Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

This is almost right on.

 

In CA all of our pick-ups have "commercial" plates/reg.  This is what allows us to haul things in the bed.  Doesn't matter if you are a business or not, just the act of using the bed for hauling.  You can get around that by putting a shell on the bed.  You can then register it as a passenger car.  This is cheaper, but you can't take that shell off and use the truck for moving your kid to college or hauling brush.  If you get stopped for the violation, its a hefty fine.  Replacing the pick-up bed with a flat-bed isn't going to change your reg.  Its still going to have commercial plates, even if its not a business. 

 

Because of the weight of some trailers/tow vehicles (big 3 and 4 horse LQs, etc.) the driver needs to have a Class A license.  This is normally considered a commercial license.  However, if you are a private citizen, not a driver for hire, the rules are different.  You can get (and need to get) a Class A license that is for non-commercial use.  There is no medical exam needed for this one and you don't need to carry a log book.  If you are a driver for hire, the licensing requirements are different (the weight is also a factor here).

 

A lot of people are unaware of these regs. and are driving their rigs. without the appropriate license.  As somebody else posted, you probably won't get stopped and checked unless you find a really bored (or really new, green and gung-ho) highway patrol officer.  When you buy a new rig or trailer don't trust what the dealership tells you about regs. and licensing requirements.  They are sales people and want to make that sale.  Oft times they are not up to date on all the laws, rules, regs.  Call your local highway patrol office and make an appt. to have your rig/trailer inspected.  You'll be surprised at some of the things you MUST have when hauling (i.e. if your rig is of a certain height/weight/width you must have reflective triangles with you, fire ext., etc.).  Take your rig some place prior to this and weigh it both loaded and empty.  Give the officer all of this info. and he/she will be able to tell you exactly what is needed for your rig in your state.

 

Good luck,

 

abigail

Chico, CA

 

As an aside, something kind of interesting to do at a ride, have a local highway patrol officer come out and do inspections on the rigs in ridecamp (of course this wouldn't be practical for the ridecamps that are waaaay out off the beaten path).  Courtesy inspections.  Let folks know what they are/are not doing correctly in their tow practices so that they can correct it when they get home.  This was done recently at a week long school I attended and it was interesting to see how many long time haulers had their rigs hooked up incorrectly, driving without the proper classification, lighting/reflectors not within specs.  Just a thought.........

Jeanne Slominski <endurancemorgan1@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Dyane,

 

Usually a 'commercial vehicle' is a vehicle used for commercial purposes, as in owned by a business. A vehicle with commercial plates, but not used for commercial purposes, isn't the same thing. Any pickup in CA has to have commercial plates; that doesn't make it a 'commercial' vehicle. If you put a permanent camper or shell on it, you could register it as a 'house car'. 

 

I have a one ton van. Because of the weight, I have to have commercial plates. It is not a 'commercial' vehicle and I don't have to have a different class of driver's license nor have to keep a log - I'm not a business.

 

I would think that replacing the pickup bed with a flatbed would be the same thing. It would now be registered as a 'flatbed' truck. You will need to get commercial plates, but that's it. Not sure about having to stop at the weigh station. You would probably be waved through, especially when hauling your horse trailer, because you are not a business.

 

Jeanne
West Region
AERC 4887
http://home.comcast.net/~endurancemorgan/