Chian grinder or more equipment?

[Gologit]

that is a very good point.

Truck is 9400 with me in it and a full tank, skidder is under 12000, bringing the weight up to 21400, leaving about 4600 for the trailer, which isn't much I know, but its better then paying 4k for a crappy 6 month class and a little tiny letter on my license. I missed out on just taking the test and getting it over with, now you're required to take a course of some sort.

You're right, the CDL thing is a PITA. But WSP has no sense of humor and when they see a rig like you're putting together they'll pull you over and weigh you with portables just to make sure you're within tolerance. Even if your weight is okay they'll start looking your rig over for brake adjustment, lights, cracks, tires...whatever they can find. They'll check your tiedowns, tiedown methods, make sure your chains and binders meet spec and just generally look for anything they can find to write you for. They always find something. Always. If they red-tag you and place you out of service you're dead in the water until repairs are made. If you're working close to home you might be able to play hide-and-seek and get away with it but I wouldn't count on it. If they red tag you and you move the rig before you're cleared to the fines are enormous.
Back in the early 80s I was working for a company that heli-logged. We had a contract to log at Packwood and when we moved everything in...fuel tankers, service trucks, lowbeds...we got the full attention of WSP. Warshington was a lot stricter than California. For awhile, because they didn't know us, every time we moved we got stopped and inspected. Our stuff was in good shape and eventually they let up on us but for awhile the delays really screwed up our movement and cost us money.

I'm not trying to discourage you. I think your own trailer, for the way you're working now, makes sense. Just go into it with your eyes open.
Is having your own trailer going to make your insurance go up?

 

[Trx250r180]

Have you got Dot #s on the truck yet ? another mandatory thing have to do now ,and if go over a certain distance ,i believe 100 miles as the crow flies ,you need a log book recording mileage ,and hours in the truck driving ,am not advising when to run the truck ,but it seems like they get off at 5 pm and do not usually work sundays if you want less hassle getting checked ,i do not have to mess with the log book right now because i only haul local ,if i do transport from here to tacoma for example i need to log everything

 

[treeslayer2003]

I see things are the same there as here as far as DOT lol.

 

[Gologit]

I see things are the same there as here as far as DOT lol.

Yup, I think it's probably the same everywhere. A friend of mine that runs a trucking company claims that when an applicant is hired for DOT the first thing that happens is that their sense of humor is surgically removed.
Really though, at least in California, they've done some good too. They've got a lot of the junk trucks and shady operators shut down. The accident rate due to faulty brakes and other equipment failures is a fraction of what it was.
The only problem is that now, with most of the bad trucks and fly by night companies shut down, they don't have enough to do. They still have to justify their existence and their budget and sometimes they get real picky about minor violations...marker lights, tail lights, reflectors, gauges, that sort of thing. One of our drivers last year got a ticket for his log book not being up to date. He'd forgotten to draw the lines for his last change of duty status and there were 30 minutes unaccounted for. Cost him a bunch of money.

 

[treeslayer2003]

I really can't complain, the guys around here ain't been to bad with us. now some others would disagree..........

 

[northmanlogging]

hmmm....

I only plan on working locally with the truck, has a top speed of 50 so some highways, and all freeways are no fun. It'll do 55 but sounds like she wants to come apart.

Give me a couple more jobs and I'll work on the CDL thing, Just can't justify the expense at this point. It is on the list of things to accomplish before or just after going full time.

The Truck is actually in very good shape for its age, could use a fresh coat of paint but all the important things work well and has good tires on it. Mostly fresh suspension, recent rebuild on the engine, new lights... dump box is aluminium so no rust and its got a fresh bottom plate, Hel even the mud flaps are in good shape. Hydraulic brakes so no worries as far as adjustments.

Needs a cigarette lighter.

 

[4x4American]

 

[northmanlogging]

And the winner is...

 

[treeslayer2003]

wheels in the middle, run her up close to the tounge northy.
that be great for movin the bell.

 

[northmanlogging]

yep, one of them econoline trailers with the funny split axle dually things.

Figure I'll have to park the missus on nose first and tie up the blade.

 

[1270d]

What's the pickup peeking out on the right?

 

[northmanlogging]

some chevy thing... Its the land owners 67? straight 6, single barrel. He'd mentioned it was his first car.

 

[imagineero]

One of our drivers last year got a ticket for his log book not being up to date.

Same story over here unfortunately, a buddy of mine got fined for not spelling the name of the town he had his break in correctly on the log book. Seriously.

I'm in the same category as CDL I guess, (We call it HR over here) but since I only drive local I don't need to keep a log book, and since I work in the city mainly I don't get pulled up and weighed much. On the highway it's a different story. They do setup at dumps sometimes, and sting you as you come in.

 

[slowp]

Last week I drove into town and noticed a lack of log truck traffic. Lately it has been a constant stream of log trucks heading to our mill and the other mills in the area.
Just down the road, the state guy had an All Trucks Must Stop sign out and portable scales. Plus, he was doing inspections--he had a creeper and was just rolling out from under one of the old trucks that hauls veggies over from the other side of the mountains. That explained the lack of log trucks. They won't haul if they know such a thing is going on.

Yesterday, which was Saturday, there was log truck after log truck, which is unusual on a weekend. I'm thinking they had to make up for the day of not hauling.

 

[northmanlogging]

I think I'll be mostly ok, trailer scale weight is 3100, which gives me a 1600 pound buffer for not needing a CDL. And its a rare day that I'll be hauling during the week. The occasional gyppo load on a Friday, but thats about it.

Its raining hard today, so looks liike I get to wire up the brake controls, and pressure warsh everything.