I just want to say thank you for putting some of these regulations in layman’s terms for us (the public) to easily understand. this blog has helped myself and the owner of our company more confident in our practices.
Eric,
This is our situation: My brother and I have a trucking company (Company A) with three trucks, GCWR 80,000#. Obviously this company has a DOT#, IFTA, logbooks, etc. We also have a contracting company (Company B) that just purchased a gooseneck trailer with a GVWR of 18,000. This company has no DOT#, nothing. I plan to pull this trailer with my PERSONAL vehicle (11,500 GVWR on the door, 12,000 GVWR/26,000 GCWR on the registration which I will increase to 30,000).
We have four options. 1) Title the trailer in my personal name and lease or trip lease the rig to Company B. 2) Title the trailer in my personal name, haul freight personally and expose myself to liability and a DOT compliance nightmare 3) Title the trailer in Company A, lease or trip-lease my PERSONAL truck to Company A, use Company A’s DOT# etc. to haul freight for Company B. 4) Title it in Company B, lease or trip lease my PERSONAL truck to Company B, and thus open a fresh can of compliance worms for Company B: DOT#, IFTA, logs, training, drug testing, etc.
My questions: 1) Which option would be the safest/cleanest/most compliant, or does it even matter? 2) Would signage (magnetic) displaying the lessee name and DOT# and keeping the lease in my truck be required and compliant enough? 3) Is there any reason I can NOT run this combination intrastate or interstate with my PERSONALLY registered vehicle? 4) Would I need to display IFTA stickers on my magnetic signs? 5) Can I use paper logs? My pickup is a 2013 6) Does it ever get easy?
Lastly, what do you charge for your services? We are interested if we can afford you. We are about 1.5 hours south of Birdsboro.
Thank you!
Craig: I apologize for my tardy reply. If you are still interested, feel free to call me, and we can discuss your situation, no charge. (610) 582-4356. One thing I noticed from skimming your scenario: if you use your personal truck for a business purpose, it is subject to the DOT rules, whether you own it, or the business owns it.
I have a 3/4 ton pickup and 7000gvw car trailer for my own personal use. I was stopped and told it was illegal for me to pull without a dot number. I have used it to haul furniture at no charge for family members, to haul a haul a vehicle for a friend who was in the army. Or to haul just stuff for my use. I was given the stuff out of a garage just to haul it away. Some of the stuff was later sold at a yard sale. Do I need a number or am I exempt. I have own the trailer for 15 years. How can I show if exempt so I am not fined or cause problems with the officer.
If you cross state lines, the rules apply at 10,001 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for both vehicles. The rules say ‘interstate commerce’. Based strictly on what you posted, the rules would not apply, as none of what you described is for a business purpose. However, the government draws the definition of commerce broadly. Are you using the car trailer to pick up an old muscle car, which you plan on restoring, and then selling? That would be commerce. Sorry for the late reply.
I am a CDL Class A driver for the company I work for but do not primarily drive for our company. I transport the crane when moving to new job sites and drive it back to our office when the job is finished. How often do I need to fill out our log book. Do I need to fill it out everyday even when crane is just sitting?
You would need a logbook on the days you move the crane. I am assuming you do not drive the crane from the office, and then return it to the office on the same day? At any rate, if you move it less than 9 days a month, you can use a paper log. On the days you do not drive, you can keep your time on a time sheet, capturing the time you start, the time you finish, and the total number of hours you worked that day.
I just want to say thank you for putting some of these regulations in layman’s terms for us (the public) to easily understand. this blog has helped myself and the owner of our company more confident in our practices.
Eric,
This is our situation: My brother and I have a trucking company (Company A) with three trucks, GCWR 80,000#. Obviously this company has a DOT#, IFTA, logbooks, etc. We also have a contracting company (Company B) that just purchased a gooseneck trailer with a GVWR of 18,000. This company has no DOT#, nothing. I plan to pull this trailer with my PERSONAL vehicle (11,500 GVWR on the door, 12,000 GVWR/26,000 GCWR on the registration which I will increase to 30,000).
We have four options. 1) Title the trailer in my personal name and lease or trip lease the rig to Company B. 2) Title the trailer in my personal name, haul freight personally and expose myself to liability and a DOT compliance nightmare 3) Title the trailer in Company A, lease or trip-lease my PERSONAL truck to Company A, use Company A’s DOT# etc. to haul freight for Company B. 4) Title it in Company B, lease or trip lease my PERSONAL truck to Company B, and thus open a fresh can of compliance worms for Company B: DOT#, IFTA, logs, training, drug testing, etc.
My questions: 1) Which option would be the safest/cleanest/most compliant, or does it even matter? 2) Would signage (magnetic) displaying the lessee name and DOT# and keeping the lease in my truck be required and compliant enough? 3) Is there any reason I can NOT run this combination intrastate or interstate with my PERSONALLY registered vehicle? 4) Would I need to display IFTA stickers on my magnetic signs? 5) Can I use paper logs? My pickup is a 2013 6) Does it ever get easy?
Lastly, what do you charge for your services? We are interested if we can afford you. We are about 1.5 hours south of Birdsboro.
Thank you!
Craig Peterson
All America Services
410-620-2468
Craig: I apologize for my tardy reply. If you are still interested, feel free to call me, and we can discuss your situation, no charge. (610) 582-4356. One thing I noticed from skimming your scenario: if you use your personal truck for a business purpose, it is subject to the DOT rules, whether you own it, or the business owns it.
I have a 3/4 ton pickup and 7000gvw car trailer for my own personal use. I was stopped and told it was illegal for me to pull without a dot number. I have used it to haul furniture at no charge for family members, to haul a haul a vehicle for a friend who was in the army. Or to haul just stuff for my use. I was given the stuff out of a garage just to haul it away. Some of the stuff was later sold at a yard sale. Do I need a number or am I exempt. I have own the trailer for 15 years. How can I show if exempt so I am not fined or cause problems with the officer.
If you cross state lines, the rules apply at 10,001 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for both vehicles. The rules say ‘interstate commerce’. Based strictly on what you posted, the rules would not apply, as none of what you described is for a business purpose. However, the government draws the definition of commerce broadly. Are you using the car trailer to pick up an old muscle car, which you plan on restoring, and then selling? That would be commerce. Sorry for the late reply.
I am a CDL Class A driver for the company I work for but do not primarily drive for our company. I transport the crane when moving to new job sites and drive it back to our office when the job is finished. How often do I need to fill out our log book. Do I need to fill it out everyday even when crane is just sitting?
You would need a logbook on the days you move the crane. I am assuming you do not drive the crane from the office, and then return it to the office on the same day? At any rate, if you move it less than 9 days a month, you can use a paper log. On the days you do not drive, you can keep your time on a time sheet, capturing the time you start, the time you finish, and the total number of hours you worked that day.