A few comments, and take them for what it cost you...When you get a DOT number for interstate biz you are then REQUIRED to comply with the Unified Carrier Registration Agreement. See
www.ucr.in.gov, the only official UCR site. And get your check-book out.
Mr. Hicks, Oregon is listed on the FMSCA web site as needing a DOT number for intrastate biz. It MAY be that Oregon has a higher weight limit than the 10k that has been discussed. I suggest you check with your state authorities. NY lowered theirs in '06 from 16k to 10k
JC, NJ does not have any state requirements for the 10k
Fellas, the point I was actually making in my article quoted by Mr. Fenner may have slipped past. I may need to do a better job communicating in the future.
The point actually is that the rules vary, are not clearly stated in easily found resources, and are enforced in a haphazard manner across the country. What's more, they are often misunderstood by the primary regulators, ie. your local and state carrier enforcement bureaus and police.
Mr. Hicks' experience is valid, but I willstate for the record, unequivocally, that Oregon has a draconian carrier enforcement system, manned by a group of napoleons the likes of which I've only seen in Third Reich movies. At one time, and until within the last 6 years or so, EVERY SINGLE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE that operated for any (and I mean ANY) miles or minutes in Oregon was required to be registered and plated with an Oregon plate, as well as the plate of the home state.
Doug, I hope your truck is compliant there, because the day they find you out of compliance will be a new experience in punitive regulation. I have always done well there myself, but truckstops across the nation resound with fables of the antics of Oregon Carrier Enforcement paddies.
It is useful, although not particularly kind, to think of these carrier enforcement troopers as being more like tax clerks with nightsticks, tasked with balancing the state budget through fines.
The bottom line is that compliance is fairly easy, relatively (compared with the actual cost of owning and operating the equipment) inexpensive, and mandatory. The troopers don't have any obligation to get you compliant, on the contrary, they are obliged to fine you when you aren't.
Find your local resources, and get the good word, check the facts, and comply. It is the easiest route, and will pay off in peace of mind.
By the way, I'm not knocking Doug Hicks or his state, I very much like them both, as far as I know them. I'd hate to see any BS fines land in his lap.
These discussions are exactly the sort of topics we should be working out, because the misinformation is everywhere. This is something that a national organization can help to tackle in any industry.
Check out the American Trucking Association's efforts in regard to regulation, or those of the Teamsters' and other trade associations, both nationally, and in your state.
Finally, I'd like to point out to all contractors that it is useful when buying equipment, and laying out trucks and trailers as cleaning rigs, to know the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating), the towing capacity of the tractor/truck being used, and the weight ratings of your axles. Not all vehicle's are identical, even in the same models. An under-equipped truck will be an overloaded truck, and overloaded equipment fails. People die due to this every day. Aside from driver fatigue, it may well be the most dangerous easily-preventable condition contributing to highway fatalities.
You can weigh your vehicle, accurately and cheaply, with readouts for each axle, at most any civilized truckstop in the nation. It is a wise use of a few minutes
Good thread.