the legalities of towing

Blkvoodoo

Blkvoodoo

professionally useless
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Mar 16, 2005
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Archer Lodge
say i have a 28foot enclosed trailer, hauling equipment for a non profit traveling minstrel show for their use for entertainment purposes. My truck has the weighted tag to haul trailer, all is well. I can pass weigh stations, and carry on. no issues unless DOT man happens to be interested in side shows. and want to scale ( might be sketchy, that’s another thread......)

take same equipment and group, now load it on privately owned 26’ straight trucks or 48’ trailers pulled by a road tractor. (licensed properly)

am i now required to stop at scales ? Our equipment, not for profit use

what changes if we cross state lines ?
 
I’m pretty sure all the rules change when you’re NOT hauling your personal property.
 
BigSouth said:
I’m pretty sure all the rules change when you’re NOT hauling your personal property.
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This. In the 2nd and 3rd examples, you're almost certainly going to have to scale, carry logs, etc. But there's a whole lot of other information that may or may not change the math. Are either the truck or trailer "logo'd up" in the first example? If so, it's commercial and FMCSA applies.
 
@shawn nailed it. If there are logos or business looking names on the trailer, you are in cloudy territory and may attract the attention of DOT. The appearance of "For Hire" may make you subject to proving otherwise and doing so on the side of the road isn't ideal.
 
These are some things not being considered by the folks in our marching band.

We currently have 2 28’ bumper pull, they’re tired of having to always find someone to pull them (every weekend in the fall and winter ) or renting trucks to pull them.

The idea is to obtain 2 box trucks and one of the parents drive or buy a semi trailer and then hire a driver for the weekends as needed (¿)

Considering the requirements my belief is to stick with the trailers and upgrade them as needed. Keeping the travel as simple as possible. We may end up still renting pick up trucks to pull, but we won’t have the hassle of scales and logs to go with it.
 
I would without doubt contact the insurance company(ies) involved and see what they say regarding liability. Like was said earlier, hauling someone else's stuff opens up a world of questions of personal vs For Hire
 
Are we talking a (public) school band?
If so...lots of things change.
 
Ron said:
Are we talking a (public) school band?
If so...lots of things change.
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we are

what changes ? why would it be different ?
 
There is an entire section of the Federal DOT regs that specifically handles "Education Related Exemptions and Exceptions"....I havent read it. Dont know what it says. Just remember seeing when studying for my CDLs....15 years ago.


Also why, for example, coaches who drive buses even with air brakes dont have to have a CDL.

A 3 second google netted this from FMCSA :
Transportation of students and teachers to or from school in interstate commerce, if the transportation is organized, sponsored, and paid for by the school district, is not subject to operating authority registration requirements, as well as certain safety regulations.
 
Ron said:
Also why, for example, coaches who drive buses even with air brakes dont have to have a CDL.

A 3 second google netted this from FMCSA :
Transportation of students and teachers to or from school in interstate commerce, if the transportation is organized, sponsored, and paid for by the school district, is not subject to operating authority registration requirements, as well as certain safety regulations.
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That covers the students and staff,
Hence the reason parents cannot ride the buses to/from events, also explains using charter buses for out of state and extended trips

the equipment is moved by parents/volunteers in separate vehicles and is where the question arises using larger OTR vehicles vs tag trailers

all funded by participant and donation, very little if any actual school funds

My query isn’t against using the larger vehicles, it’s about trying to find out the differences in the laws between what’s being done and what wants to be done.

Honestly in a school and band as large as this in a largely rural area I can’t believe there aren’t any vehicles large enough to pull or people willing to pull.

Myself, if I could swing it, I would, given the wife’s current medical issues, it’s gonna be awhile, a lot of unknowns at this time.
 
Now you can take a road tractor convert to single screw axle. This can now be registered as a RV. You can now can tow with it as a non commercial. Something to look into. We looked into this years ago if my husband still had his tractor. Similar to show haulers. Just a can of worms to look into.
 
Blkvoodoo said:
That covers the students and staff,
Hence the reason parents cannot ride the buses to/from events, also explains using charter buses for out of state and extended trips

the equipment is moved by parents/volunteers in separate vehicles and is where the question arises using larger OTR vehicles vs tag trailers

all funded by participant and donation, very little if any actual school funds

My query isn’t against using the larger vehicles, it’s about trying to find out the differences in the laws between what’s being done and what wants to be done.

Honestly in a school and band as large as this in a largely rural area I can’t believe there aren’t any vehicles large enough to pull or people willing to pull.

Myself, if I could swing it, I would, given the wife’s current medical issues, it’s gonna be awhile, a lot of unknowns at this time.
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Read again.

Transportation of students and or teachers...it doesn't specify who is operating the vehicle...
Also if the money is given to a school fund raise, booster club etc and then used to fund it is school money.

Don't matter to me what y'all do. My daughter's school has a kenworth they pull the band trailer with. The driver doesn't have, I don't think, a cdl. They certainly dont stop at weigh stations nor keep log books
 
Halftrac said:
Now you can take a road tractor convert to single screw axle. This can now be registered as a RV. You can now can tow with it as a non commercial. Something to look into. We looked into this years ago if my husband still had his tractor. Similar to show haulers. Just a can of worms to look into.
Click to expand...
You do not have to remove an axle to register as an rv in NC.
 
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