thank you for doing this, its amazing how hard it is to figure out which DOT compliance your truck and trailer setup falls under. They always want to default to class A.
Where I come from all axle weight rating totals above 25,999 pounds require a CDL. Some counties had com license requirements at 8,000 pounds & up. Class A, B, C and endorsements like haz mat, smooth bore tank, radio nuclides, buses, oversized, cranes, etc. etc. Utah has some really super weird stuff like 3 gasoline/diesel trailers. They also had lots of uranium mining. New Mexico has module endorsements for enormous cotton bales.
DP, I want to say thanks, this was a great video and helpful beyond measure. My F550 and dual tandem CVWR is nearly 44,000 lbs but since I outright own the truck, trailer and anything I haul with it, it's good to know I don't need a CDL. Not to mention if I were hauling Aunt Suzie's pie, I would technically need a CDL just to hook up the empty trailer to the empty truck and drive down the road with 44,000 CVWR.
Great video! I have a GMC Topkick can I use to haul my race car around I did not understand how all this stuff works and now I have a much better idea and a better feeling that I am actually legal to head to the races and not get in trouble. At 19k with the trailer fully loaded and hooked up which is well under the 25.9k
Totally awesome ... This was a eye opener . I do have a KW900 oldie and I need more experience with it before I feel comfortable hooking up to a heavy machine . The CDL is in the works , more complicated than before . I have been paying for towing my equipment around and it seemed easier than me keeping up with my truck and trailer but now things have changed . Towing has gone up 50% for us and I think it's time to do tow myself .
I have seriously been trying to find out for 2 years if I need a CDL for my own pickup, trailer, skid loader or farm tractor I want to take from Indiana to my son's to help him with his driveway in VA. Answering the CDL question on here is a huge help in my buying decisions. Thank you Mike and Officer Hoover for finally answering my question.
what if you had a dump truck at 18k gvwr and a trialer at under 10k. 9900. Its over 26k gvwr combined but the trailer is under 10k . Al long as you kept it under 26k full weight combined would you be ok.
Are we sure it is a CDL or a Class-A license that is required (to pull a trailer with a pickup truck with a combined weight over 26,001)? DPS explained to me that in Texas there is both a "Class-A" license and a "Class-A CDL" license. The first type (Class-A) allows over 26,000 combined weight for personal towing (provided not crossing state lines), but if one is paid for the work, then a "Class-A CDL" is required. Can someone confirm this?
This is a question that I would love to know the answer to. Say a construction company owns a dump truck and trailer and moves equipment that is owned by the construction company from job site to job site. The dump truck is used for hauling dirt in and out of the job site. Everything hauled and towed is owned solely by the construction company. CDL, yes or no?
No you would still need a CDL because you are using the truck to make money. There are 2 instances that come to mind (without looking anything up) where you do not need a CDL. That would be someone that owns an RV and drives it for leisure another would be a volunteer fire company.
Here is a great example of the exemption that Officer Hoover has already told me I am legit with no CDL... I personally own an F550 (GVWR of 18,000 lbs), I also personally own a 20 + 5 dovetail dual tandem trailer (GVWR of 25,950)... CVWR of 43,950. I also personally own two bulldozers in the 17k-20k lb range and a 20' cargo container, blah blah blah, the point is... if you own everything you are hauling and everything you are hauling it with AND YOU ARE NOT MAKING MONEY WITH IT (COMMERCIAL), then no "Commercial" Driver's Licese is required. Officer Hoover did warn me to carry the definition of a CMV with me in the truck as well as proof of ownership of truck, trailer and load which will help matters in the event I were to get pulled over. Thanks to this video I'm clearly in the clear but now I have to move all this stuff to Montana and trying to figure out all the snags I'll likely run into along the way, traveling through 5 different states.
That’s a dangerous line you are playing, because you could be driving all of that equipment to a job site to do work and you can be lying that you’re not while driving 44k pounds
I have the opportunity to get my CDL paid for by my job but we only have automatic trucks. Is it worth it or should I do whatever I have to do to get the manual certification
I would get cdl a with air brakes manual just to be covered but now my state is requiring a school for any cdl and or regular drivers license so that get expensive so if the company is paying for it do it I do drive cdl any more but I keep my license just because I am grandfather in with cdl with out restrictions like automatic or manual laws are getting stronger now its electronic logs I stopped driving around the the they went to electronic logs no more cheating on logs
is for hire based upon what you are doing or are going to do? if you are moving your own truck, tractor, and trailer to mow grass, is that for hire? or are you only for hire if you are being paid to pickup/deliver an item for someone?
