DMV Crackdown - Page 3

THE LEGEND · 08-08-2008, 07:28 PM

It does affect a lot of nascar teams. They have show cars-testing cars- Some of the smaller Arca and truck teams don't have 18 wheelers either. Not to mention all the Saturday night late model teams,Legend Cars, and Lucas Oil Dirt cars many owned by some of the big guns such as Stewart and Earnhardt.

In a e-mail from Steve yesterday any RV with a trailer behind is illegal.

Go to brackettalk.com interesting reading there about the same thing.
Chip

Chris1529 · 08-08-2008, 09:06 PM

Lets just assume for one minute that we have to get a commercial drivers license to operate our trucks or motorhomes towing a trailer.

I live in West Virginia, and to get a CDL, one has to take a written test and also a road exam. I assume other states do this in much the same manner.

Say I pass the written exam and then schedule my road exam. When I show up in my 2500 Dodge Ram, they will ask me " what vehicle am I going to take the test in?" When I tell them my Dodge, they will all get a good laugh because it is not a commercial vehicle. It doesn't matter if it is a 250, 350, dually, etc. It is still not a commercial vehicle-no matter whether it has a trailer hooked to it or not. They will tell you to come back with a Kenworth, or a large Dump Truck, or somthing along those lines.

Rex Thonen · 08-08-2008, 09:43 PM

We have the same problem in Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and South Dakota. They don't like motor homes pulling trailers that are over 65 feet long. I know of two late model dirt track guys that got tickets, one in Iowa and one in South Dakota. I got a ticket earlier this year in Nebraska on the way to Great Bend KS for the divisional. That cost me $290.00. The officer told us that we needed to contact the racing organizations to see if they would get something passed in the legislatures to help with the problem. When I talked to the late model guys, I said they should get ahold of NASCAR and see if they could help out. They didn't think NASCAR would help. Has anyone approached NHRA to see if they can help us out?

I have a CDL but the problem is that my motor home and trailer would have to be registered as a truck tractor and pro-rated to run in all the states. It would then mean that no one would be able to assist in the driving unless they also had a CDL. I would have to pull through scales, have a log book, physical card and have an IFTA sticker for fuel.

I'm not in this as a business, this is recreational.

Bob Pagano · 08-08-2008, 10:02 PM

All you retired guys like me that take meds like blood pressure and so on can forget about a CDL physical, I had to turn mine in. The list of meds is long.

Philip Saran · 08-08-2008, 10:21 PM

I don't know about other states, but here in California, trucks over say a F150 have commercial
plates on them. My F350 diesel is a '04 so it's already 4 yrs old and the tags are still over $400
per year. I could convert to car tags if I was willing to put a camper shell on the truck and NEVER
take it off, that would cut the price of tags in half, but then you loose the use of the bed for hauling.

John DiBartolomeo · 08-09-2008, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1664SSJA

All those mentioned are more than likely registered as Commercial Vehicles, therefore exempt, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

It doesn't have anything to do the way your are registered it is the overall length of your rig and whether you have a ball or fifth wheel.

FED 387 · 08-09-2008, 11:59 AM

quick question --when they talk about overall length are they measuring from bumper to bumper OR are they measuring the length of the motorhome and the enclosed (box) portion of the trailer LESS the drawbar length to arrive at the total length??? When you buy a trailer the 24 or 32 or whatever foot measurement applies to the enclosed portion or bed of the trailler NOT the actual overall length---From the very tip of the drawbar to the absolute furthest point rearward on the trailer---How are they doing it?? Comp387

Angela Macy · 08-09-2008, 12:17 PM

I mentioned some of this stuff to my superior, which sparked his interest due to where I work. He had a contact - Luetienent (sp?) with the Highway Patrol - this guy is over our general area, about 8 counties, including Guilford. Interestingly enough, the guy mentioned he had just gotten off the phone with a legislator regarding this stuff. He also said they were having more crack downs in the Farmington area.

According to him, which contradicts what is being posted on here and what everyone is being told, you're ok if your rig is over 60 feet if you are on a STAA approved road. http://www.ncdot.org/doh/preconstruc...ic/safety/TSI/

Here is a link to STAA approved routes - http://www.ncdot.org/it/img/DataDist...statewideMaps/

Basically anything interstate - such as I-85 and I-40 are approved. However, routes from those to the track probably aren't - such as Route 801 going to Farmington. Is this where they are busting people, on the small roads? Or are they busting people on the interstate?

