CDL Question

Ok I will be getting a 2008 f350 mid summer when I have the money and along with that I want to get a 30 foot dual tandem gooseneck. What I will haul most frequently is hay that I bale to be delivered. I want to haul 250 bales per load, I wont be hitting highways it will most always be 10-15 miles down the road. I threw out some number and said if the truck weighs 9,000 lbs and the trailer weighs 6500 lbs and a load of hay weighs 12500 lbs that puts me at 28,000 lbs. So I am assuming yes I will need a cdl. My question is how long do they take to get? How difficult are they to get and how would I be tested since I wont be driving a semi. I will need a class A, what is the method of getting one? Testing procedures and such. Thanks guys

Just load it up and go ! Farm items are not usually preyed upon by the local yokals.
Check into getting farm tags too as if available will be lots cheaper.

You will have to take a written test. You should be able to get the study material at your local DMV. Probably will also have to take a driving test, and you may also be required to take a test on the pre-trip vehicle safety inspection procedure. Your CDL will be issued to you upon successful completion of all the afore mentioned tests.

In Kentucky, and as long as you stay in Kentucky you are legal to 38000 on your pickups farm plate and you dont need a trailer plate. As long as you are within 150 of your home farm and stay in the state you dont need a CDL but with a trailer weigh in excess of 10,000 you will need a DOT medical card.

CDL -DOT Numbers-Commercial insurance- Log books-Drug Tests-one thing just leads to two more. Some states have exemptions for farm vehicles,ours does, I'd check into that if all I was hauling was hay and farm machinery.

If your own hay, then farm plates. A local here buys hay as he bales it , then hauls with farm tags.

So obviously ill have to get DOT numbers. Can those go on the neck of the trailer or do they have to be on tow vehicle? If they have to be on vehicle could I get them black if my truck is black this is a work truck but its also nice and dont want decals and numbers all over

A couple of points. If you're sure that's all the farther you're going to be traveling, it may well be worth your while to look into farm plates. You don't say where you are and requirements, restrictions and exceptions vary from state to state, but it could be worth checking out.

If you can't stay within your state's restrictions (for example, you plan to occasionally travel further from home than they allow . . . and others), then a CDL may be in order. If so, it's a written test followed by a road test. The state will provide you with a book that spells out all you need to know. Nothing real tricky about the written part, just read up and study well. A couple of heads ups on the road test. You will be required to do a pre-trip inspection, and a lot of folks blow it there the first time out. If you're checking something out of the examiner's sight, tell him what you're checking and what you found, or he may mark you down as having missed that part. On the road, keep your top speed a shade under the limit and on downhills, brake to 5-below the limit when holding it back and don't let it go over. On the highway, examiners also like to ask you questions like, "What was the posted clearance on that underpass we went under a half-mile back?" or on roads that have them, what the last mile marker was.

As far as the road test, you take it in the vehicle or type of vehicle you will be driving. It doesn't need to be loaded, but it does, for a Class A have to be a combination of truck and trailer, the sum of whose weight ratings exceeds 26,000 pounds with the trailer's rating being at least 10k of that. A trailer with two 10k axles and a truck rated for more than 6k (not a problem) will cover it.

Assuming that the trailer will have electric or electric-over-hydraulic brakes, you can skip the parts of the written exam and the parts of the pre-trip on the road test that pertain to air brakes. You might, on the pre-trip, be expected to check the breakaway mechanism, however. If so, be sure to unplug your pigtail before pulling the breakaway pin -- if you inadvertently step on your brake pedal with the breakaway activated and the pigtail in, you can fry your brake controller, which would mean no road test that day! Just don't forget to plug it back in! Better yet, if the examiner will allow it, you can avoid that by testing the breakaway first thing after securing your hitch and before plugging in the pigtail, then you'll have to plug in the pigtail to do your light check and check the function of the regular braking, and you won't have forgotten to plug back in. More likely, though, you'll alrady be hitched up, so just don't forget to unplug and to plug back in before leaving. Other trick to that, after you pass, is that you WILL NOT have an air brake endorsement on your license, so your brand new Class A will not mean that you can go hop into a big rig and go. You'll be limited to juice and electric brakes until you go back for the written and road tests with air brakes.

HTH

Black on black? LOL! Nice try but NO. They have to be readily visible.

A lot of folks I see on the road have magnetic signs made up for the doors and only put them on when they're hauling. There's some cost, but probably comparable to a professional lettering job.

I am in kentucky outside of louisville and dont plan on going more than 150 miles from home which kyhayman said was the limit.

