Comments By not4hire

In addition to the already excellent advice posted; I will just clarify that you can exceed your 14 (and your 70) while on-duty--anything but driving. So, if your post-trip, fuelling, unloading, etc., takes you beyond your 14 you are just fine. There is no limit in regards to the amount of time that can be spent on-duty not driving. However, when you return to driving it can only be after at least 10 hours consecutive off-duty and is subject to hours remaining on your 70.

Regardless of whether you are a company driver or a lease driver, you will still be driving on the carrier's authority and insurance.

You were not overweight. And, unfortunately, you didn't need to waste any time getting your load re-worked. The 12,000 lbs. limit you have been told is, in fact, a "nominal" amount. It varies from state-to-state and whether or not it is the Interstate or a state route. The 12,000 lbs. figure comes from the fact that the Interstate system allows a maximum (un-permitted) gross weight of 80,000 lbs. and most states allow a maximum for tandems of 34,000 lbs. Subtract two sets of tandems at 34,000 lbs. each from 80,000 lbs. and this leaves 12,000 lbs. remaining.

However, EVERY state allows a maximum (un-permitted) weight of 20,000 lbs on a steer axle on the Interstate. Many states allow as much as 22,400 lbs. and Mass. allows 24,000 lbs. (This is also where the 40,000 lbs. figure for split-tandems comes from as they are treated as two single axles)

The maximum any vehicle is allowed is the lesser of: 1. The manufacturer's maximum for the axle as noted on the door-jamb tag 2. The manufacturer's maximum for the tires as noted on the sidewall at maximum cold inflation 3. The maximum allowed by legislation by either total weight or weight per inch of tire width.

As noted, your tires allow 6,500 lbs. each, which is 13,000 lbs. I am willing to bet your axle probably allows 12,500 lbs. So, you were, in all likelihood, perfectly fine. Not even the 100 lbs. over you thought you were the first go-round.

What about state routes, you ask? Ohio allows 650 lb/in (tire width) Indiana - 12,000 lbs. Illinois - 20,000 lbs. Wisconsin - 13,000 lbs., Class B Highways - 12,000 lbs.

Even if your axle is only rated at 12,000 lbs., I wouldn't even think twice about rolling with 100 lbs. over. No one will give you so much as a second glance. More than 300 lbs. over? Yeah, be careful. Over 80,000 lbs. gross? Not a good idea. Again, though, if it was 80,100 lbs. I wouldn't hesitate to go. Especially, as has been mentioned, if you've got a ways to go before you cross a scale and you'll burn off enough fuel before you cross one. Know what diesel weighs (nominally just slightly more than 7 lbs. per gallon, so using 7 is good) and what your burn rate is.

BTW, all the weight and road information is in the front of the Rand McNally Motor Carriers' Road Atlas. Lots of other useful information in there too. Get one... it will save you some time and headaches in the future.

Yeah I was thinking about the c16 but wanted more torque so was leaning more toward the c18. I know there's gonna be some fabricating that will have to be done but I figure why not.

Why not, indeed. Many years ago a pipeline company I did some work for was putting 12V92s in their highway tractors.

He might have been writing a email to your company, saying that he clocked you at 65 in a 70 and everything looked good. I have been told by my company that there are a number of officers in different states that will pull use over and report back to the company on the condition of are trucks. I am told that the officer gets payed a bounty for every truck they stop of area s weather the report is good or bad.

I wouldn't put a lot of stock in that.

A lot of less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers do a majority of their shipping at night. So, if you are really motivated to do night driving that could be a good fit for you.

"You're going to need a bigger truck."

Probably just the self-destruct system. I wouldn't worry about it... it will stop eventually.

The word "lease" is a most-often misused word or term in this industry and more information is needed. There are various times lease is used to refer to something in this industry:

1. To lease a truck (or trailer or other piece of equipment, aka; "asset") is a form of financing whereby the lessee, instead of financing the full price of the asset, such as when doing a loan, or full-price purchase, finances only the portion of the asset they use. Typically, leases are of a shorter duration than a loan contract and do not culminate in the ownership of the asset. This is not cast-in-stone, however, and some leases are geared towards a low end-of-term balance so the lessee may easily purchase the asset. Leasing is neither inherently good nor bad, but may be so depending on the circumstances. The primary reasons for leasing are to avoid tying up capital and to keep asset(s) off the company's balance sheet as they are treated as an expense rather than a liability (no loan). There can also be other operational advantages.

2. A lease-purchase is a form of financing with some similarities to #1. These are typically offered by trucking-industry carriers as a way for drivers to transition from company driver to lease-operator (L/O). These are generally considered a bad idea because the the carrier not only has the driver contractually obligated to the truck, but also controls the L/O's business by dictating the who, what, where and when of loads. The L/O is generally not free to seek other loads, nor to move the truck to another carrier. Because of this, in part, these arrangements are coming under far greater scrutiny by the IRS and other regulatory agencies. Most of these arrangements are very one-sided in the favour of the carrier and, in their worst form, amount to modern-day share-cropping. Some drivers have had success with this plan, but I think it is fair to say the overwhelming majority have not. IMHO, a lease-purchase is overwhelmingly used to shift financial responsibility from the carrier to the driver under the guise of "business ownership/self-employment."

3. A lease-operator is a person who brings a truck (whether owned, or it may be financed by some party other than the carrier) to a carrier and "leases on" with the carrier. This is also the most common arrangement for owner-operators (O/O). In this scenario the L/O is actually operating under the carrier's authority and insurance and the carrier is generally supplying all the business and doing all the paperwork. The L/O may have their own trailer or they may be pulling the carrier's. There is a contract stipulating the arrangement between the carrier and the asset (truck) provider. In this case, as in #2, the L/O is generally not free to seek loads from other sources other than the carrier they are leased-on to, but this is not always the case. However, should the asset provider become dissatisfied with the arrangement they can terminate the agreement and move their asset to another carrier or get their own operating authority and become a carrier themselves.

So, Marsha, what do you mean by "lease?"

Man, the Russian DOT is some serious stuff.

;)