

That must be a state law. Thats not the law in Oregon at all. There is chapters of wt. regulations here for comm. vehicles. Comm. vehicles start at 10,000 lbs IF used for comm use. Such as a plumbers DRW 1 ton( license fees about 120 per year) but, not for a private DRW 1 ton (license fee 45 per year). My opinion is just that sounds like CA has found another way to tax road use. It maybe coming here someday.

[GaryWT]

In MA my 350 has to be inspected at a commercial station because it is over 10,000 lbs but has a regular registration but I was told if it was a DRW it would automatically be commercial no matter what the use.

[gearhead]

I'm guessing it's all about $$$.
Move to Texas!

[jtyphoid]

Not that I'm against anyone moving to Texas (after all, I did), but Texas requires anyone towing 10K or more to get a class A license - either a CDL if for profit or a non-commercial class A if for personal use.

At least the class A non-commercial is only $10 and a fairly simple written and driving test.

Forgot to add that this applies to any tow vehicle, even SRW.

[chuckster57]

I live in Ca and drive a 1ton dually. When I bought mine, I got some sort of notice from DMV about "commercial" (engaged in commerce) use of the truck. I filled out the form that said it was for personal use only and I just pay regular reg plus weight fees.

As far as towing a trailer, just go to the DMV on-line and it's all explained there:
If the TRAILER:

Is under 10,000 lbs GVWR, nothing special other than regular license.
10,001-15,000 lbs GVWR requires a "travel trailer endorsement", a written test only.
Over 15,000 GVWR requires a "non commercial" CDL, pretty much the commercial test but NO MEDICAL.

If I have the correct information, over 26001 combined lbs requires a CDL.

[crash]

So far nothing special here in Va. lets keep our fingers crossed ,Anyway I have had my CDL since back in the 80s when it was a chauffeurs license so I am good if they go that way

[sw342]

Not a new law at all. Like was posted it goes by your trailer weights. Lots of people unaware of what the rules are, though they are rarely enforced. Some Rv dealers who were on the ball also would let you know that the heavy trailer you are looking at would require a different license. Most would probably not say anything to jeopardize a sale, but would leave it up to you to find out the hard way.

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by jtyphoid

Not that I'm against anyone moving to Texas (after all, I did), but Texas requires anyone towing 10K or more to get a class A license - either a CDL if for profit or a non-commercial class A if for personal use.

At least the class A non-commercial is only $10 and a fairly simple written and driving test.

Forgot to add that this applies to any tow vehicle, even SRW.

When we moved up from the Cougar XLite to the Montana I wondered about the license issue. I had a RV shop install the 5th Airborne pinbox. There was a Harris County Sheriff Deputy there driving a "commercial vehicle inspection" truck. I asked him if I was required to get a different license. He looked at the sticker on the trailer and my truck, and said "no, you're good without one".
That's the best I can do until someone else pulls me over gives me a ticket.

[jtyphoid]

Originally Posted by gearhead

When we moved up from the Cougar XLite to the Montana I wondered about the license issue. I had a RV shop install the 5th Airborne pinbox. There was a Harris County Sheriff Deputy there driving a "commercial vehicle inspection" truck. I asked him if I was required to get a different license. He looked at the sticker on the trailer and my truck, and said "no, you're good without one".
That's the best I can do until someone else pulls me over gives me a ticket.

Actually, you can take a look at the Texas regulations on-line. You can also find the Texas CDL Handbook on-line. I'm certainly no lawyer, but they both seemed to agree that if your trailer has a GVWR over 10K then you need a Class A license.

Are you likely to get pulled over? Probably not.

The most difficult part, for me, of getting my Class A non-commercial was finding anyone at the local driver's license office who had ever heard of it and knew what test I needed to take and how to fill out the paperwork.

[Javi]

Originally Posted by gearhead

When we moved up from the Cougar XLite to the Montana I wondered about the license issue. I had a RV shop install the 5th Airborne pinbox. There was a Harris County Sheriff Deputy there driving a "commercial vehicle inspection" truck. I asked him if I was required to get a different license. He looked at the sticker on the trailer and my truck, and said "no, you're good without one".
That's the best I can do until someone else pulls me over gives me a ticket.

