What figures are you using from the door sticker? Nothing on that sticker tells you how much you can pull. If you are talking about the GAWR, that is how much weight you can have on just the axle. The GVWR is the total weight Ford says your vehicle can weigh without affecting your warranty. Have you had your truck on a scale?

 

Thank you for your reply. The front GAWR 4400 the rear GAWR 7400. GVWR is 10000. My trailer is reg. 14000 7 per axel. These are the figures that came off the door sticker for the truck and the mfg. plate for the trailer. So this means that the rear axel can have no more weight on it than 7400. So if I load my trailer with the heaviest in the back as I always do then I should have no problem is that correct? Because this will take the weight off of the truck axel. So my combination weight is 24000 for truck trailer and all contents.

 

Usually only to 15% of the trailer weight goes on the tongue so yes... you should be OK. Also I think if you check again you will find that you don't need a CDL for your trailer unless your Gross Combined Weight ( total of truck & trailer) is over 26001#'s with the trailer being over 10000# GVW.

 

OK. Lets take a moment to step back, review, and see if we got this straight.

The trailer weighs in at 6K empty. It is a 14K trailer, (two 7K axles), minus the dry weight of 6K leaves you able to haul 8k in the trailer. This would be fully loaded.

Now, the truck is rated to be able to tow 12K, that is what you say. Double check that figure, it may be low. I am not familiar with the older models, but a dually should be higher than that. IF that is right, THEN you are over loaded and stop there. The "pull behind trailer" tow rating is lower than the fifth wheel rating.

The axle rating is high enough and doesn't really come into play here, nor should it concern the authorities. Only 10-15% of the trailer weight is applied to the truck. In your case this would be 2100 lbs., fully loaded. I assume that this trailer is not a "pull behind".

You must have a CDL to go over 26001 lbs. GROSS COMBINED WEIGHT. You are not over that weight. Now, with that being stated, I think, and I could be wrong here, that regardless of the GCWR, IF the trailer is over 10K, you must have a CDL. There is one catch here, this assumes that the trailer is used for commercial purposes! IF the trailer is licensed and has licensed weight on its OWN plate, then it is licensed commercially. Now, if you license the trailer as a "utility trailer", then the license will carry NO weight, as the weight is added to the truck instead. This is ALOT cheaper to do. For example, your truck could be licensed for 4 ton as it stands in the driveway, which would be the minumum. If you pull a Utility trailer that is capable of 14K gross, then you would pay for a total of 11 ton. Four for the truck and 7 for the trailer. You may have stated that the truck weighs in at 6K, I think I saw that somewhere. That has to be incorrect, your truck has to weigh in around 8K, probably higher being a dually crew cab.

So, in short, try changing your trailer to a "utility" trailer. Increase your licensed weight on your truck. Double check your tow ratings.

 

I'm wondering if this a state that requires a max GCW plate on the tow vehicle.

 

In looking back I noticed some more things. First off, I am wrong. A fifth wheel would allow you to have about 15-25% king pin weight on the vehicle. In your case though, you are still ok with that dually rear end.

Your trailer tow rating is based on a number of things: engine, tranny, tire size, rear end ratio, etc. Check into this to find your rating for your truck.

Your GCWR is NOT achieved at by adding your GVWR and your trailer rating. Your GVWR, which you say is 10K, is what the TRUCK itself can weigh in at with you in it, basically, to be brief. Your GCWR is what BOTH the trailer and truck can ACTUALLY weigh in at when fully loaded as you want to be, NOT what the trailer is RATED for. Your truck needs to be put on a scale to find out what it weighs in at with you in it. Then add all the other 'stuff' you likely would have with you i.e. kids, food, luggage etc. Don't forget to have a full tank of fuel when you weigh.

 

OK here we go. My truck registration says it is 5753 unlaiden weight. Now I will have to actually weight it to see. There is no tow pounds rating on the door sticker. It does have the axel maximum ft 4400 rear 7400. My trailer is a 38 foot goose neck. The DOT and CDL books says that if the towed vechical is over 10000 then you must have a class A CDL to pull it.

 

Don't forget the ponies, hay etc in the figures. It all adds up fast.

 

check in your owners manual It might have the tow ratings there. Look under towing

 

motor is 7.3 direct injection turbo diesel, tire is 215 85 R 16 D rated, transmission I'm drawing a blank but it is the electric overdrive, 410 rear what ever fords is. So the way I see it I should be fine I just need to get my CDL.

 

So. Weigh your truck. Add all the other stuff. Then add your king pin (or tongue) weight. This is the weight of your truck to use for comparing to your ratings.

Take that weight, add the trailer weight of 14K, because that is what you say you need to haul, and that is the number to compare to your GCWR. Most likely, and I am admittedly guessing here, you are under or right at your GCWR.

Most trucks have a GVWR of around 10K or less. There is a reason why. WHEN a truck has a rating of more than 10K and is used as a commercial truck, it must carry DOT numbers. There is one exception, Farm plates, which I have. My truck has a GVWR of 11.4K. This was the max that I could get. I got this on purpose. I can haul more in the truck itself, about two ton in the bed, legally. My truck weighs in at around 7.8K. I have a F350 6.0 SC 4x4 with a 3.73 SRW axle. My GCRW is 23K. My tow ratings are 12.5K tag and 15.5K fifth wheel. I don't have a fifth wheel, but I believe that those numbers are correct.

 

Awe, you are back. Alot happens when you take forever to write a post!

 

I think I'm going in the right direction now with the CDL do I have to keep a log. Because it is my understanding that th DOT#'s is what makes you keep a log. I right be totally confussed. Malinda

 

If the utility trailer thing doesn't work for you, then you will need a CDL. Its not a big deal and is actually an easy test to take, even the air brakes, which you don't need. Here we don't have to do the preinspection either, just take the test and if they want to, the drive portion.

Paying for licensed weight is something you just have to do. Thank goodness I have farm plates though, its drastically cheaper!

 

I don't think you need to log. I don't have to at work. My work van, E350, has numbers to haul the trenchers and the boom and buckets do too but I am not required to keep a log. You better ask about that one. You will be leaving the state and be traveling interstate travel.