Drivers License Requirments
 

What kind of drivers license is now required to pull a trailer tag or 5th wheel that has a weight more than 10,000 lbs???? And is this rule country wide.
Bob Lasko
1134
SS/CS

Re: Drivers License Requirments
 

I think a call to your local DMV or Highway Patrol would be much more productive. Why not go straight to the source for information?

Re: Drivers License Requirments
 

It is the GVW that matters. 26,000# combined GVW - all you need is a normal license.
26,001# you'll need CDL, log book, etc. Curb weight is not the issue. Most duallys are 10,000 to 11,500 GWV. That leaves the difference for the trailer GVW. Add them together and you will know what you need. Hope this helps - comes from years of experience and a few tickets

Re: Drivers License Requirments
 

You will need to get the GVWR of your towing unit and add it to the GVWR of the trailer (only if the GVWR of the trailer is over 10,000), if the two numbers add together come up over 26,001 GVWR, you will need a class A CDL. Say you have a truck with a GVWR of 12,000 GVWR and a trailer with a 16,000 GVWR, a total of 28,000 GVWR, you would need a class A CDL. If the two numbers are not above 26,001 GVWR or your trailer is not above 10,000 GVWR, you should check your state to find what lic. you should have, you would not need a CDL. Comes from a CDL tester.

Re: Drivers License Requirments
 

If the trailer has a GVWR of 10,001 or more and the tow vehicle has a GVWR of 26,000 or less it requires a class B. If the tow vehicle is 26,001 or more and the trailer is 10,001 or more it requires a Class A. If both are registered to a private party, you can get away with a non-commercial Class A or B. If either vehicle is registered to a company you better have a CDL. Motorhomes are not exempt and this is a federal DOT law. However, alot of states have a special motorhome restricted Class A or B that has a less difficult driving test. Alot of states either don't bother enforcing the DOT law or the cops aren't aware of it, but I would rather be safe than sorry. If you get pulled over and don't have the proper license, you'll get a hefty fine and your rig gets parked and or towed until someone with the proper license shows up.

Eddie Bolton

Re: Drivers License Requirments
 

I was under assumption that the laws were for commercial only. I know when we had the freight liner toter and trailer it had not for hire on the door and we never stopped at scales pulling the enclosed. Never got a ticket for it either.

Re: Drivers License Requirments
 

I cant speak for any other states but in the great state of IL if your trailer is 10,001 lbs gvw you need a non commercial class A or if you are a business you need a CDL class A the tests at the secertary of states office are the same just the fees are different. I have paid the bill from the lawyer, and seen the ticket for no CDL and ticket for passing the scale house on I64 just east of St Louis form a couple of years ago to prove it. Which brings up another thought EVERY scale house in IL has a big sign that reads "ALL TRUCKS OVER 8 TONS MUST WEIGH" and they mean it. Just because you ran by it one time and got away with it does not mean you will every time as thats how we got busted. My buddy was driving home with me in the passengers seat of my 98 GMC crew cab (10K gvw) pulling my then 28ft trailer (12K gvw) we went past the scales as we had done for years and the state boy came and pulled us over to ask why we neglected to stop at the scales. Escorted us back to the scales and wrote the tickets I have a class A cdl so the let us go after that fun couple of hours. We got my buddy the proper license and a lawyer and went to court. The lawyer got it taken care of but the judge did not want to hear about the Federal exemptions for racing as he thinks its a business. In the end it was expensive as a good lawyer is not cheap.