Hi Team,

Was thinking of picking up a open 3 car gooseneck trailer. 43' long triple axle. I'm looking to tow mine and my brothers muscle cars from NC to upstate New York a few times a year. All my searches around if I need permits/cdl seem to fall into commercial articles and that anything over 10K pounds Gross Weight would put you in that category (assuming its a for profit haul). Since mine is personal use only, are there restrictions from state to state around how long a trailer you can have, truck trailer combined length? I believe gross weight I would be fine. CCLB pickup with 4:10 gears. The down side is it is lifted with 35 tires. I know that degrades from the limit, but taking the lift off isn't an option for me at the moment, and it hauls things just fine.

I can also size down to the 35' 2 car trailer, but I figured for a few more dollars it won't hurt to have the extra axle and length for the event I ever need it. 2 car trailers also come in bumper pull and gooseneck. Anyone have experience with either of them? I've hauled single car trailers, 30ft boats, and enclosed car trailers. I'd have to imagine that 2 small muscle cars won't be much more weight than a F150 on a bumper pull trailer. I believe both cars weigh 3250 empty, so 3600 would be conservative, especially because we've lightened a lot of the stock parts with aluminum heads etc. Any help with understanding towing so I can stay within the rules of multiple states would be appreciated. There is nothing worse than being at the mercy of the law man. Trailer would be rated for 14K. Can't find the weight of the trailer yet, but I'd imagine its around 5K?

 

If Trailer gvwr in combination with truck gvwr exceeds 26,000lbs you need a class A CDL if trailer is over 10k gvwr. Truck is 11k gvwr trailer is 14k you're safe. I don't think the 10k trailer is the case any more. I'm not sure if you're required to have a dot health card for the 10k+ trailer. If your truck is 10kgvwr and your trailer is 18k you need a class a. It doesn't matter how much you load, it's how much it's rated for

 

As long as you don't have commercial insurance you should be good. You will be close to your maximum allowable combine weight wich I think is 18k lbs +- and another thing to check is that you might also need a CDL if your trailer is over 30ft long, don't know the rules of the eastern states but NM DOT tries their best to site anyone or anything with a trailer.

 

My truck doesn't have a gcwr, do any obs trucks? You can carry a personal commercial policy and be exempt from DOT if it's not used for commerce and the truck itself is under 26kgvwr.

 

These are all very confusing. Apparently most States don't let you have a combined truck and trailer length of over 60ft. being my truck is 21ft in itself a 43 ft trailer would put me in the danger zone for my home state of NC. This may be more confusing than the tax code! Although we do not have a door tag, I read on other forums that it's around 26K with 4:10 gears? I will be well under that. Trailer and gear should be 12K max.

 

Just don't exceed the rear axle rating or the total gvwr of the vehicle and you'll be ok on combined weight. I don't think there's a length restriction on anything but a single vehicle, like a dump truck or bus over 40ft or something. Also don't register it through your company if you own a company otherwise it will need a dot number and will need a commercial policy and a dot inspection on both your truck and trailer because it will automatically be considered used in commerce. This suggestion only applies if you are 100% using this only for transporting cars for sport and not not to show off something your company manufactures for them. You still need trailer brakes the axles and a working break away box if it's over 10k (no mater what this has to work). Plus tires, working lights etc. the size combination will warrant them pulling you over just to check on things and everything needs to be in order.

 

Also do not tag that trailer in Maine unless you live in Maine that's very questionable any more as there is no routine safety inspection for it which leaves you open to legal issues if you cause an accident with a trailer that hasn't had a safety inspection.

 

I live in NC and will register here. Trailer will be new. I do know every state has a list of lengths that they allow with truck and trailer combination. I don't know if I can post links, but this site spells out what I'm talking about. Trailer Dimensions - AAA Digest of Motor Laws

Trailer would be bought new so I'll double check that all the required safety features are there. I'd assume so, she said they do their best to adhere to federal safety regulations.

 

Yeah my mistake I looked up the length restrictions I've never run into that before but it looks like you can get a permit for the year for an over length vehicle in some states. I saw one for 61ft which seems low considering hat leave only 8ft for a cab and engine, no sleeper cab, and hauling double 28s would only leave like 5 ft.

 

yeah - I'll stick with the 2 car hauler. It's 35 ft deck length. Trailer weighs 4 thousand pounds with a 14K GVWR. So even if my truck weighs in 8K with 2K of people and gear it should still be well within the limits.

 

The 26k rule is true....If you exceed that your "suppose" to have a CDL A....

As for my length....70ft is mostly the norm, some are 60, cali is 41ft and you need a special endorsement. Just don't cause attention you'll be fine, have good brakes and good tires.

Now remember, you'll have to stop at weigh stations if your hauling that, every state is really different in this, for your sake, just stop there. ONLY people exempt from going into weigh stations is RV or hauling RVs due to "recreational" use.

Good luck!

 

Interesting - so a car trailer makes you weigh in? Seems like I'd be impersonating a big rig going through there with my 1 ton. Is that true for any trailer other than an RV?

 

Lots of different opinions in here. Seems there is some confusion about commercial vs personal.
The only towing laws that matter for the OP are the ones enacted by the states he is driving through. You are also governed by your drivers license and the rules from the state that issued it.

Here is the definition of a commercial vehicle;

"Commercial motor vehicle means any self-propelled or towed motor vehicle used on a highway in interstate commerce to transport passengers or property when the vehicle—

(1) Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating, or gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight, of 4,536 kg (10,001 pounds) or more, whichever is greater; or

(2) Is designed or used to transport more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for compensation; or

(3) Is designed or used to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver, and is not used to transport passengers for compensation; or

(4) Is used in transporting material found by the Secretary of Transportation to be hazardous under 49 U.S.C. 5103 and transported in a quantity requiring placarding under regulations prescribed by the Secretary under 49 CFR, subtitle B, chapter I, subchapter C."

Notice the "Interstate Commerce" part. The OP is not making money or operating a business when taking his cars to a different state. The OP would not be a commercial vehicle according to his post.

Here is a reference to trailer towing laws in each state, you will need to research the individual laws to confirm this site has correct information.

Now for the magic 26K number. The FMCSA uses weights to determine which COMMERCIAL license you need. But that only applies to commercial licenses.

Each state sets their own weight restrictions for standard drivers licenses. Most have used the 26k limit since that is what the FMCSA uses. That is where a lot if the confusion has come from. As an example, Wyoming has recently changed the standard drivers license (class C) from 26k to 39k. However you can get a 39k+ license that is non-commercial by just taking a written test and skills test.

Every state has to honor the other states drivers license as long as it was issued in accordance with Federal regulations. I am not aware of any state that does not meet that requirement. So New York has to honor my 39k non-commercial drivers license.

 

Yes, very confusing. My 37' 5er weighs 17K plus my 8K dually and once in awhile I'll tow my Geo behind the 5er making me almost 70' long. Even though its a RV I still cringe going by weight stations. When I moved from Ne to AZ I used a 42' enclosed trailer and the scales with the pickup included I was 32K.


Axle limits were mentioned, what are the limits of our axles? This new 5er I bought has 4K tongue weigh. Those bags come in handy!

 

I think the Dana 60 front is 5,000lb and the sterling 10.25 dually rear is like 8k but gvwr is only 11k (on my truck). So I can have 8k on rear but only 3k on front axle. I can't remember the exact rating but it's somewhere around that. I'll look next time I go outside. You also can't exceed the weight rating of your tires. A dually rear 4 tires at 3k each is 12k single rear 2 tires at 3k is only 6k