Weighted Tag Questions for farm trucks

1800s Mountain Man

New Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2023
Location
Way back up a holler in NW NC
Hi all,

I'm trying to find info on how much weight my tags need to be if I theoretically max out our farm trucks.

Typically I just look at the leaf springs and gauge how close they are to the axle since there's practically no such thing as a police vehicle for a ten mile radius, but as our farm grows I'd like to get these tags right.

I have a:
-1994 Chevy C3500 5.7L Manual - GVWR 10,000lbs. I believe the tow capacity is 9500. Currently tagged with a farm tag at 10,000lbs.
Should my weighted tag be at least 19,500lbs?

-1994 Chevy K1500 5.7L Automatic - GVWR 6200lbs. I believe the tow capacity is 6k. Currently tagged with a farm tag at 5,000lbs.
Should my tag be at least 11,200lbs?

Thanks all!
 
Gvwr isn't the weight of your truck and the legal answer would be anything equal to or less than the gcvwr on that tag says is what your tag should be, that being said it's the weight of your truck plus weight of trailer and whatever is being towed. Both of those trucks weigh less than 7k lbs, how much are you hauling?
 
jcramsey said:
This might help.

Tow "tag" in NC tech?
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Thanks for that link. Looking at page two here it looks like the tag needs to be greater than the total weight of the entire apparatus. Truck curb weight + bed payload + trailer curb weight+ trailer cargo weight.

In that case I'll probably bump the tag up to 18k to 20k on the C3500 once renewal comes around.
braxton357 said:
Gvwr isn't the weight of your truck and the legal answer would be anything equal to or less than the gcvwr on that tag says is what your tag should be, that being said it's the weight of your truck plus weight of trailer and whatever is being towed. Both of those trucks weigh less than 7k lbs, how much are you hauling?
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Average weight I'd haul would probably be around 9k lbs + truck curb weight of 6k lbs = 15k lbs GCWR

I can imagine some big feed loads though in the summer. On those I'd max out at:
6k Truck Curb Weight + 2k Trailer Curb Weight + 3k Payload in bed + 7k payload in trailer = 18k lbs GCWR

It sounds like I need to increase my weight on the C3500 tag when it's up for renewal, probably up to 20k to be safe.
 
ckruzer said:
I despise NC dot laws. Gestapo fee chasers. So i setup a LLC in a favorable state as a holding company for all vehicles and I lease it back to myself.
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Interesting. I also despise all things DMV, which is why I don't register my cars. :lol:

I mean, why a guy I know doesn't register his cars.
 
Blaze said:
Interesting. I also despise all things DMV, which is why I don't register my cars. :lol:

I mean, why a guy I know doesn't register his cars.
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"its a private transportation vessel, not a commercial vehicle - and hes not *driving* he is *traveling" :laughing:
 
Question I’ve had since I’ve lived here.

I’m a (now) vet and 100% through the VA so I qualify for free plates through the NCDMV. However I can’t get weighted plates. There should be a thing where I get up to XX,XXX lbs exclusion and then pay the rest. It’s bold of them to assume that because of my disability I can’t drive or tow a trailer requiring weighted plates.

Robbery at its finest.

Oh, and fawk the gubment.
 
skyhighZJ said:
Question I’ve had since I’ve lived here.

I’m a (now) vet and 100% through the VA so I qualify for free plates through the NCDMV. However I can’t get weighted plates. There should be a thing where I get up to XX,XXX lbs exclusion and then pay the rest. It’s bold of them to assume that because of my disability I can’t drive or tow a trailer requiring weighted plates.

Robbery at its finest.

Oh, and fawk the gubment.
Click to expand...

I could be wrong but I think even with a dv plate you still pay use tax and property tax, you just don't have to pay for the plate itself, so you're saving $40-50.
 
braxton357 said:
I could be wrong but I think even with a dv plate you still pay use tax and property tax, you just don't have to pay for the plate itself, so you're saving $40-50.
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A DV plate gets you a standard NC plate for whatever that’s worth (6k?). If your truck weighs or requires more than that (a weighted requirement) it’s ALL on you. Same thing with “farm tags”. If you don’t have 10 “farmable” acres also, doesn’t count. So say you have 10 acres and have animals. Nope, the piece your house sits on detracts from your overall acreage and therefore you don’t qualify.

Nc plate rules are crap.
 
skyhighZJ said:
A DV plate gets you a standard NC plate for whatever that’s worth (6k?). If your truck weighs or requires more than that (a weighted requirement) it’s ALL on you. Same thing with “farm tags”. If you don’t have 10 “farmable” acres also, doesn’t count. So say you have 10 acres and have animals. Nope, the piece your house sits on detracts from your overall acreage and therefore you don’t qualify.

