Even dead-heading with long but empty trailer requires permit?

[lion_singh]

Please help me with a newbie question. I have no heavy haul experience. The question I am asking is certainly dumb but surely has a good logical answer which I hope some of you will shed light on.


I am preparing a future heavy haul business plan for which I am evaluating purchase of 55 ton RGB like the Fontaine Magnitude 55H or the XL Specialized 110 HDG or something similar. These trailers have about 13 to 15 foot of bogie (the fixed tri axle at the back), about 25 to 29 feet of deck well, and then about 8 to 9 more feet to the kingpin. I am based out of California and I plan to run all 48 states. I researched California trailer length rules and I see that California requires kingpin to rear axle be no more than 40 feet. Other states probably have similar rules. So from the trailer dimensions I mentioned, there is no way these kind of 55ton RGB trailers would qualify to run in California and possibly many other states. So how come these trailers are able to run all over the country including California? I believe purchasing permit when loaded lets them run on the roads but what about the case of running when empty? Do they require permits to run empty? Surely the thousands of these trailers out there cannot be all running illegal when empty. So what is the legal basis for these trailers to be on the road when not carrying any load?


Regards,

Singh

 

[Tiny]

Speaking from Missouri and Kansas experience . Oversize is oversize , Company's 9 foot wide trailer has a permit wherever it go's . Here the over sized permits are not that bad cost wise . The weight permits are kinda high . For the company it's part of doing business .

 

[sheepfoot]

It seems back in the 70's when i hauled equipment i had a yearly permit for overlength and 80,000 gvw in NC. We would get permits for 103,000 and over 122,000 when needed with the tri tractor and 50 ton trailer which was about 72' bumper to bumper. I can remember the 80,000 because i had several weight tickets for over axle weight even with the 26 wheels on the ground and over the 80,000 by two to three tons on differant machines. Haven't kept up much on this in years since all i pull is a 20 ton or less now. Would be nice if all states did the same.

 

[JDOFMEMI]

I don't know about the other states, but in CA you can get an annual permit for all state routes, with route restrictions, of course.

 

[willie59]

I researched California trailer length rules and I see that California requires kingpin to rear axle be no more than 40 feet.

So 53' van freight trailers are considered oversize in California?

 

[mitch504]

So 53' van freight trailers are considered oversize in California?

The axles have to be slid way forward, the king pin is set back from the front a few feet anyway.

 

[rigandig]

The one way to be legal empty in Ca with the trl you are describing is to have a third axle lift for when you are dead heading. That along with a movable king pin/several kingpin settings, should allow you to make the 40 ft mark. If that doesn't do it then look at having both the center axle lift as well. Not very conducive to hauling any legal freight, but will get you past the scale man.

 

[willie59]

Our Trail King detatch low boy has the movable fifth wheel pin, always wondered what the purpose was, with what I'm finding out about the (goofy) California regulations, begins to make sense. Caleeforneeuh sure has some weird regulations. :yup

 

[Birken Vogt]

Despite this silly regulation, last I heard they could no longer limit what long trucks could go on what twisty highways in a blanket fashion, so now you have 53 footers on 174 between Colfax and Grass Valley for instance, cutting the corners because they are too long to stay in their own lane.

 

[lion_singh]

Willie59,

My 53 feet reefer trailers have kingpin set 3 feet from the trailer front and rear axle (slider tandem axle) set 10 feet from the trailer back thus set at 40 feet kingpin to rear axle to comply with California regulation. I am new to trucking and I haven't had any trailer length issue in any state going CA to NY, FL, MA, MI, anywhere, for the past six months. My business partner has almost 20 years experience and he cannot recall any issue in any state with that setting in all the time he has been trucking. Hope this helps!


Regards,

Singh

 

[TozziWelding]

We can get away with murder(trucking wise) here in MA one of the few good things about this state. As soon as you roll in to CT, Maine, NH or NY your screwed.