Illegal dump trailer?

[Dan Watrous]

I have a diesel ram 2500 pickup that can tow 20k, a 10k cat 299d2 on mountain property 50 miles from my home, a 2 acre property next door to my home we just bought that needs work, and a nephew who drives tractor trailers for a regional trucking company. It costs me $600 each way to move the ctl between home and mountain with a local hauler, as I have a basic license. Never thought I would want to move it between properties so much before. Also, I have 6 grown nearby children using my 7k utility trailer and leaving it full instead of taking it to the dump.

My thought is to get a 14k dump trailer for my nephew to haul the loader between properties with my truck on county roads. I want the extended family to be able to take light loads to the dump without a fine, as we would never approach 6k for the trailer or 26k for the rig. Is this advisable?

 

[AllDodge]

Not real familiar with CA but,
If your under 26K gross (in KY) no one will pay any attention to you. Many folks around here load their ctl or other in dump trailer and haul it

 

[tpitt]

Any trailer over 10,000 in California requires a CDL.

 

[AllDodge]

Any trailer over 10,000 in California requires a CDL.

Wow and dang

 

[tpitt]

I know. I have a 26,000 gooseneck and a 12,000 lb dump trailer that I only use for my own stuff and I have to have a class A.

 

[Dan Watrous]

Thank you for that. I guess I rent an equipment trailer for my nephew to tow the loader then.

 

[AllDodge]

Maybe the next question is how much does it cost it CA to get a CDL?

 

[Dan Watrous]

15 days of private commercial truck driving school for a certificate to be able to take the test.
Maybe I could convert a class A diesel motorhome that teenagers are allowed to drive into a disguised toy hauler.

 

[skyking1]

Made me think of the movie Stripes.
*Urban Assault Vehicle*

 

[skyking1]

You grow christmas trees on the mountain property? JUST NOD YOUR HEAD YES
You grow <insert a plausible crop here> on the new 2 acre parcel? MORE NODDING OF THE HEAD HERE

Section 12804.9(b)(3)(G) CVC allows the operation of a vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating or GVWR of 26,000 pounds or less, regardless of trailer weight, with a Class C DL by farmers or ranchers and their employees; or instructors credentialed in agriculture as part of an instructional program exclusively in the conduct of not-for-hire agricultural operations. This statute allows towing by specified persons for agricultural operations exclusively and is not valid for towing recreational-use trailers exceeding 10,000 pounds.

https://www.chp.ca.gov/CommercialVe... License Requirements for Towing Trailers.pdf

It seems to me that becoming a farmer is the way to go in your case.

 

[Dan Watrous]

Green Acres is the place to be
Farm livin is the life for me...

 

[Dan Watrous]

If we did mary jane, I could write off my guns on my taxes as business tools

 

[cfherrman]

3/4 ton pickup and a 14k trailer is legal without a CDL in most states, I can't see how people still live in California.

 

[Truck Shop]

I can't see how people still live in California.

It's not important you see-it's important they don't see a way out, they have allot of baggage.

 

[673moto]

3/4 ton pickup and a 14k trailer is legal without a CDL in most states, I can't see how people still live in California.

It's getting tougher every year to live here with the ever increasing regulations and taxes but it still beats most other states IMO.
Move away from LA/or the Bay area and it's actually a great place to be.

Farmers are exempt but you need to be legit...
You could always hollow out the inside of a huge 5th wheel toy hauler and use that to transport ..ha!

I heard that the 10k trailer rule goes out the window if the trailer has a bathroom ...?

 

[Jimbo]

If we did mary jane, I could write off my guns on my taxes as business tools

Depending on what you are raising, it might still be possible, as predator control.....

 

[Entropy1]

I looked into getting a Washington State CDL a while back. According to the local CDL school in Kitsap County, about 50% of their enrollees are there because they're contesting a Class-A CDL ticket. More specifically, they got caught pulling a trailer + load exceeding 10k without a Class-A CDL. The WA State Highway Patrol commercial vehicle enforcement have portable scales and will weigh your trailer right on the side of the road during the traffic stop. Like anyone else who's familiar with moving equipment - the HWP usually knows if someone is over 10k before they even layout the scales. The ticket is 5 grand. And when contested in court, the standard agreement is that the judge will cut the fine in half - if the defendant obtains his/her Class-A CDL. The tuition cost is 4600. Add another 300 for hazmat endorsement (optional). Thus the ticket will ultimately cost you 7100 dollars. Note: These tuition fees were a few years ago. I'm sure costs have gone up. Who knows - maybe the ticket fines have gone up also?

The GVRW rating of the truck is immaterial. The GVRW rating of the trailer is immaterial. The type of brakes on the vehicle/trailer are immaterial. Put quite simply, if you're caught pulling one pound over ten thousand without a Class-A CDL in Washington State, you'll get hit with a punishing CDL violation.

What irritates me is that the State seems to cherry-pick which CDL rules they choose to enforce. For example, my M923 army truck weighs 23,000 pounds (picture attached). The minimum registration is 1.5 times the scale weight, rounded up to the nearest 2000 pound increment - which is 36,000 GVRW for my truck. That GVRW, plus the fact the truck has air brakes screams Class-B CDL. I have it in-writing from the State DOT that if I'm using my truck for non-commerce (aka private use only) that I'm not required to have a Class-B CDL, nor am I required to hit weigh stations. Never got stopped, never got a ticket.

Another example: You can buy a 30-ton city bus at auction and register it as an RV in Washington State (aka private use) - no CDL required - not required to stop at train tracks. But if you move an 8000-pound tractor on a 2100-pound trailer over to a friend's house without a CDL - look out!

 

[Truck Shop]

What irritates me is that the State seems to cherry-pick which CDL rules they choose to enforce.

It's not a rule but on the second Thursday of each month you will get pulled over for wearing a
hot rod T shirt and sun glasses on your head and no brake inspection card.

 

[Entropy1]

The other easy ticket in WA State is abuse of collector vehicle license plates (essentially zero annual registration with collector plates). The rules state you may occasionally drive the vehicle - e.g. in parades, to and from car shows, or for occasional routine maintenance only. Use as a daily-river is specifically prohibited.

Example - old VW Bug with WA collector plates is seen by cop speed-trapping cars on Monday morning. Sees it again Tuesday morning. Sees it again on Friday morning. Driver gets 1000 dollar ticket for abuse of collector plates.

Example - old pickup truck with collector plates. Unlike the VW Bug, this driver follows the rules - only occasionally driven in the summer months - parades, car shows, etc. Dude drives the truck to Home Depot on a nice summer day and purchases a few 2x4s and a sheet of plywood. Cop sees the plywood and 2x4s in the truck with collector plates. The driver receives 1000 dollar ticket for abuse of collector plates. (Per the State, any payload - even groceries - is considered normal use requiring registration)

It would appear that Washington State is rapidly turning into New-California . . .

 

[Truck Shop]

The other easy ticket in WA State is abuse of collector vehicle license plates

A 1000 miles a year with collector plates. Now these folks knew what the rules were when they
bought those plates, the county auditors office explains it when buying plates. I see people with
collector plates on a 1980 bronco-beat to hell-it's a collector piece alright. If they get caught they
get what they deserve.