The manual/automatic thing makes no sense imo. In the EU you get a normal licence or automatic only, meaning that if you learned on a manual you can also drive automatic but not the other way round
the usa CDL is what in Canada is a A-Z. z is air brake endorsement.. for the big transports were i have a D-Z i can drive any tandem, or tri, with air brakes but my tow axles cant weigh over 10,000, the z gives me air brakes, i can cary with my plates 15,000kg on my f600. what gets me with our farm plated trucks, we can hall any of our stuff, but you cant hall sand or gravel.. i dont know why, know one will answer thay, because i use sand in my winter feeding lot, bedding, and need graval to patch my drive way, not saying i hall this stuff just sayin,, even tho i have driven tractor trailer pulp number of times, years go by, when it was a different time, but when i worked in the big bush camps many time i had to drive a pulp truck or chip van back to the camp main shop, but that was all on companies cutting limits roads. our home Provence trumps any Provence we drive to or through,, i not sure how ours works if we go though the usa..
its a long video, and didnt like talking ones when in safety classes. question do i need a cdl just to own and drive a regular semi day cab, for personal use with a pickup bed on it. pickups are so expensive that it would be more cost effective just to do this.
So this question is for hover! So say the trucknhas a 20,000 lbs steer axle! But the truck has tires only for 12,000! Wud that make the steers only a 12 k steer?
To put it simply…. You can not go over 26,000 pounds. If your truck weighs 10,000 empty and your trailer weighs 10,000 empty you can only haul 6,000 pounds and be legal without a cdl most small cars weigh about half that amount so you can’t really haul much weight eights cdl
I'm not too sure about this, here in Colorado I'm pretty sure you need a CDL if you are hauling over 26,001 for personal use, even if you never make a single dollar.
@@claybryce Depends on the state though. Maybe not Indiana, but in other states, if the trailer is 10,001 or more, a CDL IS required. Doesn't matter what the GCWR, or tow vehicle GVWR is in those states. Exception to this is private, non commercial use. You do need explicit proof though that it is not for hire.
What if you have a landscap business and are making money, if you buy a new 2500 and order it with the 10k gvwr and buy a trailer with a 10k gvwr rating would you still need a CDL? If the new pick up you bought has the new higher gvwr of 10,300 ish you're screwed and need a CDL. same if you want a dump trailer that's 14k screwed again, but if you do it keeping truck and trailer 10k each do you still need the CDL if your making money?
@@timothydeshaies In most stages what matters is that the Gross Combination Vehicle is 26,000 and under. The 10,000 only comes into play when the Gross vehicle weight rating of the tractor is over 26,000 them, the trailer has to be under 10,000 Class B.
I know alot of people that have duelee trucks that pull trailers way over 26000lbs. that dont havec a CDL. What dictates whether you need a CDL is if it you are hired for pay.
If you’re not hauling for commercial purposes, pay you don’t need a CDL if you’re driving a car and being compensated for driving you do need a CDL even the cops get this wrong
That’s tare weight. Tare weight means diddly shit when it’s about the gvw. What’s the gvw? If it’s over 26,001, you’ll need a class B. If it can haul a 10,000+ trailer, a class A is highly recommended. Also since it has air brakes, even if it’s under 26,001 you’ll still need the air brake endorsement. You’ll be put out of service if you don’t have said endorsement.
Y’all know why we have these strict laws in Indiana?? It’s because we have tooooo many people driving one ton trucks around that have noooo business driving the truck much less pulling a trailer🙄 the nice thing is, if you go ahead and get you class A and air brake endorsement if you can get some experience you can make mad cash driving on weekends especially if you get hazmat endorsement $$$$👍 trucking companies pay good to haul hazardous mats.
Rip off DOT rules for us but you got Mexican and Central American drivers using their license to operate trucks not from the USA and that is perfectly legal.BUT ME A FARMER CANT WITHOUT A LOT OF B.S.
