Is there anyone from NC here that can help me understand this whole weighted tag issue. When I bought my 2019 F250 they made me get a weighted tag of 7000#. I’ve never towed anything as of yet with this truck and I’m trying to understand their rules which they don’t quite understand themselves. It’s typical governmental crap. Let’s make a law that we don’t fully understand so we can charge people for it and then fine them when they don’t follow the law we don’t understand.
NC weighted tags
- Thread starter JimiCarpenter
- Start date
From a different forum it says that the weighted tag # has to be Greater Than or Equal To (Vehicle Weight + Cargo Weight + Passenger Weight + Trailer [RVs exempt except if used for business purposes]). So with a curb weight of 5668 to 7526 lbs + 200lbs for you and another 250 for fuel. So if the post is correct you would either be over by 976lbs or could tow up to 882 lbs. depending on what options your truck has.
Here is a link to the forum: https://www.fordf150.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46115
Here is a link to the forum: https://www.fordf150.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=46115
NCL4701
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L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
The problem with NC law regarding weighted tags is you have to go back and forth among a handful of cross referencing statutes to fully understand them. This is a hopefully simple summary.
They tag weight on the truck has to cover the weight of the truck AND trailer for any property hauling vehicle (which is how RV’s an fishing boats get excepted). The basic “First in Flight” tag is good for 4000lb. If you’re just deadheading around in your big pickup some counties they’ll stop you, some they won’t, but you’re not legal if your in a truck, even a pickup, over 4000lb. Small pickup you’re probably not getting stopped. 3/4 ton and up you’re rolling the dice.
Examples: I have a Tundra. It’s a bit over 5000lb empty, 1300lb cargo capacity, and tow capacity of 9,999lb. I have a 5x8 enclosed trailer with 3000lb gross weight (combined weight of trailer and max cargo), a 9500lb gross weight camper, and a 14,000lb gross weight equipment trailer.
1) I can pull the camper with a 4000lb standard tag. The camper isn’t a property hauling vehicle and neither is the truck when pulling a camper.
2) I need a 7000lb tag for the truck by itself to cover the weight of the truck and max cargo. (They don’t sell them in precise increments and 6000 won’t cover it.)
3) I need a 10,000lb tag for the little cargo trailer. Truck plus trailer plus cargo in both.
4) I need a 16,000lb tag for the equipment trailer. (If towing near max on the trailer the tongue weight sucks up most all my truck cargo capacity.) Trailer will carry a bit more than 10k but the truck limits me to 10k on the trailer.
So I have a 16,000 lb tag on my Tundra. And after reading the statutes I confirmed my interpretation with the local DMV Enforcement office in Winston-Salem. One big problem is if I get stopped without enough weight on the tag, they can park my rig until I get it straight somehow.
I know a lot of people that tag for max weight they would actually have even if their rig is capable of more weight. The capability of the truck/trailer combo isn’t important to the weight required on the tag, only the actual weight of the unit at the time it’s on the road.
They tag weight on the truck has to cover the weight of the truck AND trailer for any property hauling vehicle (which is how RV’s an fishing boats get excepted). The basic “First in Flight” tag is good for 4000lb. If you’re just deadheading around in your big pickup some counties they’ll stop you, some they won’t, but you’re not legal if your in a truck, even a pickup, over 4000lb. Small pickup you’re probably not getting stopped. 3/4 ton and up you’re rolling the dice.
Examples: I have a Tundra. It’s a bit over 5000lb empty, 1300lb cargo capacity, and tow capacity of 9,999lb. I have a 5x8 enclosed trailer with 3000lb gross weight (combined weight of trailer and max cargo), a 9500lb gross weight camper, and a 14,000lb gross weight equipment trailer.
1) I can pull the camper with a 4000lb standard tag. The camper isn’t a property hauling vehicle and neither is the truck when pulling a camper.
2) I need a 7000lb tag for the truck by itself to cover the weight of the truck and max cargo. (They don’t sell them in precise increments and 6000 won’t cover it.)
3) I need a 10,000lb tag for the little cargo trailer. Truck plus trailer plus cargo in both.
4) I need a 16,000lb tag for the equipment trailer. (If towing near max on the trailer the tongue weight sucks up most all my truck cargo capacity.) Trailer will carry a bit more than 10k but the truck limits me to 10k on the trailer.
So I have a 16,000 lb tag on my Tundra. And after reading the statutes I confirmed my interpretation with the local DMV Enforcement office in Winston-Salem. One big problem is if I get stopped without enough weight on the tag, they can park my rig until I get it straight somehow.
I know a lot of people that tag for max weight they would actually have even if their rig is capable of more weight. The capability of the truck/trailer combo isn’t important to the weight required on the tag, only the actual weight of the unit at the time it’s on the road.
Ok so my setup and specs for my truck say the gross combined weight is 19500. If I add the weight of my fuel, passengers. Typical cargo, plus all the specs from the tractor, trailer, and implements I’m coming up with around 13500lbs combined. I would need probably need a 15000lbs tag?
NCL4701
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L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
Yep. If you put your truck, trailer, all cargo, all passengers on a scale and they weigh exactly 13,500lb you need a 13,500lb or greater tag. So in that case I’d want a 15,000 tag to have a little cushion.
BigG
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l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
As in all things it probably depends. You get a cop who is short on their quota of tickets or the kind that peaked in high school and is now on a power trip they'll do whatever they can for a gotcha moment.
