weight limits

[mechohaulic]

so different then the fun days  I guess.

[JoeH]

On 11/13/2023 at 5:46 PM, tjc transport said:

the new driver got spot checked at the southern inspection station this morning.

the only thing the found was a slight flat spot on 2 of the 4 trailer lift axle tires, and his medical card expired last week. 

when he pulled onto the job with the written report and no tickets, i called and ordered 4 tires to be delivered to the job and installed. 

In PA you lose your CDL the moment your medical card expires.

[Joey Mack]

Here in N.C.  you get a letter thats lets you know that your D.O.T. phys.  is due..  then after it expires, you have 90 day's to get it done before they pull your C.D.L....  Because I don't drive for a living anymore, I was able to sign a doctors note/form/ whatever it is,,, and still have my Class 'A',  without a D.O.T. card in my wallet..  Of course if I get back in the Saddle, I will have to get my D.O.T. card..   Jojo

[mechohaulic]

I brought the DMV in CT to a complete standstill and silence day I went there to renew my license . going from a TN to CT license was bad enough for me .  when I stated I was giving up my CDL which I had from first yr CDL came in to existence  (1969). clerk didn't know what to do, he went to a supervisor  who quite loudly says" what who gives up a CDL" ,clerk  points to me standing a few windows away ;; not right next to them of course across the room.  silence and EVERYONE  turns and  looks at me. glad I at least combed my hair. not my choice  ; was getting extremely difficult  to pass medical which was only good for a yr at a time. 

one thing I have noticed at least in CT; the day of the "professional drivers "is out the window. bet coffee and doughnut most big rig drivers around here don't have a medical or CDL. 

[mechohaulic]

reason I posted in another forum the interest in driving a DM811sx or euclid rig in a quarry operation. no highway traffic or cdl needed . on I-84 today which at the time was a 3 lane highway; constantly  watching rear view mirror see on a crowded road this idiot makes a 3 lane into a 4 lane racing up right shoulder at way over speed limit or common sense. 

[Brocky]

26 minutes ago, Joey Mack said:

Here in N.C.  you get a letter thats lets you know that your D.O.T. phys.  is due..  then after it expires, you have 90 day's to get it done before they pull your C.D.L....  Because I don't drive for a living anymore, I was able to sign a doctors note/form/ whatever it is,,, and still have my Class 'A',  without a D.O.T. card in my wallet..  Of course if I get back in the Saddle, I will have to get my D.O.T. card..   Jojo

JoJo I have the same here in SC..  You just can NOT operate a vehicle if either you or the vehicle generates ANY revenue..

[Joey Mack]

exactly !!  Brocky..

[Brocky]

1 hour ago, Joey Mack said:

exactly !!  Brocky..

Down here it is labeled "interstate excepted" on the form you have to sign..

[tjc transport]

here in Jersey they send a letter the state is not in receipt of a current med certificate about two weeks after it expires. you then have 6 months to produce a new card to the state, if you do not produce a new one after 6 months, they demote you to a class "D" which is passenger vehicle only. 

[doubleclutchinweasel]

12 hours ago, Joey Mack said:

exactly !!  Brocky..

So, did you essentially wind up with a non-commercial class A, or is it still commercial and just can't be used commercially?

[Geoff Weeks]

10 hours ago, Brocky said:

Down here it is labeled "interstate excepted" on the form you have to sign..

 

5 minutes ago, doubleclutchinweasel said:

So, did you essentially wind up with a non-commercial class A, or is it still commercial and just can't be used commercially?

It varies by state,  some do not allow you to keep a CDL at all if no med card (I think it is either AZ or NM) but under the Fed rules that most states use, you can run personal stuff and some excepted vocations, like here Propane del and AG chemicals are on the list. either intra or interstate excepted. A state can have stricter rules than the Feds but not more lax. The above states (and I can't remember which one) went stricter and you can't hold a Class A or B  without a med card.

 So to be sure, you have to check with your state on what is allowed.

When I retired, I change to interstate excepted and have my "CDL" or class A without a med card. If I were to go back in the seat, I would have to get a med card and go file it at the courthouse.

Here, anyway it is called self certification, and you have to file it where you get your CDL lic or renewal. In Iowa it is at the county courthouse.

[Brocky]

DCW: I can drive anything as long as I  and/or the Truck DO NOT get paid..

DAs Geoff says above check you home state laws.. If you can find the PR / desk bound officer for your "Diesel Cops" they will take the time to look up the law a LOT BETTER than the local DMV.. We even has one come to our chapter meeting, lay out the basics and answered a lot of questions.

[doubleclutchinweasel]

30 minutes ago, Brocky said:

DCW: I can drive anything as long as I  and/or the Truck DO NOT get paid..

DAs Geoff says above check you home state laws.. If you can find the PR / desk bound officer for your "Diesel Cops" they will take the time to look up the law a LOT BETTER than the local DMV.. We even has one come to our chapter meeting, lay out the basics and answered a lot of questions.

Here in NC, we have class A, B, & C licenses...in both commercial and "civilian" forms.  Sounds similar in SC.

[mechohaulic]

how things have changed , CDL first came out ; my boss at Mack says "there's some type of new license for trucks , you want one ; sign here. no test, physical, medical card . reading these post make your head spin;; this states says this ,but other states says this . then the law enforcement use state to state changes to screw everyone up. 

[other dog]

On 11/13/2023 at 5:44 PM, MACKS said:

As long as your not driving on no trucking roads I don’t see how they can harass you,it’s still mostly a free country to drive where u want..🤷‍♂️😡

 

I don't see how they could make that stick in court either, being that it's still a free country. They can't prove you were trying to avoid the scales, maybe you just enjoy taking the scenic route. They probably figure most people will just pay the fine and not even go to court. We all know it's all about the money anyway.

[Joey Mack]

D.C.W.,,,  as far as I know,  without calling Raleigh and telling on myself,,,,,  I am allowed to drive trucks as long as I'm not hauling freight..  When I had my truck repair business, I was able to test drive the trucks...  When I got my job for the city, they did not ask me to renew my Phys. Card...  

[RowdyRebel]

On 11/15/2023 at 8:34 AM, doubleclutchinweasel said:

Here in NC, we have class A, B, & C licenses...in both commercial and "civilian" forms.  Sounds similar in SC.

Yup. Same here in Illinois, even though few know about it. Law says you have to be licensed for the class vehicle you're driving. A farmer does not need a CDL to drive his own semi truck hauling his own grain from his own farm to the local elevator. However, he DOES need a class A license.

When my wife moved up from Texas, I told her "Before you leave the DMV, make absolute certain your license is still a class C." Texas doesn't have class D (under 16k) which is what pretty much everyone gets here in Illinois. Problem is, my F250 has 8k tags, and our gooseneck has 10k tags...so that combination is 18k. If she got stopped, she'd be driving out of class if she only had a class D license. Her Texas class C was good up to 26k...and that's what she needed to keep. For once, Illinois didn't screw up. She's still got her class C license.

Bottom line, here you need to be licensed for the vehicle you're driving. If you're not engaged in commercial activities, it doesn't have to be a CDL. There are exceptions for rental vehicles (u-haul, etc...) and RV's. Fire trucks get an exemption, too, because they figure you've been trained how to drive it by the department. School busses require an additional endorsement beyond the "P" ...and that requires a background check fingerprinting, and an annual classroom session that's only available if you're actively working as (or training to be) a school bus driver. And if you've already got the "P" and are just going for the "SB", you need to pass another road test.

Absolutely crazy how many ways there are for them to play "gotcha" when it comes to driving various types of vehicles on the road...and to make it worse, every state is different.