Just because you are overloaded doesn't put the gvwr of the trailer over 10,001 lbs. Sorry you should only be able to get us for being over weight not a whole other class of licensing
Nice job men! Indiana is lucky to have you two. I learned more than a few things I did not know. Thanks
thank you for doing this, its amazing how hard it is to figure out which DOT compliance your truck and trailer setup falls under. They always want to default to class A.
Where I come from all axle weight rating totals above 25,999 pounds require a CDL. Some counties had com license requirements at 8,000 pounds & up. Class A, B, C and endorsements like haz mat, smooth bore tank, radio nuclides, buses, oversized, cranes, etc. etc. Utah has some really super weird stuff like 3 gasoline/diesel trailers. They also had lots of uranium mining. New Mexico has module endorsements for enormous cotton bales.
DP, I want to say thanks, this was a great video and helpful beyond measure. My F550 and dual tandem CVWR is nearly 44,000 lbs but since I outright own the truck, trailer and anything I haul with it, it's good to know I don't need a CDL. Not to mention if I were hauling Aunt Suzie's pie, I would technically need a CDL just to hook up the empty trailer to the empty truck and drive down the road with 44,000 CVWR.
This only applies for farmers, you will fall under class A Cdl
Great video.
Tough topic to cover, especially since all 50 states are different. Good job getting through it.
I want to thank these guys and also thank the commenters
Great video! I have a GMC Topkick can I use to haul my race car around I did not understand how all this stuff works and now I have a much better idea and a better feeling that I am actually legal to head to the races and not get in trouble. At 19k with the trailer fully loaded and hooked up which is well under the 25.9k
Totally awesome ... This was a eye opener . I do have a KW900 oldie and I need more experience with it before I feel comfortable hooking up to a heavy machine . The CDL is in the works , more complicated than before . I have been paying for towing my equipment around and it seemed easier than me keeping up with my truck and trailer but now things have changed . Towing has gone up 50% for us and I think it's time to do tow myself .
I have seriously been trying to find out for 2 years if I need a CDL for my own pickup, trailer, skid loader or farm tractor I want to take from Indiana to my son's to help him with his driveway in VA. Answering the CDL question on here is a huge help in my buying decisions. Thank you Mike and Officer Hoover for finally answering my question.
That's personal use
Thank you for this video. This really informed me. Keep up the great work!
So in Indiana, if I get a peterbilt 379 as my non profit daily driver I don't need a cdl?
Correct
You'll still get harassed by DOT
Won’t have trouble finding it in the Walmart parking lot.
I have a 3/4 ton pickup and a 29-foot 5th camper. The camper weighs 13000 lbs with the 3/4 hooked up, 23000
No need for a CDL here.
Start with a CDL A, manual endorsement, and you will have no concerns.
Exactly
Thanks for both your time! Nice and informative video.
what if you had a dump truck at 18k gvwr and a trialer at under 10k. 9900. Its over 26k gvwr combined but the trailer is under 10k . Al long as you kept it under 26k full weight combined would you be ok.
My question is my truck is 10,850 and my trailer is 10,400. I’m under 26,000 but my trailer is over 10,000. Do I need a CDL?
Thanks so much for your time guys!!! Hugely useful info :)
Very good explanatory video. Thanks.
What about dump truck attached to a Isuzu NPR (10 × 8× 4 ) ?
Is a dually 1995 F-superduty, not for hire, personal use vehicle a CDL vehicle
Are we sure it is a CDL or a Class-A license that is required (to pull a trailer with a pickup truck with a combined weight over 26,001)? DPS explained to me that in Texas there is both a "Class-A" license and a "Class-A CDL" license. The first type (Class-A) allows over 26,000 combined weight for personal towing (provided not crossing state lines), but if one is paid for the work, then a "Class-A CDL" is required. Can someone confirm this?
So if I'm moving my equipment, for my business, from job to job, that's a loophole for a CDL (in Indiana)?
This is a question that I would love to know the answer to. Say a construction company owns a dump truck and trailer and moves equipment that is owned by the construction company from job site to job site. The dump truck is used for hauling dirt in and out of the job site. Everything hauled and towed is owned solely by the construction company. CDL, yes or no?
