Guys, I'm aware that most of us use a trailer to pull our Kubota's around.
I'm going to offer up some advice-and food for thought-based on experience.
If you're pulling a trailer that has a max RATING of over 10,000 lbs, you need a CDL to pull it legally. If you're pulling a trailer with a 9900 lb rating and your rig "looks" heavier than 10,000, you could be ticketed.
Place I work for, 1 ton pickup w/24' gooseneck with a max rating of 18k, one of the lights was hit with road debris, knocked the light off/out, cop pulled driver over for it, and then nailed him for quite a few different violations, the big one was no CDL. They also wouldn't let the driver go with the load, he had to sit there until one of us went to pick him up, then we had to have a CDL driver go get the truck/trailer and drive it to the shop-from about 90 miles away. Headache.
I know a LEO, and asked about this. He said that in this immediate area, they're cracking down. Said quite a few of these 1 tons pulling dozers and whatnot have been nailed, and the fines are pretty stiff for violation. They're doing it for the fine monies.
You wouldn't think a 1 ton pickup would need a CDL but they way the regs are written, if a trailer is being pulled that has a maximum rating of 10,001 lbs or greater, you need a CDL. 9999 you don't. And keep in mind that they go by the RATED max weight of the trailer, also if they "think" you're over, they'll weigh you right on the side of the road. Our weight in the case of our driver, was 7771 trailer weight-well under the 10k threshold, however the trailer's RATING was 18,000, which according to the law, requires the driver to carry a CDL and of course all of the crap that goes along with that (logs, etc). Ridiculous if you ask me but it is what it is. The trailer tow capacity of most of the newer 1 ton pickup trucks is in excess of 20,000 lbs and the truck alone is usually 8000-9000, so that puts the driver of the heavy load in need of a CDL-but a salesman ain't ever gonna tell you that because 90% of us 1 ton drivers don't have a CDL and don't think we need one. Neighbor guy pulls his camper with a 1 ton dually, camper is well over 10K. My friend pulls his '57 chevy with a 30' enclosed trailer, it isn't heavy, but the trailer does have a tag on the side of it that says "max weight rating: 12,000 lbs"...which is over 10K (duh) and thus he needs a CDL to pull it to/from the drag strip. He is selling his trailer and going back to a 26' with a 9000 lb rating to avoid the hassles of the CDL, and I don't blame him. That and he will likely be able to sell the 30' for more than a brand new 26' costs.
Just food for thought, for whatever it's worth.
I'm going to offer up some advice-and food for thought-based on experience.
If you're pulling a trailer that has a max RATING of over 10,000 lbs, you need a CDL to pull it legally. If you're pulling a trailer with a 9900 lb rating and your rig "looks" heavier than 10,000, you could be ticketed.
Place I work for, 1 ton pickup w/24' gooseneck with a max rating of 18k, one of the lights was hit with road debris, knocked the light off/out, cop pulled driver over for it, and then nailed him for quite a few different violations, the big one was no CDL. They also wouldn't let the driver go with the load, he had to sit there until one of us went to pick him up, then we had to have a CDL driver go get the truck/trailer and drive it to the shop-from about 90 miles away. Headache.
I know a LEO, and asked about this. He said that in this immediate area, they're cracking down. Said quite a few of these 1 tons pulling dozers and whatnot have been nailed, and the fines are pretty stiff for violation. They're doing it for the fine monies.
You wouldn't think a 1 ton pickup would need a CDL but they way the regs are written, if a trailer is being pulled that has a maximum rating of 10,001 lbs or greater, you need a CDL. 9999 you don't. And keep in mind that they go by the RATED max weight of the trailer, also if they "think" you're over, they'll weigh you right on the side of the road. Our weight in the case of our driver, was 7771 trailer weight-well under the 10k threshold, however the trailer's RATING was 18,000, which according to the law, requires the driver to carry a CDL and of course all of the crap that goes along with that (logs, etc). Ridiculous if you ask me but it is what it is. The trailer tow capacity of most of the newer 1 ton pickup trucks is in excess of 20,000 lbs and the truck alone is usually 8000-9000, so that puts the driver of the heavy load in need of a CDL-but a salesman ain't ever gonna tell you that because 90% of us 1 ton drivers don't have a CDL and don't think we need one. Neighbor guy pulls his camper with a 1 ton dually, camper is well over 10K. My friend pulls his '57 chevy with a 30' enclosed trailer, it isn't heavy, but the trailer does have a tag on the side of it that says "max weight rating: 12,000 lbs"...which is over 10K (duh) and thus he needs a CDL to pull it to/from the drag strip. He is selling his trailer and going back to a 26' with a 9000 lb rating to avoid the hassles of the CDL, and I don't blame him. That and he will likely be able to sell the 30' for more than a brand new 26' costs.
Just food for thought, for whatever it's worth.
