Everybody Who Tows a Trailer Should Read This

[Mickey Whaley]

DMV told me that if you were hauling a race car and won any $ you were then a commercial vehicle, if you weighed over 26,000 you had to have your cdl's, if you went more than 100 miles from home you had to have a fuel sticker and log book and alot of other BS. Telling the officers that your going to a car show for charity might not work anymore, the officer also said he hated the new changes because it put alot more work on them.

[wsmracing]

When we talked to chris kouir at lms today, he said there was a meeting and there was a major from the nc state police there, the major said that he asked his troopers to use good judgement & common sense, but he could not tell them....don't issue any tickets.......its an old law that is under review, but its still a law....so if stopped an a ticket is issued its a $135.00...... Chris told me that everything " should" be ok.............look forward to seeing you, that was at 11:48 am today..........

[John Quinn]

Originally Posted by Mickey Whaley

DMV told me that if you were hauling a race car and won any $ you were then a commercial vehicle, if you weighed over 26,000 you had to have your cdl's, if you went more than 100 miles from home you had to have a fuel sticker and log book and alot of other BS. Telling the officers that your going to a car show for charity might not work anymore, the officer also said he hated the new changes because it put alot more work on them.

They say that a lot but they are wrong. In order for it to be a commercial vehicle you have to be sponsored or declare racing as a business on your taxes. That is what the Federal law says and that takes precedence over any state law. Also recreational vehicles are exempt from CDL, also federal.

Get a copy of the Federal reg's from Amazon, highlight the important paragraphs and bookmark the page. When you show them a federal law that contradicts them that should be enough.

[wsmracing]

Just got an e-mail back from the f.m.c.a, they contacted nc highway patrol @ 919-715-8683...they confirmed the 60ft. Law , non-commercial vehicles towing on a ball......is an old law , but an active law that is under review by the state assembly

[SG1809]

Originally Posted by John Quinn

They say that a lot but they are wrong. In order for it to be a commercial vehicle you have to be sponsored or declare racing as a business on your taxes. That is what the Federal law says and that takes precedence over any state law. Also recreational vehicles are exempt from CDL, also federal.

Get a copy of the Federal reg's from Amazon, highlight the important paragraphs and bookmark the page. When you show them a federal law that contradicts them that should be enough.

I agree with what you sre saying about them being wrong but they can do what they want. Just like I was told in the toll booths on 95 in MD by a cadet in training that his Trooper said if you win a trophy it's considered a Commercial operation. They give you a summons and you have to prove them wrong. Being educated about the laws will help. Years ago a trooper tried to give me a summons for a container chassis I was transporting on my Flatbed Trailer, he said I was overlength. I knew the law, that it was an un-divisable load, qoted that, debated with him and he let me go. I saw him go back to his car and get out his rule book and he started to read, he didn't know the wording of the law.
Learn about this,comply with the state laws, have your stuff safe and hopefully you'll get by. Things like this happen every once and a while, a few years ago it was (in NJ) you had to have your name on your pickup truck for some reason and guys were getting pulled over for that.

I still think we should try to find out what restrictions there are for RV's, Motorhomes etc. and what license is required. I will call NJ Div. of MV tomorrow and post what I find.

Regards,

Pat I
SG1809

[SG1809]

Just found this on the NJ Dept of Motor Vehicles Website: Look at exemptions on the bottom:



Getting your CDL
RELATED LINKSBasic driver license6 Point ID VerificationMedical Examination Report [pdf] P-endorsement fingerprint application [pdf] To get your CDL you must meet the following qualifications:
Be at least 18 years old
Have a basic New Jersey driver license (Class D)
Have 20/40 vision in each eye (with or without glasses)
Be able to recognize red, green and amber colors
Be physically fit*
* Federal law requires commercial drivers to carry a medical examiner's fitness statement at all times and renew it every two years. Download the Medical Examination Report [60k pdf] before your appointment.


Application process
Visit your local MVC Agency
Pass the 6 Point ID Verification
Pay $35 permit fee. For your convenience, MVC Agencies accept American Express® card, MasterCard® card, Visa® card, checks, money orders and cash
You will receive your permit, a physical examination form and a fingerprint card from MVC, which will need to be completed
Apply for an endorsement
Take the CDL knowledge test and the CDL road test (Note: Class C licenses do not require a road test). Study ahead by reading the CDL Manual

Restrictions
CDL applicants under 21 years old may only travel within New Jersey and may not receive HAZMAT or passenger endorsements.


Exemptions
The following do not need a CDL for their purpose:

Taxi drivers (carrying less than eight passengers) and ride-sharing van drivers
Firefighters
Operators of rescue or first-aid squad vehicles
Farmers hauling their own products and equipment within 150 miles of their farms
Non-civilian operators of military equipment
Operators of construction equipment not designed for operation on public roads
Operators of recreational vehicles, provided the vehicle is being operated only for personal use


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Copyright © State of New Jersey, 2007
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
P.O. Box 160
Trenton, NJ 08666
(609) 292-6500 or toll free in NJ (888) 486-3339
TTY (609) 292-5120
Contact Us

Last Updated: July 17, 2008

[wsmracing]

the only bad thing is that we're not commercial.......so it works in jersey........cross the state line, new state, new rules...............commercial fall under federal interstate transit vs. intrastate transit.........then it becomes simple...THE FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY REGULATIONS TAKE OVER...........& THEN OPENS ANOTHER CAN OF WORMS........WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION OF DRAG RACERS.........WE CONSTANTLY DONATE TO NHRA & IHRA...........& YES WE DO IT FOR THE "WALLY" BUT WHEN THEY PAY YOU ROUND MONEY THAT GENERATES A 1099 FORM...SO WE'RE SCREWED NO MATTTER WHAT...

[JRyan]

NO! We're NOT SCREWED. The Federal exemption, as Jeff Teuton has pointed out many times, allows for even COMMERCIAL VEHICLES to be used in non-commercial endeavors such as racing. The exemption basically states that INCOME must be declared as ORDINARY INCOME on your income tax, and you cannot claim EXPENSES to offset that income.

MOST HP's are mis-informed. We had a meeting at the State Capitol several years ago and covered this very thing. None of the HP's were aware of the exemption. We were getting nowhere until I got ahold of a State Senator who 12 years prior had been HEAD of the SD Highway Patrol. He laid it out for them, and that was the end of it. I've since been stopped several times while towing for other things here in SD, and all the patrolman have been more than polite and most even ask about the race car and racing.

Other States? Another story. In South Dakota, our dually pulling an enclosed is not required to have ANY tonnage stickers or plates. In fact, it is ILLEGAL for the State to sell us tonnage plates unless we ARE a commercial vehicle. We're lucky. In interstate travels, Federal laws apply, and we only have to meet OUR STATES licensing requirements. Unfortunately, most law officers don't like to be told that they don't know the law, so sometimes even if you're right, you're in for a long delay.

Jerry

[H.A.A.C. Racing]

Just a curious question..........Is everyone worried about getting a ticket from the highway to the track, or just getting one on the highway? I heard that it is a very short distance from the highway to the new track in NC. I can't believe with the amount of people coming in, that there will be cops handing out tickets on the streets getting to the track............as long as no one is doing anything stupid.