No you would still need a CDL because you are using the truck to make money. There are 2 instances that come to mind (without looking anything up) where you do not need a CDL. That would be someone that owns an RV and drives it for leisure another would be a volunteer fire company.
Nope....If you are moving material or equipment that earns revenue then you need a CDL
Here is a great example of the exemption that Officer Hoover has already told me I am legit with no CDL... I personally own an F550 (GVWR of 18,000 lbs), I also personally own a 20 + 5 dovetail dual tandem trailer (GVWR of 25,950)... CVWR of 43,950. I also personally own two bulldozers in the 17k-20k lb range and a 20' cargo container, blah blah blah, the point is... if you own everything you are hauling and everything you are hauling it with AND YOU ARE NOT MAKING MONEY WITH IT (COMMERCIAL), then no "Commercial" Driver's Licese is required. Officer Hoover did warn me to carry the definition of a CMV with me in the truck as well as proof of ownership of truck, trailer and load which will help matters in the event I were to get pulled over. Thanks to this video I'm clearly in the clear but now I have to move all this stuff to Montana and trying to figure out all the snags I'll likely run into along the way, traveling through 5 different states.
That’s a dangerous line you are playing, because you could be driving all of that equipment to a job site to do work and you can be lying that you’re not while driving 44k pounds
So for personal use, meaning I own my truck and trailer, then I can have a GCWR of over 26k lbs and not be required to have a CDL?
Telling a DOT officer what you know is correct compared to his take seems to be a quick trip to ticket town.
I have the opportunity to get my CDL paid for by my job but we only have automatic trucks. Is it worth it or should I do whatever I have to do to get the manual certification
I would get cdl a with air brakes manual just to be covered but now my state is requiring a school for any cdl and or regular drivers license so that get expensive so if the company is paying for it do it I do drive cdl any more but I keep my license just because I am grandfather in with cdl with out restrictions like automatic or manual laws are getting stronger now its electronic logs I stopped driving around the the they went to electronic logs no more cheating on logs
@@michaelfontenot7259 Get whatever CDL you can , you can always add more to it later like airbrakes , hazmat ,tanker etc.
is for hire based upon what you are doing or are going to do? if you are moving your own truck, tractor, and trailer to mow grass, is that for hire? or are you only for hire if you are being paid to pickup/deliver an item for someone?
And your over 26001 you need at least a class b Cdl
The manual/automatic thing makes no sense imo. In the EU you get a normal licence or automatic only, meaning that if you learned on a manual you can also drive automatic but not the other way round
A 1ton Dully and a toy hauler camper trailer that means cdl
the usa CDL is what in Canada is a A-Z. z is air brake endorsement.. for the big transports were i have a D-Z i can drive any tandem, or tri, with air brakes but my tow axles cant weigh over 10,000, the z gives me air brakes, i can cary with my plates 15,000kg on my f600. what gets me with our farm plated trucks, we can hall any of our stuff, but you cant hall sand or gravel.. i dont know why, know one will answer thay, because i use sand in my winter feeding lot, bedding, and need graval to patch my drive way, not saying i hall this stuff just sayin,, even tho i have driven tractor trailer pulp number of times, years go by, when it was a different time, but when i worked in the big bush camps many time i had to drive a pulp truck or chip van back to the camp main shop, but that was all on companies cutting limits roads. our home Provence trumps any Provence we drive to or through,, i not sure how ours works if we go though the usa..
its a long video, and didnt like talking ones when in safety classes. question do i need a cdl just to own and drive a regular semi day cab, for personal use with a pickup bed on it. pickups are so expensive that it would be more cost effective just to do this.
Can I get a copy of the diagram you show please?
So this question is for hover! So say the trucknhas a 20,000 lbs steer axle! But the truck has tires only for 12,000! Wud that make the steers only a 12 k steer?
Do I need a cdl for wide load boat 30ft 8,000lbs 12ft wide ???
To put it simply…. You can not go over 26,000 pounds. If your truck weighs 10,000 empty and your trailer weighs 10,000 empty you can only haul 6,000 pounds and be legal without a cdl most small cars weigh about half that amount so you can’t really haul much weight eights cdl
I'm not too sure about this, here in Colorado I'm pretty sure you need a CDL if you are hauling over 26,001 for personal use, even if you never make a single dollar.
