Is getting a under cdl international 4300 worth it? I'm looking to get into the excavation business's and that's the truck I have been looking into. From what I read the trucjs gvwr is 25999 and I can tow a trailer tbat is 9999 so would I be able to put a skid steer on the trailer and tow it and still be under cdl?
The simple answer is no. You can run just the truck but when you add a trailer you have to add it's gvw for a combined gvw. That's where you break the 26,000 mark and become cdl required. I have a single axle truck and it's handy because I can put it anywhere a 1 ton dually can go. Would I buy another one... NOPE. If I have to haul much material its too small to be productive. I bought a 953 cat two years ago and have to pay to move it, if I had bought a tandem truck I could pull my 953 on it as well as my skid steer and mini ex together and be a lot more efficient. I'm on the hunt now for a tandem truck and 20 tin pintle hook for just that reason and my single axle will be for sale.... Just my experience but unless you are working in really tight quarters all the time I don't think its worth it. John
Actually, that's not true. You can drive a 26,000 pound truck AND pull a 10,000 pound trailer, even though that ads up to 36,000 pounds because at 10,000 pounds and below the GVWR are not additive. However, once you to 10,001 pounds, the weights ARE additive, so you would need a CDL if the combined weight was 26,001 pounds or more. And yeah... That strikes me as silly too, but I didn't write the rule. :beatsme It does occur to me that your real problem in this situation is that you would be very size limited on the Skid-Steer, because as the weight of the skid steer goes up, necessitating a higher trailer capacity, the weight of the trailer goes up as well. The only way to sort of cheat that is to go with an aluminum trailer, but now the thing going up rapidly is the price. Having said that, it's a valid plan as long as you're very careful about what you buy for a trailer and a skid-steer.
If i was determined to stay below cdl id buy a single axle with a 15cy bed and that has barn door style rear for debris and drive around with the skid steer in the bed with some ramps and that way you dont have to worry about a trailer but realistically if you wanna make a decent a living go and get your class a cdl that way you can in the future haul larger equipment and not be limited in the scope of work you can do. Also remember this most single axle truck are going to wiegh 12-16k and only having 5 tons of cargo isnt that great when you could easily take some thing in one trip but now you have to make 4 because any amount of dirt is going to make you over loaded
In the thinking 'do I need a dump truck', some folks are using these late model hi tow capacity 'pickups' with a fifth wheel dumping trailer to haul small machines and quite a bit of dirt/gravel/etc. They have a wonderful rig to drive around and miss out on a lot of regulation LOL, etc. As to the dump truck, the smaller size truck costs less to insure as well as register. When the need arises when loads are bigger, maybe hire another operated truck. Use the small dump truck for the cleanup etc. Non CDL trucks are easier to find driver in a pinch. I have seen a 10 wheel dump with a ten speed and a 350 Cummins have an ID plate that limits towing to 10,000 max. This 10k limit is the kick off to commercial license .... and the equipment with trailer often gets over this amount. As to those guys using their towing capacity with their 3/4 and 1 ton rigs and fifth wheel dump trailers w dual wheel tandem axle, yes they have not got their Class A license (yet). They'll likely get some encouragement one day.
Drewster go ahead and get your class A CDL, you'll be glad you did. If they're running commercially they are required by law to have it. A 1 ton truck GVW is around 12K with an 18K dump trailer is 30K GCWR which needs a class A CDL if commercially used. I know a couple of guys that have duallys and 18K goosenecks that had to go get their Class A's, after a roadside courtesy call in blue..
The reason I started this thread is because tbere is a guy on YouTube that has a 4300 and towes a trailer with a minix ex on it and claims to not have a cdl. So I was wondering if it's worth it to have s under cdl truck and trailer
That doesnt seem correct..... We have a single axle dump with 26,000 GVW and were pulling our skid loader trailer with it last year. Got pulled over and issued a ticket for being over CDL requirements. The driver i had driving didnt have a CDL and he was put out of service, the truck had to be left on the exit ramp, and i had to come and pick it up. The officer described to me that since the truck and trailer combination weighed 29,000 lbs with the load on it that it was illegal. He opted to issue a no CDL ticket and not the overweight ticket. Might want to check into that..... Also, i know now that ifs its a commercial rig you must have a CDL anyways.
I'm sure the regulations are different state to state, here in Connecticut you can have a commercial truck up to 26000lb GVW pull a trailer up to 10000lb GVW WITHOUT a CDL. I would agree with others though, just get your class A CDL, it will payoff for you in the long run.
I want to get my class a, but From my understanding, I need to take a road test and everything with a 53ft trailer. I hear the test is very hard. So that's why I don't really want to get it if I don't need it
I belive you can use a pickup and gooseneck trailer to get your cdl you will have no 5th wheel on your license.
OK, the CDL issue comes up from time to time and there seems to be a lot of mis-information. The Federal rules are the least restrictive but must be implemented as a minimum by each State. Now States can be more restrictive but not less than the Federal rules. Check your local state rules as they will vary and can be more restrictive. Here's the Federal Rules - http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/commercial-drivers-license/drivers From FMSCA - That's the minimum requirement set by the Feds. So a 26K truck towing a 10K trailer does not require a Class A, 1 pound over on either truck or trailer and it does. Again check your states rules, they can be more restrictive. Just keep in mind it doesn't matter what the combination actually weighs, it's all about the GVW that the truck and trailer are rated at on the ID plate. For instance you can have a 26K truck pulling a 14K skid trailer (very common size of skid trailer) with nothing on the trailer and be in violation of the CDL rule.
If you have decent skills in driving and backing(as one should have by road test time) the road test is quite simple. Here they use back streets and a baseball stadium parking lot is used for the backing tests. Most folks screw up in the pre-trip inspection and the legalize required before getting in the truck. Study even the silly parts of the book. I had to test out again about 5 years ago because I was out of area on a project for a couple years and my CDL expired to far to simply renew without retesting.
I agree Old iron, it's not that hard. Drewster look at your states regulations on what it requires for a class A. When I got my class A I used a 26K air braked single axle hook lift truck with a 14K electric braked tag. I studied the requirements and the state said I needed a class A to legally drive that combination. Alabama follows the Fed rules without further restrictions, so I have a Class A air brake license. It was a simple test as I didn't have a can on the back and the tag trailer was 20' or so. The state trooper actually stopped me at the rear of the trailer during the walk around and said "You've passed this part of the test, you can't miss enough on the other side to fail this part". If you want we can go on to the skills test." Which I said - "Good deal, let's go!" Went through the skills test with no problem as it was easy with the combination I was using. On the road test I missed a step in the emergency stopping on the side of the road, didn't put the hazards on at the right time. After explaining what I did wrong, she then told me to take a left off the main road, that'll take us back to the station. On the ride back to the station she told me - "You know how to drive a truck". Got back and paper license was in hand. Now I had one cool ass state trooper, your milage may vary..:cool2
Thanks for the info CM1995! This crap gets so confusing.... So, what is the requirement for a commercial company before an employee has to have the CDL? As in, driving company trucks. take for example a 3/4 ton pick up truck. Does the employee need a CDL to drive that truck?
Here in MN if you are the payroll and driving a vehicle or combination capable of over 10,001 lbs gross weight you need a CDL. You do not have to have a Class A or B if under 26,000. Our company 3/4 ton Chevy pickups with a wheeled air compressor hooked up, requires the driver to have at the minimum a Class C CDL with a current health card. The 26,000 lb rule only applies to private non commercial vehicles. If you are for hire or hauling even a borrowed tool you are considered commercial no matter what you call yourself.
Check your state rules. On the Federal level any commercial vehicle over 10K pounds requires the driver to have a medical card but not a CDL. Again it may be more restrictive in Ohio. Most newer 1 ton trucks have a GVW of over 10K lbs. My '13 F350 SRW has a 11k and change GVW with a greater towing capacity which I don't know off hand. I just got my medical card renewed a week ago. The reporting of the med cards has changed since my last renewal. The Dr. has to log into the state's DMV website and enter the information. He told me he actually had to go to a class on how to perform DOT medical card examinations.