Speed And Lane Etiquette
Topic 22204 | Page 3
G-Town, that's a combination vehicle with a GVWR in excess of 25,000 lbs.
Combination Vehicle:
A vehicle with two separate parts - the power unit (tractor) and the trailer. Tractor-trailers are considered combination vehicles.
GVWR:
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
GVWR is the maximum operating weight of a vehicle as specified by the manufacturer, minus any trailers.
G-Town, that's a combination vehicle with a GVWR in excess of 25,000 lbs.
Oops. Thanks, I just saw a pic of his rig...sorry.
Combination Vehicle:
A vehicle with two separate parts - the power unit (tractor) and the trailer. Tractor-trailers are considered combination vehicles.
GVWR:
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
GVWR is the maximum operating weight of a vehicle as specified by the manufacturer, minus any trailers.
Technically, yes I think you could squeak by on a Class B non-CDL. However, if I was going to upgrade my license I would do it to a Class A. That removes the headache of what you tow with the coach. I attached a picture of it so you know what I'm referring to when I say it's unusual. I have a love/hate relationship with the drivers seat being that low. It definitely took some getting used to. You have to think through turns because you are way out in front of the wheels. The rule in coaches is never pull into anything or anywhere you can't see how you will turn around or exit. I'm sure that will serve me well with Trucks.
If you tow something with a GVWR of 10K+ you need a Class A. That is fine if you drag a car behind you. If you trailer it on a tandem axle trailer you are probably going to find 10K GVWR pretty fast.
I went and looked it up. Something may have changed recently. For a long time, if you owned it, you could drive it as long as it wasn't for commercial purposes with a Class C or better license. This is my 3rd bus. Last one was a GM and the one before was a skoolie. I was looking for a skoolie when I found this one.
These are very uncommon in North America. I know of 2 others that are 2 axle. There are more of the 3 axle ones.
Funny thing is I got pulled over by a Truck Enforcement Officer one time. I have radio operator plates on it. He told me that my Mercedes Convertible, F-150 and Motorhome had the same license plate. I just agreed and thanked him for his service while he ran my plates. I swear he wanted to see inside. I seriously doubt he thought this was a convertible or F-150.... The convertible was a fun toy... got rid of it. Love my F-150.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
GVWR:
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
GVWR is the maximum operating weight of a vehicle as specified by the manufacturer, minus any trailers.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
If you tow something with a GVWR of 10K+ you need a Class A. That is fine if you drag a car behind you. If you trailer it on a tandem axle trailer you are probably going to find 10K GVWR pretty fast.
Keep something in mind. It's not about how much weight you have in the trailer at any given time. It's about the amount of weight the equipment is designed to handle. When they say a GVWR of 10,000 pounds they're not talking about how much the trailer weighs at any given time, they're talking about how much it's designed to pull. If you have a trailer with a GVWR of 12,000 pounds you need a Class A to pull it even if it's empty.
Tandem:
Tandem Axles
A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".
GVWR:
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
GVWR is the maximum operating weight of a vehicle as specified by the manufacturer, minus any trailers.
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Brian wrote:
If you are referring to CDL operating class; what you describe is Class B.
"Bluetooth" implies hands free, which is legal for trucks. I-phones connected to for instance; a Blue Parrot enable voice dial if the contact is in the data base. Some companies don't allow any cell communication while driving, including hands free.
That said I limit my conversations while driving to the bare minimum and not in heavy traffic or other circumstances requiring laser focus.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: