I am looking at buying a 1987 International S1900. It is currently registered at 33,000 lbs. It does have air brakes. It currently requires a CDL to drive it. My Question is - can it be deregistered to under 26,000 lbs to run without needing a CDL in NJ? Thanks for your help!
I believe they license at what veh manufacturer rates it at so, no, couldn't license below CDL tonnage.
This is correct. Even licensed at 25,999 the truck still needs DOT cert and driver needs class B as a minimum and air brake cert. Dot license and inspection goes by manufactures rating. Doesn't matter what state you are in. Federal regs are more stringent so they apply.
Can't go without a cdl. you couldn't license a tri axle for under 26k and drive around empty without a cdl just because it weighs less than 26k empty. Same thing with yours its just alot closer to being legal.
I think the air brakes are the big issue, in Oregon at least you can license for any reasonable gross weight and of course take your lumps if you're caught overweight. The hangup there is, if you do run down the road over the 26K weight, not only do you get a nasty ticket from the weighmaster but you are now in violation of federal CDL laws, which may get really ugly! Last I heard it was up to $5,000 fine, but I may be wrong.
What bout for a private vehichle. I want to take an otr Peterbilt and drop an axle off. Want to make a camper puller out of it. Would that still be a class A vehicle?
My understanding is campers and all recreational vehicles are exempt from cdl requirements. It makes no sense to me that anyone can drive a huge motorhome towing a trailer but put a trailer behind a f550 and you need a class A cdl.
My guess is that when registered as an RV all the rules change for the easier.
I am not sure the rules are different for RV. I was in California this spring and noticed the new signs before the weigh stations that said "All RV's Must Enter Scale". I think the RV's have been just ignored in the past but as they get bigger and bigger My bet is that they are starting to get checked. I had a 34 ft RV a number of years ago that I could only haul 760 lbs above empty weight to stay under the 26,000 that it was rated at. Fill the fuel and water tank and have to leave the driver home to be legal.
I've seen a few peterbilts registered for less than the GVWR. I don't know how they did it but both I looked at didn't have a fifth wheel or trailer hitch of any kind.