Interesting thread - Was at a safety seminar just the other day and the DOT had a presentation showing the change to the classification of a commercial vehicle to 10,000 gvwr. Traces back to a federal standard changed around 2016. Some of this info is prolly only California .... your state may differ but fed oversite may have provoked changes and after reading this thread I wonder if this is perhaps whyso.
Previously and for many years it was 26,000 gvwr. I had no idea this was changed recently but my four tire personal diesel rig is older and is less than this magic number. My bobtail dump has been in the program for quite a few years. This topic no real effect on my ops.
However, upon hearing this news, some fellow contractors with the late model $$ four wheel 350's and the dual wheel versions are agitated (and likely nervous). There has been a lot of door jamb sticker inspections in the last few days and of course commentary about getting stopped w/o the necessary paperwork I LOL a little because I have been doing all this for some time and they were often quite happy to suggest I should sell off my older heavier duty iron with all those terrible rules and "enjoy the ride of a new pickup" (but when I look under the hood I get nauseous and then when I see the electrical on the dashboard my wallet hurts). I told 'em only about eight sheets of paper and the owner operator may again drive down the road: Proper license as to class and endorsements, medical card, enrollment in drug and alcohol, registration with DMV, CARB compliance for emissions, smoke test too if applicable, motor carrier permit active w insurance submittal, insurance card, work hour evidence or log. etcetera etcetera
Of course if they stay below 10,000 on the trailer they can skip a couple of these things but I am just trying to help: maybe when they see that they only need five or six sheets of paper they will feel like they are getting a fair shake? LOLOL
I also sort of forgot to tell them the DOT said the present 'department policy' is to not examine a "pickup truck without a trailer" regardless of the load. But the inspector said as soon as any trailer of any type is attached, it becomes a candidate for pullover based upon that 10,000 gvwr. The inspectors were quick to define pickup as the factory installed open bed. Utility body, flat bed, flat bed with flip up sides, flat bed with tool boxes as sides, flat bed with removable side rails, box vans, and more examples are not pickups per their definition and are subject to these rules.
The supply houses with the late model 350 or 3500 size flat beds or the box van folks at the furniture or appliance story or the feed or landscape supply are all going to be affected. Also heard back a few of the folks in the horse riding groups/clubs are quite nervous about these "new rules".
The basic method to gain compliance for the late model diesel pickup crowd hooking up trailers under 10k is to file a motor carrier permit (MCP) and pay the fee for the permit and the supplemental fee for the inspection (CIF acronym or Carrier Inspection Fee). Have insurance company submit proof to DMV. Do everything correctly and document details of a safety inspection every 90 days.
Another caveat they will learn: Due to the rules of the MCP, if driving within around 100 miles, have some record of work hours such as a time card or a daily planner etc: not necessary to have a log book or electronic log.
And of course as to drivers license all the needed endorsements and classifications and medical were always previously required but as the Inspector said, this safety seminar isn't just about license, it is about Inspection and compliance with safety rules. In our area we have a sand dune off road area where folks with lifted diesel rigs and big drop hitches and/or fifth wheel toy haulers are prevalent on the weekends. The DOT gets onto this every coupla months and it is like fishing in a trout farm.
As I was writing this, I was thinking hmmm with all these new fish in the pond, will the DOT be less likely to pull over the usual trucker....probably not likely, but a pickemup and no door tags (blank bulletin board) pulling a mini ex or heavy duty dump trailer would be likely be a powerful magnet for attraction.