You might be okay for the distance as long as you stay in KY, but there may be issues about crossing into IN or OH on farm plates. TN or IL could get into play, too. Check it out closely. There's an unresolved question out there right now about whether mileage restrictions like that mean air miles or over-the-road odometer miles. It may work as long as you plan on staying well within 150 odometer miles, but there may be an interstate factor. And as far as the lettering, you might find something there, too. States vary as to their requirements for DOT number and lettering for strictly INTRAstate travel.

I think they've covered it. One thing leads to another: cdl, dot reg (private or public carrier) or farm, type of insurance needed, physical needed or not, need for drug testing, logbooks, etc.

Some dl places only road test on certain days. Check it out and study the manual. Around here people fail because they run the stop sign installed at the private parking lot where the examiner station is. Signal all turns and lane changes, use your mirrors to look first, turn into the proper lane when turning onto a 4 lane road, and all the other things people are supposed to do but don't. Hope you don't have any old DUI's that will come back to haunt you when you apply. Public seems to worry about old drunks driving big rigs for some reason. DOT physicals are tough on those with potential diabetic problems.

Best thing is to get the weights of the pu and trailer you are going to buy and go down and talk to your local/area dot guy. Then get your cdl. Take the written first and there is some carryover time. Then borrow or rent a rig for the test. Take the written and hang out when others are doing their driving test and try to make a deal with them to use their rig. Do all this before you buy the pu and trailer to avoid any surprises.

I believe also they go by the gross ratings of the pu and trailer and not your actual weights you have listed. Good luck.

Check your state rules out here in Oregon we just say its farm an forget the plates on trailers. No brakes no limit no trouble with lights and the cops hate us but can't do anything about it.
Walt

Yes, those are the places to ask, but don't be surprised if you get four or more answers from three places.

Here in Maine, I had a few questions, just because they require commercial plates on my p/u because it is rated for over 8k. My combined weight ratings leave me below CDL limits.

We register our vehicles at the town office, which is where the commercial issue came up in the first place. One set of answers there.

I happened to be over in the seat of the neighboring county where there is a full-time DMV office (my county's is part-time). Asked the same questions there. Whole different set of answers.

Got talkin' to a state trooper. Tossed the questions to him. Different answers yet. He allowed as how DOT guys might have a better answer to a couple of the questions.

So one day I'm out in the car and see the diesel bears gettin' ready to open up the scales, so I pull in to check with them. They were good about it, but it was a good thing I was in my car. They might have red-tagged me and written $2000 worth of tickets if I'd pulled in with my p/u and gooseneck.

DMV said no DOT# required as long as I'm loaded with my own stuff. Trooper agreed, DOT disagreed and the town clerk didn't know. Everybody except DOT agrees that it's alright to transport an un-opened six-pack of beer home in my p/u with the commercial plates. There were others, but those were two seemingly simple questions, and the answers were all over the board.

If you have a Technical school or Junior college around you might be able to take your driving test there with their truck.
Thats what I did with the SW Kansas vo-tech in abundant Ks.
Cost me 40.00 for driving test. He even let me drive around the driving course at the school for a while. Practiced my backing etc until he came out!!

He took me under an overpass - asked me what height it was - I did'nt know he told me to go under so I did. Next one I read the sign two blocks away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just contact your local department of motor vehicles. They're the ones that matter as far as an answer is concerned. You'll get as many answers here as responses with some actually correct for where they're written...
'Here', you would require a standard class 5 with a heavy trailer endorsment for that kind of weight. If you pass 14 tonne, then you would need a class 3 still with a heavy trailer endorsement.

For what it's worth, if you ever have a chance to go for your class 1, just do it and keep it up. If nothing else it's a job in your pocket any time you're stuck. It's not hard to get a job driving a truck.

Rod

Lots of different answers here from state to state. Your state CDL study guide will cover what you most need to know the rest is in DOT regulations that will put you to sleep. Here in IL farm plates are good for 150 air miles from home. Much cheaper than commercial but don't get caught hauling any non farm or for hire stuff. You do need a class A license cause you are a combination vehicle over 26,000 or might as well say CDL even though with farm plates you would not be a true commercial driver. With farm plates you don't need a log book or medical card but you still need to get inspected every 6 months. The way I read the DOT number thing is any time you cross state lines with farm plates or commercial you need a DOT number along with the fuel sticker for the state your running in.

It covers this stuff in the CDL study guide for your state. I took the test last fall and it was not too bad with a tractor and 30 foot trailer. Pre trip was not too bad just know your vehicle and whats in the book. Had to simulate going around a corner and be close but not hit the curb, stop at but not over a line, and back up to line on the pavement be close with out going over. Then a short round the block type test. Just watch yourself and drive by the book.

It gets to be a real hassle and costly to get into a large trailer. If you are hauling close to home how about pulling it with a tractor to avoid the fees?

