cdl question

[Oly's Stump]

I only have a Class B but will be up grading to A. You can test with the set up you have. You don't need to test with a 53 ft trailer and semi tractor. Just pass the written and the driving part of it is a piece of cake.

 

[Yellowdog]

Just stumps... So your saying that since my f350 is a 13,000 gvw, and my dumptrailer is a 14,000 gvw that I would need a class A to be legal? Because 13,000+14,000 = 27,000? Even though my trucks gcwr is only 23,500? (ford has the truck towing capacity rated at 15,000)

Unfortunately, this is how DPS (texas state troopers license and weight enforcement) division explained it to me. I bought the new ford too, rated at 13k. My bobcat trailer is rated at 12k so I am Ok, however, I want a dump trailer that is rated at 14k or if I wanted to pull a tandem or get a new bigger chipper that weighed over 13 (or was rated over 13) I would need a CDL.

My truck weighs about 9500 with everything but is rated at 13k. My trailer weighs everybit of 12k fully loaded and is rated as 12k. Add 2500lbs of cargo on my flatbed and I am at 24k lbs, legally under CDL if i was weighed but getting close. I watch what I haul but my buddies don't. Just a matter of time till they get pulled over and weighed and/or they do a calculation with your GVWR on your truck and GVWR on the trailer. Also, some of these guys pulling a backhoe with a 1 ton..the trooper can look at GCWR and if they are over (and most will be pulling a backhoe) then they can get cited or impounded.
That's my take on it and I carry the name and number of the DPS enforcement guy who is in charge of my area with the pages in the book cutout just in case I get pulled over!