He also said you could tow something behind a motorhome as long as it wasn't over 60 feet on a non STAA approved route.

He acted like more of the problem is with people not having CDLs. Anything over 10,000 pounds being towed for commercial use - commercial meaning generates income, which includes drag racing - requires CDL - also, if I wasn't mistaking, if you're towing with a 5th wheel you need a CDL according to what that guy says, but I suppose since most 5th wheel trailers are 3 axel they probably are over 10,000 pounds loaded anyway? It was all very confusing and again, contradicting what other are being told.

As for State Employees CDL only being for State Vehicles, me and my superior did not know that to be true. I know for sure a State Employees CDL license doesn't say "for state vehicle use only". However, most NCDOT employees who are Transportation Workers have a CDL with an endorsement only allowing them to drive a dump truck or like vehicle with a regular tag trailer, such as one for a backhoe. Their CDL endorsement says "No Semi Trailer" - Semi Trailer meaning 5th wheel connection. The reason this is the only endorsement most have is because that is all their job requires them to have which is all the state will reimburse the employee for. There are some TW's who have the endorsement to tow Semi Trailer, such as a low boy, if there job requires them to do so.

The State Worker can get additional endorsements if they want, the State just isn't going to pay for it if its not needed for their job.

One thing though worth mentioning, which may be where this is coming from, is the State Employees aren't required to have a medical card or the phyicals every so often. So if you're a State Employee and use your CDL for non state related things you probably should go on your own and get the required physicals to have the CDL and have that card. Meaning if you get stopped in a State Vehicle without a medical card your ok but in a personal vehicle your not. Also, state TW don't have to keep log books but out in the "real world" you would need to.

So in general a State Employee with a CDL while on the job isn't required to have all the paperwork your average Joe has, but once their an average joe using their CDL they'd have to have the paperwork.

Again, to the best of my knowledge and my supervisors - obviously things aren't so black and white so we may be wrong too.

Honestly I didn't get all the answers to my questions - simply put, us taking our dually with a trailer racing shouldn't require us to file out log books, take medical exams, have to stop at weigh stations, etc. I've also heard but not confirmed that it makes you auto insurance go up? (anyone know??) I'm sure there is more to it than just that as well.

Here is a link to the DMV page for CDL requirements
http://www.ncdot.org/dmv/driver_serv...uirements.html

You can download the CDL handbook here
http://www.ncdot.org/dmv/driver_serv...g/cdlhandbook/

If nothing more, I hope this meeting doesn't just focus on the length issue, but get clearer rules for us and our CDL needs.

Angela Macy · 08-09-2008, 12:22 PM

One more thing, for those who are posting but not in NC - here if your towing with a pick up truck you have to have a weighted commercial tag that covers the weight of your truck and trailer - ours is for 18,000 pounds and its several hundred dollars a year - $217 or $317 - can't remember exactly. However, if your towing with a motorhome you can have a recreational vehicle plate which is only $28 or so a year. Thats kind of been a beef with Scott, shouldn't the motorhome have to have a weighted plate too? However, apparently some are being told they can't tow with a motorhome at all, so maybe that has something to do with it as well - the plate on the motorhome isn't weighted?

Another issue I have with that is its implying our truck is "Commerical" - the plate says so. But if we're not towing over 10,000 pounds we're not required to have a CDL. But then go back to what the trooper said, going drag racing is consider Commercial Use since we're generating income. So in that case should we have a CDL regardless if our trailer is over 10,000 pounds or not? Again, VERY CONFUSING.

FED 387 · 08-09-2008, 12:28 PM

I think the area we all need to be concerned with is the initial overall length and/or the type of registration/license plates on the vehicle--This gives the cops a legal loophole or "probable cause" to make the initial traffic stop--From there they then go on to registration-insurance-driver licensing--overall length--safety violations etc--They just need a valid excuse to make the initial traffic stop--they can then go berserk with the ticket book---Any cops on here that can shed some light on this subject??? comp 387

08-08-2008, 07:28 PM	#21
THE LEGEND VIP Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Fayetteville, n.c. Posts: 1,411 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: DMV Crackdown It does affect a lot of nascar teams. They have show cars-testing cars- Some of the smaller Arca and truck teams don't have 18 wheelers either. Not to mention all the Saturday night late model teams,Legend Cars, and Lucas Oil Dirt cars many owned by some of the big guns such as Stewart and Earnhardt. In a e-mail from Steve yesterday any RV with a trailer behind is illegal. Go to brackettalk.com interesting reading there about the same thing. Chip