The weights and measures guy with the commercial vehicle inspection was only looking at it from a commercial point of view. However, there is both a class A and a class B non-commercial license which covers other vehicles including RV's and pickups pulling trailers like ours.

The ambiguity of both the online fact sheet and the handbook aside.. If you are running on a class c driver's license and are ever stopped by an attentive LEO while pulling a trailer that has a GVWR in excess of 10,000 pound you will be ticketed, of that there is no question. The question becomes which officer will be attentive enough to actually know that the law has been in effect for several years.

[gearhead]

I think I was on the other side of this issue a while back!
I looked on line and cut & pasted this.


Class A

Authorizes an individual to drive a vehicle or combination of vehicles:
1.Not described under a Class B or Class C driver license
2.With a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds including vehicles in Class B or Class C

My truck front GAWR is 5600. Rear is 7000. Total is 12,600.
My trailer gross is 12,500. Total for both is 25,100.

So I'm under the 26,000. I'm not a lawyer either. The part I 'm not sure of does it mean if I'm under 26,000 it doesn't matter what weight the trailer is???

[Javi]

Originally Posted by gearhead

I think I was on the other side of this issue a while back!
I looked on line and cut & pasted this.


Class A

Authorizes an individual to drive a vehicle or combination of vehicles:
1.Not described under a Class B or Class C driver license
2.With a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds including vehicles in Class B or Class C

My truck front GAWR is 5600. Rear is 7000. Total is 12,600.
My trailer gross is 12,500. Total for both is 25,100.

So I'm under the 26,000. I'm not a lawyer either. The part I 'm not sure of does it mean if I'm under 26,000 it doesn't matter what weight the trailer is???

If you only read the Class A then you are correct, however the Class C contradicts that...

Class C Driver License

A Class C driver license permits a person to drive:

1. A single vehicle or combination of vehicles that are not included in Class A or Class B; and

2. A single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of less than 26,001 lbs. towing a trailer

not to exceed 10,000 lbs. GVWR or a farm trailer with a GVWR that does not exceed 20,000 lbs.

[gearhead]

towing a trailer not to exceed 10,000 lbs.

But my trailer exceeds 10,000. So I'm reading that Class C doesn't apply to me.
My head hurts!

[jtyphoid]

Originally Posted by gearhead

towing a trailer not to exceed 10,000 lbs.

But my trailer exceeds 10,000. So I'm reading that Class C doesn't apply to me.
My head hurts!

That means that clause #1 under the Class A description applies to you, and you need a Class A.

[Javi]

Originally Posted by gearhead

towing a trailer not to exceed 10,000 lbs.

But my trailer exceeds 10,000. So I'm reading that Class C doesn't apply to me.
My head hurts!

The way it was explained to me was that because our trailers exceed the 10K GVWR then neither the Class C or the Class B fit us so... we got to go with the Class A. The most difficult part of the test is finding an appointment with a tester.... It seems very few offices have someone qualified to administer the driving test. Waco does it but only on certain days of the month and by appointment only.

[jtyphoid]

One more thing to watch out for: technically, you need someone with a Class A license to drive you and your rig to the test appointment. You don't want the testing officer to see you drive up to the test by yourself and start off the test with a citation.

[pakuma]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

I live in Ca and drive a 1ton dually. When I bought mine, I got some sort of notice from DMV about "commercial" (engaged in commerce) use of the truck. I filled out the form that said it was for personal use only and I just pay regular reg plus weight fees.

As far as towing a trailer, just go to the DMV on-line and it's all explained there:
If the TRAILER:

Is under 10,000 lbs GVWR, nothing special other than regular license.
10,001-15,000 lbs GVWR requires a "travel trailer endorsement", a written test only.
Over 15,000 GVWR requires a "non commercial" CDL, pretty much the commercial test but NO MEDICAL.

If I have the correct information, over 26001 combined lbs requires a CDL.

I got my CA Class A non-commercial and had to submit a physical which has to be renewed every 2 years.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by pakuma

I got my CA Class A non-commercial and had to submit a physical which has to be renewed every 2 years.

Your right. I didn't know that, thanks for the correction.