It's the same thing here. Nobody knows. They don't have a clue. They just make it up as they go. A silly Trooper here told me I do not a DOT number for my Illinois farm plated single axle farm trucks if I haul my corn to the Ethanol plant. Don't need one if I haul it to the local elevators. But I need one if I haul to the elevators on the Illinois river. All of these places are within 15 miles of home. My trucks NEVER go more than 15 miles from home. Go figure that one! This whole DOT thing is just out of control. Complain loudly to your Congressmen and Senators!

And that's just where things get screwed up. The elevator on the river, as long as it's witnin your state shouldn't have any different requirements vis a vis DOT regs. What it does require now (this just came up last winter) is a TWIC, Transportation Worker's Identification Card. With one, you can drive right into a port facility, such as a riverside grain elevator. Without one, you'll have to be escorted all the time you are inside such a facility, and a lot of owners are refusing to pay to have people just to escort folks without cards.

It's a Homeland Security requirement, intended to keep terrorists from hijacking barges and poisoning grain at the terminals. They can do that (at least the poisoning part) much more easily at elevators that aren't on navigable waterways. Beisdes, how do you hijack a barge on a river?

It's been a real pain in the neck up here in Maine where most of our fuel comes in by water. Even the guys who drive fuel oil delivery trucks have had to go get them, as they frequently fill their trucks at the distributor's racks along the river. All the more so, because the security check differs not one whit from the check that goes along with having a hazmat endorsement on your CDL, but the HME will not take the place of a TWIC. All administered by the same agency. It's lunatic bureaucracy at it finest.

And what the trooper advised you is just one more example of having so many regs that no-one knows what's actually required anymore. What with the strip-searches at the airports, and all the identification cards that are starting to be required, and having to give everything but blood to even get a driver's license, I some days wonder if the 9/11 terrorists didn't accomplish a lot more than they could ever have hoped for in changing our way of life, and our regulators and lawmakers are just playing into their hands.

I skiped a lot of rep. here on the board so if its your own .You do not need a cdl if 1 it is your own crop or equ. and withen 100 air miles of origen[spelling] You do not need a pice of paper. Some states are more on miles. You DO NOT NEED A CDL TO FARM OR MOVE EQUt. Unles going down the interstate.

Need a very cold day. Had a driver needing a CDL with Hazmat indorsment. This day it was about 10 degrees at 1 in the afternoon. Took him and fuel truck to station. The fellow took the test and passed, and was waiting for the driving test. When the guy come in to give the driving test, should of heard him cussing in that office when he seen the paper work waiting for him. That was the shortest inspection and driving test I every took anyone too.

I would ask the DOT guys whats needed and go from there. They will be the ones writing the tickets...

Don't know what everybody else said since I just skimmed the replys but I know there is a Federal guideline and then the states add on their own stuff above and beyond that. That said the best thing to do is get the Fed and state guidelines and read them both. If you ask 10 different people in your states DMV office I guarantee you you'll get at least 10 different answers, throw in the farm angle and you can add a few more to that, and then whether your selling, crossing state lines, etc and add still more....Believe me I've been there and done that and my situation wasn't nearly as complicated...GOOD LUCK...

if your registration for your gooseneck says class G you only need a class B cdl

reid1650,
Just have magnetic signs made.Simple and easy and the numbers should be on the truck not on the trailer.

Vito

Thats one heavy pickup to weigh 9000# empty, you need to check your weight - check door post tag for GVWR- thats the loaded weight capacity. Do the same for your trailer- if under 26000 you are all set. If over, to do what you propose will require an "A" CDL as you are going to be over 26000 and trailer over 10,000. This has nothing to do with type of plates/ registration etc. required in your state.There is a "Farm" CDL available - there is a mileage restriction with it.

(quoted from post at 09:33:24 04/27/09) In Kentucky, and as long as you stay in Kentucky you are legal to 38000 on your pickups farm plate and you dont need a trailer plate. As long as you are within 150 of your home farm and stay in the state you dont need a CDL but with a trailer weigh in excess of 10,000 you will need a DOT medical card.

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I just checked with my local county clerk last week on Ky farm tags, and they are legal outside of the state and there is no milage limit. There is a 150 mile limit on the limited Ky tags.I have hauled equipment in most states around Ky and also Il. and had no problems.

Hey Walt: What"s the latest on aqua logging and Jimmy Smith? Was watching ax men last night and one guy was missing at the end. Figuring the shows are old and if a guy was killed it would be news, I googled that stuff. Didn"t read about anyone being killed but read that on March 13, 09, the state of Oregon served a search warrant on aqua logging and confiscated his logs. Claimed he was logging the river without a permit that they won"t issue anyway and threatening to charge him with felony theft for stealing state property since the state owns the rivers. Heck of a deal.