08-08-2008, 09:06 PM	#22
Chris1529 VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 1,366 Likes: 6 Liked 70 Times in 29 Posts	Re: DMV Crackdown Lets just assume for one minute that we have to get a commercial drivers license to operate our trucks or motorhomes towing a trailer. I live in West Virginia, and to get a CDL, one has to take a written test and also a road exam. I assume other states do this in much the same manner. Say I pass the written exam and then schedule my road exam. When I show up in my 2500 Dodge Ram, they will ask me " what vehicle am I going to take the test in?" When I tell them my Dodge, they will all get a good laugh because it is not a commercial vehicle. It doesn't matter if it is a 250, 350, dually, etc. It is still not a commercial vehicle-no matter whether it has a trailer hooked to it or not. They will tell you to come back with a Kenworth, or a large Dump Truck, or somthing along those lines. __________________ Chris Bowman The Mountain State Mustang 1984 Mustang GT350

08-08-2008, 09:43 PM	#23
Rex Thonen Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Nebraska Posts: 29 Likes: 3 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: DMV Crackdown We have the same problem in Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and South Dakota. They don't like motor homes pulling trailers that are over 65 feet long. I know of two late model dirt track guys that got tickets, one in Iowa and one in South Dakota. I got a ticket earlier this year in Nebraska on the way to Great Bend KS for the divisional. That cost me $290.00. The officer told us that we needed to contact the racing organizations to see if they would get something passed in the legislatures to help with the problem. When I talked to the late model guys, I said they should get ahold of NASCAR and see if they could help out. They didn't think NASCAR would help. Has anyone approached NHRA to see if they can help us out? I have a CDL but the problem is that my motor home and trailer would have to be registered as a truck tractor and pro-rated to run in all the states. It would then mean that no one would be able to assist in the driving unless they also had a CDL. I would have to pull through scales, have a log book, physical card and have an IFTA sticker for fuel. I'm not in this as a business, this is recreational.

08-08-2008, 10:02 PM	#24
Bob Pagano VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: New Holland, PA Mooresville,NC Posts: 1,163 Likes: 232 Liked 16 Times in 11 Posts	Re: DMV Crackdown All you retired guys like me that take meds like blood pressure and so on can forget about a CDL physical, I had to turn mine in. The list of meds is long. __________________ Bob Pagano A/SA

08-08-2008, 10:21 PM	#25
Philip Saran Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Parker, CO. Posts: 727 Likes: 160 Liked 14 Times in 11 Posts	Re: DMV Crackdown I don't know about other states, but here in California, trucks over say a F150 have commercial plates on them. My F350 diesel is a '04 so it's already 4 yrs old and the tags are still over $400 per year. I could convert to car tags if I was willing to put a camper shell on the truck and NEVER take it off, that would cut the price of tags in half, but then you loose the use of the bed for hauling. __________________ Phil Saran Parker, Colorado

08-09-2008, 11:59 AM	#27
FED 387 VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3,400 Likes: 482 Liked 320 Times in 172 Posts	Re: DMV Crackdown quick question --when they talk about overall length are they measuring from bumper to bumper OR are they measuring the length of the motorhome and the enclosed (box) portion of the trailer LESS the drawbar length to arrive at the total length??? When you buy a trailer the 24 or 32 or whatever foot measurement applies to the enclosed portion or bed of the trailler NOT the actual overall length---From the very tip of the drawbar to the absolute furthest point rearward on the trailer---How are they doing it?? Comp387