Most of them probably won't bug you if you are toeing the line ( i.e. towing a load of garbage to the dump on 7,000 lb. tags) and not grossly ignoring the law (i.e. towing a skid steer with 7,000 lb. tags).
ridiculous. common cars now are over 4000 lbs. So if you bought a Dodge Challenger, GT you'd be well over 4000. Stupid law if you ask me.
Like they ain't got anything better to make laws for?
a lot of dot laws are stupid if you ask me. If you read up into the cdl testing manual you'll find all kinds of discrepancies, and if you read it and understand it that way most common folks do, you'll be almost as confused after testing as you were before. It's stupid. But that's how our government works I guess.
Like they ain't got anything better to make laws for?
a lot of dot laws are stupid if you ask me. If you read up into the cdl testing manual you'll find all kinds of discrepancies, and if you read it and understand it that way most common folks do, you'll be almost as confused after testing as you were before. It's stupid. But that's how our government works I guess.
Magicman
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M4900 Utility Special 4WD e/w FEL & 1530 John Deere "Traveling Man"
They are trying to make it so that those who are adding the most wear and tear to the roads pay a higher percentage for the maintenance and repair of those roads. It doesn't make sense for someone who is driving around a 500 lbs smart car to pay as much as someone who is towing 35000 lbs of cattle behind their 1 ton truck.
I will agree that they way over complicated this law by adding so many levels and not just different tiers like GVW of less than 12k lbs, between 12k-16k and then over 16k, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.
What if the one ton truck towing 35,000lbs only makes one trip per month? Or what if that truck makes a daily trip, but it only involves 4 miles of public roads? What if a Camry driver puts 20k a year on?
This isn't right. Furthermore, how much of registration money actually is used to pay for road repair? And how is the state accounting for lost fuel taxes on folks that buy an EV?
Glad I don't live there.
Not saying it is a perfect system or even a good one at that. Just pointing out the goal for it. A lot of other states also run a system like this based on what weight you are expected to tow but I haven't heard of any other ones that quite so convoluted as what was described above. Also what was described kinda fits into overthinking things. Like the camper and boat exemptions. Since for the most part they are only towed a few times a year. Getting too nit picky makes things complicated.
NCL4701
Well-known member
Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
A passenger car over 4,000lb isn’t subject to weighted tags because doesn’t meet the statutory definition of property hauling vehicle. Pickups still don’t stop at weigh stations. Maybe hotshot truckers subject to ICC, but not the just hauling stuff individuals and contractor types. Unless they see something they think is wrong with you’re rig, like the tires are squatted bad or you tied your tractor down with 1” straps or something they probably aren’t going to mess with you. If you’re running a “First in Flight” car type tag pulling a 20’ trailer, you’re likely to get stopped and weighed on the side of the road. If you’re sporting a weighted tag (which looks a LOT different from the standard car tag even from 100 yards), you’re probably not getting stopped. And they do cost more. I’m not looking at the precise numbers but as best I recall the annual tag fee for a car is about $75. My 16k tag runs I think around $350. I know it’s between $300 and $400.
My biggest issue with rolling the dice on getting stopped was as soon as I hooked my little cargo trailer to my Tundra every cop and DMV officer knew I was over the 4K limit even if all empty so I would be a sitting duck with a 4K tag. Without the trailer they’d probably leave me be in a Tundra or any other half ton. And it isn’t just the fines. They aren’t that bad. What is bad is if I’m 2 hours out, couple more to go, and my rig is sitting at a stop, out of service until I can get a ride to a DMV office to pay the fine and get the right tag to get the out of service order removed. I don’t want any part of that.
At least in the area I live, they will stop people hauling equipment and weigh them, particularly if you aren’t sporting signage for some big company they know is likely to have their stuff in order. Not to the level of harassment, but they’ll stop you.
Recently saw a guy with a jacked up, tricked out Dodge 4WD diesel dually pulling a bulldozer (about current D4 size) on a trailer that would have looked more at home behind a tandem dump truck down I-85 early on a Sunday morning. DMV officer and a Highway Patrolman had him pulled over and looked like they were having a great time together.
Have seen several guys with skidsteers, mini-ex’s, and tractors getting weighed. Didn’t used to be like that but times change and pickup tow capacity has as well. I may not like the law, but I don’t care to be that guy getting shut down by DMV, so I pay for the right tag.
My biggest issue with rolling the dice on getting stopped was as soon as I hooked my little cargo trailer to my Tundra every cop and DMV officer knew I was over the 4K limit even if all empty so I would be a sitting duck with a 4K tag. Without the trailer they’d probably leave me be in a Tundra or any other half ton. And it isn’t just the fines. They aren’t that bad. What is bad is if I’m 2 hours out, couple more to go, and my rig is sitting at a stop, out of service until I can get a ride to a DMV office to pay the fine and get the right tag to get the out of service order removed. I don’t want any part of that.
At least in the area I live, they will stop people hauling equipment and weigh them, particularly if you aren’t sporting signage for some big company they know is likely to have their stuff in order. Not to the level of harassment, but they’ll stop you.
Recently saw a guy with a jacked up, tricked out Dodge 4WD diesel dually pulling a bulldozer (about current D4 size) on a trailer that would have looked more at home behind a tandem dump truck down I-85 early on a Sunday morning. DMV officer and a Highway Patrolman had him pulled over and looked like they were having a great time together.
Have seen several guys with skidsteers, mini-ex’s, and tractors getting weighed. Didn’t used to be like that but times change and pickup tow capacity has as well. I may not like the law, but I don’t care to be that guy getting shut down by DMV, so I pay for the right tag.