Illinois towing issues?
 

Just wondering about traveling in the blue state for a race? Here is what I have heard:

*No decals
*No fuel in fuel cell
*Weight below DOT maximum
*Break away mechanism functional.
*length (uggggg) (federal DOT says nothing about length)

Re: Illinois towing issues?
 

Been numerous times, day, night, north, south, east and west. Speed limit for "big rigs" is 55, not 60, not 65, not 70. It seems speed limit signs for big rigs are only posted every 30-40 miles.

Never had a problem. Just my experience. Next time may be different.

Question, is a speeding ticket more expensive than an over length fine...? Does the OL fine carry over to higher INS for the requisite time like a speeding ticket?

Re: Illinois towing issues?
 

DOT limit on fuel is 1000 lbs. Don't need placards or other notices. A drum of fuel weights about 400 lbs. Length is state. If your rig it titled in any company name or venture (Super Fast Racing), you are DOT. Personal name, DOT manual 390.3 and get a copy (they are cheap), most motor home plates have no weight and are just a token tag much like a trailer. Most police officers know less about this regulation than you do. Hope this helps. Manual available from LabelMaster, Chicago and the number I have is 1-800-621-5308 Federal Motor Carier Regulations. Probably got a web site too. Just found LabelMaster, what you want is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, Management Edition. They are about $13 hard bound or $15 spiral plus shipping. Pretty good tool to have, and 390.3 is the section about race car (and boat and horses etc ) exemption.

Re: Illinois towing issues?
 

Is the exemption for race cars #3 below or #4 below "sick persons"?

(f) Exceptions. Unless otherwise specifically provided, the rules in this subchapter do not apply to—
(1) All school bus operations as defined in §390.5, except for the provisions of §§391.15(e) and (f), 392.80, and 392.82 of this chapter.
(2) Transportation performed by the Federal government, a State, or any political subdivision of a State, or an agency established under a compact between States that has been approved by the Congress of the United States;
(3) The occasional transportation of personal property by individuals not for compensation nor in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise;
(4) The transportation of human corpses or sick and injured persons;

Re: Illinois towing issues?
 

Sounds like you can carry dead bodies (commonplace in Chicago i've heard) but having stickers on a car inside a trailer is naughty.

I think this is the part the federales like to pounce on.... "not for compensation nor in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise"
They just have a very warped view of what commerce is.

Re: Illinois towing issues?
 

Your number 3 is the 390.3.

Re: Illinois towing issues?
 

Jeff...is the wording 'not for compensation' in section 390.3 the grey area that law enforcement can exploit with racers? Is there a specific definition in the section that defines what 'not for compensation' means?

(3) The occasional transportation of personal property by individuals not for compensation nor in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise

I used to work with US and state agencies and found they would like to take advantage of regulation wording like this.

Don

Re: Illinois towing issues?
 

I believe this is what Mr Jeff is talking about:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations...390.3?guidance

Look at question 21

Re: Illinois towing issues?
 

If the rig is in your name, then you have exercised your right to use 390.3. There is no requirement to have your tax return. A great answer is "if I get a 1099 on any racing proceeds, I file it on my personal return as 'other income' ". I don't know how many of you were in Indy last year where the Indiana people put on a nice informative meeting, they were really surprised when I told them both my motor homes were titled and operated in my name along with the trailers. They asked why, and my answer was and still is, I pay tax people to tell me what to do with things like this vs. the risk involved. They provided a page with 390.3 on it. On length, they actual enforcement guy (a real street guy) when asked how many tickets had they issued for motorsports vehicles, his reply was 'none'. Sorta said it all. Indiana has no lenght for Commercial Motor Vehicles (CMV), but it was not eliminated for private vehicles, but they aren't going to issue any. The great thing about 390.3 is it specifically says money is allowed. Most of the time these officers are taught 'do you earn money for this'. They have never seen the manual, but just an honorable mention of this for private carriers is some class they took. I hope NHRA does this again. I found it very informative. Always insisit 'this is not a CMV'. Don't back up on that. Big decals on the side don't really help. And the couple I heard of about decals on the race car, a good answer is 'would that matter if the trailer were empty'. Gray areas is what you want because they don't want to go there. Remember their job is enforcing the regs on CMV's and that is what they should do. Anyone in that business takes care of the issues connected with CMV's. I would get a manual. For 15 bucks, you got something they don't.

Re: Illinois towing issues?
 

Jeff...thanks for all your work and efforts to help educate the racer on this subject. It would certainly screw-up a fun weekend of racing to get confronted with this and not be ready for it, no matter what state your in.

Don