Trailer Towing

[Greg Manning]

OK guys I needed the Class A for my other towing needs irregardless of the boat so I went to the DMV today and took the truck test and road test to get mine. The test covers section 1 which is parts 1-3 and the air brake section which is part 5 of the CDL booklet. It was not too bad and I just read over these sections before taking the test....50 questions...can miss 10 and pass. Next I had to take a road test with any trailer with a GVW tag over 10000#. So I hooked up a gooseneck equipment trailer and went back...standard road test along with explaining what I needed to check for pre-inspecyion on the truck and trailer before getting under way....but be prepared to PARALLEL park your trailer.....I tow a lot of big stuff so it went well...but practice because they may throw that at you!!

As a side note...they couldn't tell me definitively whether it was needed for the boat. All they said was you need class B if you are pulling trailers under 10,000 and you need class A if you are towing over 10,000#...and get this...whether it is loaded to that weight or not. The class C is apparently not good for much towing at all...at least heavier stuff. As to the requirment stated to me...if you tow over 10,000 with less than a GCVW of 26000 class A.....if you tow less than 10000 and a GCVW of less than 26000 you need class B. As to horse and cow trailers...they are only exempt from having to have a CDL...you still have to have the A or B depending on your GVW plaque on the trailer you are pulling. They have stopped several horse and hay trailers in my area so look out. The A and B is just a toned down CDL for those not pulling for hire and farm use only exempts you from needing the full blown CDL even though you are towing as a farm business...at least that's what was told to me when I listed everything I tow to find out what license I needed.

Hope this helps some. Greg

[welder]

Greg , In Texas your trailer is always counted as fully loaded , they go by what the tag is, 6000, 10000, 20000 lbs.
Except for Farm tags there good to 20000 lbs .

On a regular tag you can get a OVER WEIGHT ticket if your pulling a EMPTY trailer that is taged for 20,000 lbs with your one ton truck.

Lester

[Greg Manning]

lester...The laws are kind of muddy here...HP, DMV, DOT...all tell you something different. I just decided to go ahead and get tags and license for the heaviest I pull irregardless of farm or recreational and be done with it.

[Blue Water Runner]

Originally Posted by Greg Manning

lester...The laws are kind of muddy here...HP, DMV, DOT...all tells you something different. I just decided to go ahead and get tags and license for the heaviest I pull irregardless of farm or recreational and be done with it.

Thats what I did.

[offshore]

This is from the DMV website....Mark

Class A: Required to operate any combination of vehicles exempt from commercial driver license (CDL) requirements with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more, provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is greater than 10,000 pounds. Also required for operating any combination of vehicles with a GVWR of less than 26,001 pounds, if the vehicle being towed has a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds.

Class B: Required to operate any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more that is exempt from CDL requirements, and any such vehicle while towing another vehicle with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less.

Class C: Required to operate any vehicle with a GVWR of less than 26,001 pounds that is exempt from CDL requirements and is not towing a vehicle with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds. Most drivers need only a Regular C license to operate personal automobiles and small trucks.

[welder]

I run a class B CDL

Lester

[w5it]

I have a class A CDL and have a 26,000 pound plate on my truck.

Never have been checked, but am legal if I do.........

[Greg Manning]

Mark...thats what I was told...just what you posted. That's why I got the Class A. GVWR on my boat trailer is 12.5......14 on my horse trailer and 16 on my cattle trailer. Heck most twin engine boats above 23' plus trailer are over 10000#

[thetiler]

I was trailering my boat home tonight and was thinking If the law says you are illegal towing what you have, and something happens will your insurance cover it?
Jason

[welder]

Nope, That's why were always telling people to get a big truck and the right paper work.

Wouldn't be nice if the boat dealers would tell you the right Info. before you left the lot.