Nc plate rules are crap.
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But you still pay hwy use tax and property tax on registration so dv tag is only saving you $40. They also don't actually verify anything as far as getting a farm tag goes...
But yeah, having to buy a weighted tag for my truck then pay for a tag on the trailer as well is bullshit. Then you get into class 8 stuff, I also have to pay extra taxes above the weighted fees for all vehicles over 55k depending on their weight and use, and then you have ifta tax. Just not registering them might be my next move.
 
braxton357 said:
But you still pay hwy use tax and property tax on registration so dv tag is only saving you $40. They also don't actually verify anything as far as getting a farm tag goes...
But yeah, having to buy a weighted tag for my truck then pay for a tag on the trailer as well is bullshit. Then you get into class 8 stuff, I also have to pay extra taxes above the weighted fees for all vehicles over 55k depending on their weight and use, and then you have ifta tax. Just not registering them might be my next move.
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Gonna be like a log truck huh? Lol 😂 no insurance either. For what it’s worth as I have posted many times in here, I register my vehicles once! Keep insurance on them and play the waiting game. I hate paying all the bs property taxes on stuff I own. The 40$ tag doesn’t bother me
 
braxton357 said:
But you still pay hwy use tax and property tax on registration so dv tag is only saving you $40. They also don't actually verify anything as far as getting a farm tag goes...
But yeah, having to buy a weighted tag for my truck then pay for a tag on the trailer as well is bullshit. Then you get into class 8 stuff, I also have to pay extra taxes above the weighted fees for all vehicles over 55k depending on their weight and use, and then you have ifta tax. Just not registering them might be my next move.
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An older friend of mine sold his business 10yrs ago when he got cancer. 10ish f650 flatbeds and tag along trailers on nearly every truck. He told me the other day that the guy who bought the business has never registered a single one. They're still running tags from 2013 😂. Dude does DOT jobs all over the state. Supposedly has never been caught. F'ing legend
 
skyhighZJ said:
A DV plate gets you a standard NC plate for whatever that’s worth (6k?). If your truck weighs or requires more than that (a weighted requirement) it’s ALL on you. Same thing with “farm tags”. If you don’t have 10 “farmable” acres also, doesn’t count. So say you have 10 acres and have animals. Nope, the piece your house sits on detracts from your overall acreage and therefore you don’t qualify.

Nc plate rules are crap.
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Don't for get the part where it says "manage" i believe.
 
skyhighZJ said:
A DV plate gets you a standard NC plate for whatever that’s worth (6k?). If your truck weighs or requires more than that (a weighted requirement) it’s ALL on you. Same thing with “farm tags”. If you don’t have 10 “farmable” acres also, doesn’t count. So say you have 10 acres and have animals. Nope, the piece your house sits on detracts from your overall acreage and therefore you don’t qualify.

Nc plate rules are crap.
Click to expand...

Ga's vet program. Plate renewals each year are $1 for a vet. All in, $1. And Ga has no weight plate bs unless youre a *business* towing for *business* purposes. You can personally tow your boat, rv, trailer, offroad buggy, whatever da fuk personal item you want up to your vehicle/trailer's weight rating all on your personal standard plate.
 
ckruzer said:
Ga's vet program. Plate renewals each year are $1 for a vet. All in, $1. And Ga has no weight plate bs unless youre a *business* towing for *business* purposes. You can personally tow your boat, rv, trailer, offroad buggy, whatever da fuk personal item you want up to your vehicle/trailer's weight rating all on your personal standard plate.
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Same in Michigan which is why I kept my Mi DL my whole time in the service and was therefore able to register anything I owned or towed regardless of where I was stationed. Perm trlr plates are $20 and vic plates are $50. Same plate for cars or trucks with no weighted anything. No ins reqs, no inspections. Just mail money and they mail a sticker. Only works when active though. Now I’m at the mercy of NC. Minimum weight on both my trucks for the least amount of wallet pain.

Funny story was when I lived in Hawaii I had Mi plates and had someone ask how long the drive was…… 🤦🏼‍♂️
 
skyhighZJ said:
Same in Michigan which is why I kept my Mi DL my whole time in the service and was therefore able to register anything I owned or towed regardless of where I was stationed. Perm trlr plates are $20 and vic plates are $50. Same plate for cars or trucks with no weighted anything. No ins reqs, no inspections. Just mail money and they mail a sticker. Only works when active though. Now I’m at the mercy of NC. Minimum weight on both my trucks for the least amount of wallet pain.

Funny story was when I lived in Hawaii I had Mi plates and had someone ask how long the drive was…… 🤦🏼‍♂️
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We mil guys become identification frankensteins by the end of it all.

lol same when I had alaska plates
 
shawn said:
Now do Virginia
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Non starter and a reason I shifted focus for moving. Now, I can’t sell my house so it’s a totally moot point. But hey, I just spent 900 to tag her truck, my truck, and the $43 for the Toyota farm beater so yep….. solid. Both were so damn pricey cause I had to get NC full blower everything since I can hide behind my shield of cheap active duty Michigan plates anymore. What a crock.
 
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