-----Original Message-----
From: Damon Gentile <damonfg@yahoo.com>
To: MVlist@yahoogroups.com <MVlist@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Thursday, February 15, 2001 2:10 PM
Subject: Re: [MVlist] Speaking of weight...
>So if I had an M54, registered to 39,940 GVW, and antique
>plates (no load permitted), and no CDL (not needed here,
>"motorhome/RV" exemption, as agreed by a local commercial
>state trooper).
>
>...Can I take a CDL in my own rig that I can drive w/o CDL ?
ANSWER: The very best answer I can give to you is for you to check with
your licensing office in your home state. And do not confuse registered
gross vehicle weight with GVWR, gross vehicle weight rating. By way of
example.....your registrar at the tax office will probably allow you to
register up to a bazillion pounds of weight (they'll be happy to take your
money) but that has nothing whatsoever to do with the manufacturer's gross
vehicle weight rating which is the usual determination.
>
>-Damon
>--- Timothy Smith <timothy.smith1@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>> List,
>>
>> There seems to be some confusion regarding weight, weight
>> enforcement, and
>> DL and CDL classification requirements. And for those of you
>> who are REALLY
>> confused, this has NOTHING to do with registered weights!
>>
>> Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (or GVWR) is used in the
>> computation to
>> determine DL or CDL CLASS.
>> GVWR is the manufacturer's determination of what the vehicle
>> can weigh
>> (gross) when loaded to it's maximum capacity. GROSS means the
>> total
>> combined weight of vehicle and its load.
>>
>> When we use GVWR as a determing factor is does not matter if
>> the vehicle is
>> loaded or not. Remember it is only the RATING that we are
>> considering when
>> looking at GVWR.
>>
>> In the absence of a GVWR by the manufacturer (an example might
>> be found in
>> the case of a home-made trailer) the inspector may fall back
>> on actual
>> weight of the vehicle (Gross) -or- officer's determination
>> based on other
>> factors...whichever is most inclusive.
>>
>> I will provide a real life example of officer's
>> determination.....(the names
>> have been changed to protect the stupid).
>>
>> I stop Charlie Driver with a class "C" driver's license. It
>> is NOT a CDL.
>> He is in the business of buying and selling cars and has just
>> come from the
>> auto auction.....a commercial endeavor. He is driving a Ford
>> F-350 with a
>> GVWR of 11,200# and pulling an ABC brand, three-axle trailer
>> showing a
>> 14,800# GVWR. That's 26,000# GVWR, right?
>>
>> Now when I see that number, 26,000, my antennae go up and
>> start waving
>> around like mad. You might even see one of my eyebrows hunker
>> down and the
>> other crawl WAY up high on my forehead! Having had previous
>> experience in
>> dealing with the ABC brand trailers and knowing the
>> manufacturer cheats on
>> the GVWR for 'friends,' I ask Charlie if he knows the fella
>> who makes these
>> trailers. "Oh, sure!" he says. "We go hunting together all
>> the time!"
>>
>> Uh-oooooooooh. BIG frowny face! >:-(
>>
>> So, reading the data plate just a little further I find that
>> this trailer
>> has three 7000# GVWR axles.....OOPS!.....This trailer actually
>> has a 21,000#
>> GVWR! Sorry Charlie, YOU need a class "A" CDL!
>>
>> Now here is where Charlie finds himself between a rock (me)
>> and a hard place
>> (the driver's license testing official). Charlie Driver goes
>> the the driver
>> licensing office to take his test for his CDL in the same
>> truck and trailer.
>> But the nice lady who administers the test takes one look at
>> that ersatz
>> 14,800# GVWR and having no reason challenge it, says, Sorry,
>> Charlie....you
>> need a trailer with at least a 14,801# GVWR to take THIS test!
>> Poor
>> Charlie, he has one official saying one thing and another
>> saying ANOTHER
>> thing! Is this some weird governmental catch 22? (yawn)
>> Nooooooo!
>>
>> Whereas it is part of my job to include any folks who
>> legitimately need a
>> CDL in the process of inspection, it is conversely the CDL
>> testing
>> official's obligation to EXCLUDE all unqualified
>> vehicle/vehicle-combinations from the testing process!
>>
>> Of course, Charlie is most thoroughly and rightiously screwed
>> until he goes
>> back to Bubba at ABC Trailers and gets the right data put on
>> the trailer.
>> YES, he fooled a lot of people....for a while. But in my
>> humble opinion, he
>> went to a lot of trouble for nothing.
>>
>> Weight enforcement is an entirely different animal.
>>
>> Its purpose is to ensure that (a) you have paid the tax man
>> for every pound
>> of weight you are putting on the road (per your registration
>> fees) and (b)
>> that the weight you put on the road is correctly distributed
>> on axles or
>> axle groups -or- that you don't have too much weight and too
>> few axles.
>> Pretty simple stuff.
>>
>> Hope this helps.
>> TJ
>>
>>
>>
>
>
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Mar 05 2001 - 07:58:31 PST