I think all states have that requirement. Supposedly there is a way to get the class A non CDL but I can't find a way to do it in Illinois.
What load can I carry legally with a duly & goose neck trailer??
So you can't tow more than 10,000 even if your GVWR is less than 26,000 unless you have the CDL.
No. That part gets confusing. That's in regards to a class B. If trailer is over 10k, and your total weight (GCWR) is below 26k, you are good to go.
@@claybryce Depends on the state though. Maybe not Indiana, but in other states, if the trailer is 10,001 or more, a CDL IS required. Doesn't matter what the GCWR, or tow vehicle GVWR is in those states. Exception to this is private, non commercial use. You do need explicit proof though that it is not for hire.
What if you have a landscap business and are making money, if you buy a new 2500 and order it with the 10k gvwr and buy a trailer with a 10k gvwr rating would you still need a CDL? If the new pick up you bought has the new higher gvwr of 10,300 ish you're screwed and need a CDL. same if you want a dump trailer that's 14k screwed again, but if you do it keeping truck and trailer 10k each do you still need the CDL if your making money?
@@timothydeshaies In most stages what matters is that the Gross Combination Vehicle is 26,000 and under. The 10,000 only comes into play when the Gross vehicle weight rating of the tractor is over 26,000 them, the trailer has to be under 10,000 Class B.
I want class b and drive a dump truck but now I’m thinking maybe get class a
Thank, you for you're video
🙏 again, thank, you for you're video
Thanks for the videos. Man talk about Goverment over reach
I know alot of people that have duelee trucks that pull trailers way over 26000lbs. that dont havec a CDL. What dictates whether you need a CDL is if it you are hired for pay.
What about DOT ?
so if I do for hire work and my combined weight doesn't go over 10k. I don't need a cdl right?
As long as your combined weight is 26001 and under you don’t need Cdl
Great video is very informative
If you’re not hauling for commercial purposes, pay you don’t need a CDL if you’re driving a car and being compensated for driving you do need a CDL even the cops get this wrong
Can I move a trailer home if I own all of the property, truck trailer, home? Say I hired escorts as well.
Great video!
I've got a F-700 DUMP trk with Air Brakes weight of trk 10 thousand empty weight
That’s tare weight. Tare weight means diddly shit when it’s about the gvw. What’s the gvw? If it’s over 26,001, you’ll need a class B. If it can haul a 10,000+ trailer, a class A is highly recommended. Also since it has air brakes, even if it’s under 26,001 you’ll still need the air brake endorsement. You’ll be put out of service if you don’t have said endorsement.
Great video.
Y’all know why we have these strict laws in Indiana?? It’s because we have tooooo many people driving one ton trucks around that have noooo business driving the truck much less pulling a trailer🙄 the nice thing is, if you go ahead and get you class A and air brake endorsement if you can get some experience you can make mad cash driving on weekends especially if you get hazmat endorsement $$$$👍 trucking companies pay good to haul hazardous mats.
I'm a commerical farmer I can run Farm use plates
If the dually is mine and the tractor is mine, not for hire, do I need cdl?
No
Re-watch the video.
[IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA THE LAW SAYS DONT NEED A CDL AS LONG AS KEEP THE WEIGHT AT 26001]
I'm not going over weight
Rip off DOT rules for us but you got Mexican and Central American drivers using their license to operate trucks not from the USA and that is perfectly legal.BUT ME A FARMER CANT WITHOUT A LOT OF B.S.
I'm going to play by the rules
I would love to get heavy equipment license I have CDL A...or haul these. There seems to be a "boys club" when it comes to this industry as well.
👍👍
I'm not for hire
I want a CDL
So, I don't need a cdl
👍🏻 trooper
Just get the CDL it’s not that difficult
And now super dump 7 axle truck
Or just pay the damn fine and truck on when busted and only drive at night.
I frequently tow my big 5th wheel at night and here in Indiana I see more trucks pulled over by enforcement at night than I do during the day.
Painful. Holy moly.
Stuped dot rules .
If you live in Wisconsin or any of the bordering states, none of these rules or numbers are correct
Land of the free... Lol
Just because you are overloaded doesn't put the gvwr of the trailer over 10,001 lbs. Sorry you should only be able to get us for being over weight not a whole other class of licensing
Keep it simple. Make everyone get a cdl