money is declared as ordinary income for tax purposes , and ( b ) the cost of the underlying activities is not deducted as a business expense for tax purposes ; and , where relevant ; ( 2 ) corporate sponsorship is not involved . Drivers must confer with their state of licensure to determine the licensing provisions to which they are subject .
However , while the above is clarification on federal DOT regulations regarding logging and CDL requirements , the individual states generally use the federal regulation as a basis to set their own state regulations , but they are not limited to those regulations and often have their own version of the regulation in addition to the federal regulation .
For example , Texas CDL requirement is the same as the federal regulation , EXCEPT they left out the word commerce . Meaning , in TX if the weight rating or the actual weight of the truck and trailer is more than 26,000-lbs , you ARE required to have a CDL . It doesn ’ t matter if you ’ re going to the race track , 4 wheeling on the river , taking your horse to the trail ride or hauling the bobcat you rented to the house . If you ’ re over 26,000-lbs rating or actual weight , you are in violation . And once again the ONLY exception is recreational vehicles . So , you can drag your 18,000-lb 44 ’ monster 5th wheel to the lake , heck , you can even let your 16-year-old daughter drag it for you . But you better check the numbers before you drag your 10,000-lb 24 ’ race trailer to the track , unless you have a “ Class A CDL ”.
It is ridiculous , but it is the law .
Possible Interim Solution There might be a way around this , although it is not ideal . You can order a new 1-ton single rear wheel ( SRW ) with the option of lowered GVWR rating instead of the standard 10,600 to 11,500- lb rating . Ford calls it “ 10,000 GVWR Package Option 68D ”. It is an option used often in fleet purchases to prevent all the fleet drivers from having to do logs . Or you could purchase a Chevy Silverado SRW 3500 which is a standard 10,000 GVWR or a Dodge 3500 SRW Tradesman Chassis with a 10,000 GVWR . Also , I know of some trailer manufacturers who upon request have done the same by lowering the GVWR rating from 14,000- lbs to 9,000 lbs .
A standard 1 ton with a GVWR of 14,000-lbs + a trailer with GVWR of 14,000-lbs = 28,000-lbs requiring the driver to have a CDL even if the actual weights are 9,000-lbs ( truck ) + 9,000-lbs ( trailer ) = 18,000 lbs . But if you reduce the GVWR on the trailer and tow with a 10,000 GVWR SRW truck , you would have 10,000-lbs ( truck ) + 9,000- lbs ( trailer ) = 19,000 lbs . It is close to the actual weight and means no CDL is required unless you load it down in excess of the 26,000-lb cut off . It then becomes CDL required .
The negative side of this solution is that it prevents the use of a safer towing vehicle , a dually .
As many states are struggling for financial solutions to maintain their infrastructure and with the growing concern for highway safety , it is inevitable that the enforcement of stricter CDL requirements has become more prevalent and will continue to spread . Several states have seemingly adopted the enforcement of stricter CDL regulations , and many retail customers have been penalized or at least have been warned . Therefore , they are looking for options to avoid being fined for hauling the same loads they have been hauling for years .
Call to Action With that being said , it would behoove dealers and manufacturers in our industry to be aware of these challenges facing our customers and thereby counter these challenges by stocking and marketing vehicles with the lower GVWR . You can also contact your state and federal representatives and ask them to change the regulation to go by actual weight instead of weight rating and to raise the weight threshold for determining who must prepare logs to 26,000 lbs . Our customer will continue to hook his pickup up to his trailer and go play . The question is who will he buy his pickup and trailer from so he doesn ’ t have to worry about having a CDL ?
www . natda . org NATDA Magazine 15