One more question...I know the rules vary by state and in general a GVWR on a truck over 10K or a total rating of truck and trailer over 26K is considered commercial.

I can get them to downrate my trailer to 15900 and get the 10K truck which would keep me under both.

If I do elect to go with the 11400 truck rating or keep the higher trailer rating, what will I have to do?

Do I need a CDL then? Do I need commercial tags on the truck and trailer?

Thanks again!

 

right.. the GCVWR for the SRW is 23500. regardless of which model
9900, 10000, 11300 GVWR of the truck, this trailer puts u over the Ford GCVWR. AND puts u over 26,000 and 10,000

as I told my kids about driving and being stopped.. the objective is not to stand out.

 

see https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/drivers/#cdl_class.asp

 

I'm going to give you the best advice I can muster after reading all of this. Everybody has an opinion and most of them are based on their experience in their state of residence. I'm sure within driving distance of you is a DOT scale on a highway or main road. Drive there and sit down with a DOT enforcement officer and describe to him what you want to do. Lay out the different scenarios with the GVWR, GCWR, axle ratings and such and get a real world opinion from the guy that is potentially going to write you the ticket when you are towing your excavator.

Technically, under federal law states cannot enforce GCWR as long as you are within the registered weights for you truck and trailer and you are within axle weight limits. Some states get around this by not allowing you to register your vehicle over the GVWR. Many states will allow you to register a SRW F350 at 12,000 or even 14,000 lbs as long as you pay the fee. You need to learn how it works in the state or states that you will be traveling.

Be very careful of the logic of derating the truck and or trailer to stay under the 26,000 threshold. A Superduty registered at 10,000 lbs has very little capacity for a gooseneck or fifth wheel trailer. With a 15,500 lb fifth wheel in tow, my F350 SRW weighs just a hair over 12,000 lbs and its GVWR is 11,500 lbs. If you are in a state that will not allow you to register anything over a 10,000 GVWR on the truck, you have created a different problem for yourself now.

This part is purely opinion so take it for what is worth. If you intend to tow a skidsteer and excavator on a regular basis, go the distance and get your CDL and DOT numbers. DOT enforcement officers love to pick on pickups towing skidsteers on gooseneck trailers. They know automatically when they see you coming that stopping you is money in the bank for them. If I were making a living with the equipment that you mention, I would go with a dually and comply with all the CDL/DOT requirements. It is going to make life easier in the long run.

 

great suggestion

 

Correct...any everyone thought I was crazy having a 12K registered F250 SRW.

 

SMLwinds- we must be neighbors...

I have an '06 F-350 SRW and am in construction.
I haul a CAT 259B3 track skid steer that weighs right at 9500#'s and haul it with a goose neck trailer.

Your new truck is even better than the 6.0 so I have no doubt that you'll be able to haul what you want. I would however strongly encourage you to get the gooseneck trailer over a bumper pull. It is night and day difference.

Email or PM me if you want to see my setup. My shop is on Lost Mt Rd. If you know where that is...

 

SMLwinds-

I have been pulled over and they troopers did not care what the truck was listed at on the tag on the body.
What they did care is what the rating was on your registration. In VA the truck needs to be registered for the combined weight of both the truck AND trailer.

In my case my GCVW fully loaded is right at 25,000# and that is what my truck is registered at.

As long as your total weight is under 26,000 #'s you do not need a CDL (although I have one). It is ok for your truck's plaque and the trailer's plaque to exceed 26,000# so long as your trucks registration and actual weight don't exceed it.

Clear as mud?

 

another where actual registration wins!

 

This was a very interesting read. Just Monday I had a conversation with a Wisconsin State inspector. I will give you a quote from his email.

"You are correct, the registered weight is based on the actual weight of the vehicle NOT the GVWR.

WI Statute 341.25(1)(c) For each motor truck or dual purpose motor home, a fee to be determined in accordance with sub. (2) on the basis of the maximum gross weight of the vehicle. Maximum gross weight shall be determined by adding together the weight in pounds of the vehicle when equipped to carry a load as a motor truck and the maximum load in pounds which the applicant proposes to carry on the vehicle when used as a motor truck.

Gross weight is defined in WI Statute 340.01(20) as (20) "Gross weight" means the weight of the vehicle equipped for service plus the weight which the vehicle is carrying as a load."

The funny part is in Wisconsin, if you are pulling a trailer the tongue weight put on the truck does not count towards the trucks registered weight. So even though my truck will have a GVWR of 11,500 I can put on 10,000 pound plates and be legal. I know my 2013 Platinum CCSB had a weight of 8,360 pounds from a CAT scale. I don't feel I will ever add more than 1500 pounds in the bed at any time. I bought this to pull a 5er in the future. Funny how each state does it differently. Good thing there is reciprocity with 47 other states.

 

Dang, there's 20 minutes of my life I'll never get back. Seems like there's too many crazy variants! They should rate the trucks and trailers to what the max is and that's it, don't go over it, and quit letting states tax you for every last thing in the world.
I see f250 and 2500 Dodge trucks hauling 3 & 4 cars, sagging like crazy, going down the interstate passing scales and nothing happens. I know there's no way a SRW can be pulling a 3/4 car hauler but see it all the time in GA. It those times I wish there were somebody that could stop them.

 

Guys-Thanks for all the responses! I do appreciate the opinions.

I know some of you mentioned something about towing every day, doing this f or a living, etc. I do neither. I do nothing related to towing or even use of the skid steer or excavator for a living. That is what is tough about this--I want the truck to do what I need it to do hauling these items, but in reality the times I haul the equipment with it will be at most once a month on average.

After all this talk, it seems that I could possibly stretch things, register my weight strategically, travel without buckets on the equipment, keep fuel weight down, etc. Someone speak up if you disagree, but I think it is safe to say that I will be cutting it close if not completely illegal towing the excavator with a SRW F-350.

After a lot of thought, I think I'm probably going to avoid all these issues and go to a DRW F-350. I don't see the need in trying to cut corners, worry, stretch the truth, etc. to make the SRW work when it is probably not going to be legal anyway. I think I'll just go to a DRW and all this discussion becomes moot. I thought the SRW would avoid the need for CDL, commercial tags, etc. but I might as well bite the bullet, get it all done, and know that I am always completely legit no matter what.

If anyone thinks I'm over-reacting and that a SRW is plenty for what I want to do, please let me know. But, I think at best I am cutting it close within hundreds of pounds and in all likelihood, I doubt I could get into the legal range after adding in fuel, buckets. passengers, tools, etc.

I guess now I have to learn about axles for DRW so I know what to buy!

 

A "not for hire" sign gets you out of a lot of the regulations in some states too. If you are legal in the state your license and vehicle is registered in, there is not much a different states DOT can do - unless you are running unsafe and/or afoul of FEDERAL regulations. IIRC, this is why CDLs became a national license endorsement. Quick example, front, side window tint in Florida is legal, it isn't legal in Michigan. I drive up and around in Michigan with Florida plates and my Florida license - I can't get a ticket for illegal front, side window tint in Michigan.

Unsafe can be defined as improperly loaded as in unsecured or no tow chains, no trailer running/brake lights, loaded in excess of tire or axle limits.

FWIW, if you have a CDL or are running a "commercial" vehicle then you have tighter restrictions. Like needing a medical card, log book (if OTR), medical kit, flares/triangles, etc... There is more, this is just scratching the surface.

I have personal experience on the enforcement side of this, but still take it with a grain of salt. If you ask 3 different DOT Officers, you'll likely get 5 opinions.

 

I think your on the right track , but I would make an appointment with a local dot officer and tell them what you want to do and see what they say. Then proceed. As folks here are from other states and their officers might interpret regulations differently