08-09-2008, 12:17 PM	#28
Angela Macy Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Randleman, NC Posts: 301 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: DMV Crackdown I mentioned some of this stuff to my superior, which sparked his interest due to where I work. He had a contact - Luetienent (sp?) with the Highway Patrol - this guy is over our general area, about 8 counties, including Guilford. Interestingly enough, the guy mentioned he had just gotten off the phone with a legislator regarding this stuff. He also said they were having more crack downs in the Farmington area. According to him, which contradicts what is being posted on here and what everyone is being told, you're ok if your rig is over 60 feet if you are on a STAA approved road. http://www.ncdot.org/doh/preconstruc...ic/safety/TSI/ Here is a link to STAA approved routes - http://www.ncdot.org/it/img/DataDist...statewideMaps/ Basically anything interstate - such as I-85 and I-40 are approved. However, routes from those to the track probably aren't - such as Route 801 going to Farmington. Is this where they are busting people, on the small roads? Or are they busting people on the interstate? He also said you could tow something behind a motorhome as long as it wasn't over 60 feet on a non STAA approved route. He acted like more of the problem is with people not having CDLs. Anything over 10,000 pounds being towed for commercial use - commercial meaning generates income, which includes drag racing - requires CDL - also, if I wasn't mistaking, if you're towing with a 5th wheel you need a CDL according to what that guy says, but I suppose since most 5th wheel trailers are 3 axel they probably are over 10,000 pounds loaded anyway? It was all very confusing and again, contradicting what other are being told. As for State Employees CDL only being for State Vehicles, me and my superior did not know that to be true. I know for sure a State Employees CDL license doesn't say "for state vehicle use only". However, most NCDOT employees who are Transportation Workers have a CDL with an endorsement only allowing them to drive a dump truck or like vehicle with a regular tag trailer, such as one for a backhoe. Their CDL endorsement says "No Semi Trailer" - Semi Trailer meaning 5th wheel connection. The reason this is the only endorsement most have is because that is all their job requires them to have which is all the state will reimburse the employee for. There are some TW's who have the endorsement to tow Semi Trailer, such as a low boy, if there job requires them to do so. The State Worker can get additional endorsements if they want, the State just isn't going to pay for it if its not needed for their job. One thing though worth mentioning, which may be where this is coming from, is the State Employees aren't required to have a medical card or the phyicals every so often. So if you're a State Employee and use your CDL for non state related things you probably should go on your own and get the required physicals to have the CDL and have that card. Meaning if you get stopped in a State Vehicle without a medical card your ok but in a personal vehicle your not. Also, state TW don't have to keep log books but out in the "real world" you would need to. So in general a State Employee with a CDL while on the job isn't required to have all the paperwork your average Joe has, but once their an average joe using their CDL they'd have to have the paperwork. Again, to the best of my knowledge and my supervisors - obviously things aren't so black and white so we may be wrong too. Honestly I didn't get all the answers to my questions - simply put, us taking our dually with a trailer racing shouldn't require us to file out log books, take medical exams, have to stop at weigh stations, etc. I've also heard but not confirmed that it makes you auto insurance go up? (anyone know??) I'm sure there is more to it than just that as well. Here is a link to the DMV page for CDL requirements http://www.ncdot.org/dmv/driver_serv...uirements.html You can download the CDL handbook here http://www.ncdot.org/dmv/driver_serv...g/cdlhandbook/ If nothing more, I hope this meeting doesn't just focus on the length issue, but get clearer rules for us and our CDL needs.

08-09-2008, 12:22 PM	#29
Angela Macy Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Randleman, NC Posts: 301 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: DMV Crackdown One more thing, for those who are posting but not in NC - here if your towing with a pick up truck you have to have a weighted commercial tag that covers the weight of your truck and trailer - ours is for 18,000 pounds and its several hundred dollars a year - $217 or $317 - can't remember exactly. However, if your towing with a motorhome you can have a recreational vehicle plate which is only $28 or so a year. Thats kind of been a beef with Scott, shouldn't the motorhome have to have a weighted plate too? However, apparently some are being told they can't tow with a motorhome at all, so maybe that has something to do with it as well - the plate on the motorhome isn't weighted? Another issue I have with that is its implying our truck is "Commerical" - the plate says so. But if we're not towing over 10,000 pounds we're not required to have a CDL. But then go back to what the trooper said, going drag racing is consider Commercial Use since we're generating income. So in that case should we have a CDL regardless if our trailer is over 10,000 pounds or not? Again, VERY CONFUSING.

08-09-2008, 12:28 PM	#30
FED 387 VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 3,400 Likes: 482 Liked 320 Times in 172 Posts	Re: DMV Crackdown I think the area we all need to be concerned with is the initial overall length and/or the type of registration/license plates on the vehicle--This gives the cops a legal loophole or "probable cause" to make the initial traffic stop--From there they then go on to registration-insurance-driver licensing--overall length--safety violations etc--They just need a valid excuse to make the initial traffic stop--they can then go berserk with the ticket book---Any cops on here that can shed some light on this subject??? comp 387