LEOs: Best way to explain I'm not a motor carrier?

I think what txviking is trying express is that it is perfectly legal to drive a tractor trailer just for fun. And he wants to do that. No commercial aspect to it at all. Thus no need for many of the commercially applicable laws. So in states in which the weigh station sign says "all commercial vehicles..." he can just drive by. However in other states that word it by weight or "any vehicle pulling trailers", then you gotta go in.

The IFTA and IRP regs are clearly written to assume everyone works for a company engaged in the practice of hauling freight for money. How you get around that is up for interpretation, which of course will mean a ticket.

 

Mike_MD what's your take on it from the Federal side?

 

Some State's also say all vehicles over 5 tons to enter. Commercial or non commercial.

I agree you can run a truck up and down the road all you want for personal pleasure. The point I'm trying to make is this. How many times do you run "your belongings" because your relocating. Maybe once a year. I doubt your going to run from Michigan to Tennesee just for fun beecause I want to ride it in my tractor trailer hauling my personal stuff 3,4,5 times a year. Fuel will kill you. Plus you keep running into the same enforcement people, they will remember and put 2 and 2 together. I don't know where viking runs, but I can tell you a scenario I had I had wuth one very similar. It was a boat hauler. The F-450 with a 3 axle boat trailer. Guy bypassed the scale one day when I was in there. Chased him down, because anything over 5 tons required to enter. He played the "personal" boat deal. Luckily for him the system that we run hull numbers/vin numbers was down. Could not prove who the owner of the boat was. Guy had nothing that he needed as far a DOT number/authority log book etc. I let him go with nothing else to go on. I did take a picture of his personal boat and later ran the hull number. What would you know, it wasn't his. A little bit of research and investigation revealed he was moving it from New York to Miami, FL. I contacted the owner who advised that this guy moves his boat every year for him and how much he charges. Wouldn't you know a few weeks later the same thing. Same Guy different boat. It was a fun day sitting there listening to him state the same thing as I'm sure he has done many times trying to dance the regulations. However this one didn't turn out so well for mr. boat hauler. In addition to being charged for the 2nd trip that I caught him. He was also issued many tickets from the first stop as well. From the date of the violation I cancharge someone a year and a day from the offense on a traffic citation. After that, I would need a warrant based on probable cause issued by a judge. Funny I haven't seen this cat in a while. I think he found another route. Just another example of guys doing whatever they want to be able to undercut the rates and get more freight to haul. This is always going to go on as long as people think they can dance the guidelines. However, I would rather stop these all day and determine what they are doing than stop a legitimate trucker. I understand and know why legitimate companies and driver's dance the regulations and I can work with them on that. Guy's over his hours I can cut him some slack with a warning instead of a ticket. Few hundred lbs overweight, speeding (as long as it's not over 15-16 mph) no problem to write a warning. If the driver is upfront and say's "hey I screwed up." I'll cut that guy more breaks that the driver that wants to lie and I catch him in it. At that point, I have no mercy. The truth will set you free, lie and I 'm going to show you why you shouldn't. I have a local business owner in the area I work, who is also a farmer. He's trying to dance the guidelines by "I'm a farmer and I get this and that". Wrong, when doing farm things, yes I agree he gets them. But when I have caught him hauling commercial, no way. In this case hauling door jams and windows from a shipper to another business doesn't sound like farm work to me. But as long as human beings are on this earth, they will try and get around a regulation, rule or law.

 

DB I hear what you saying. Im glad you get these guys like that cause they cost me money. I se them at the truck stop and like roadmdic said ive asked them to and got the same response. Man told me the other day that he was doing all he could haul running cars in a enclosed trailer. Had a 350 or 450, nice looking truck, but there was no name on it. and the trailer had to be a 30 footer. For guys like me struggling to make it, pay my fuel, do my ifta reports each quarter, keep up on my truck i swear it takes all i make to keep it running. I'm not rich but i'm surviving and my kids at home have food on the table for now. My wife does my paperwork for me so that saves me, but i can't get ahead. when i hear about drivers like you are talking about just makes me wonder what i'm doing wrong.

 

I agree. I pull campers with a pickup. I am properly licensed and insured with signs. I see these guys running that way and it takes money from me, because I cannot compete.

 

The odd thing is that while the taxes and fees to be perfectly legal do add up...but it is not crazy expensive. Your boat guy most likely spent more time trying to "dance," run longer out of the way routes to avoid scales, than the time he could have spent making extra money to be legit.

 

Medic I see and talk to driver's very much like yourself. They convey the same thing about the competition aspect. I understand your frustration with it as well. H^ll maybe I have talked to you about.

 

I mentioned it to MikeMD and he said to call a number and report them.

It is hard enough to see them when you meet them or pass them. Let alone try and get a license plate.

I am glad to see them being stopped. If I can spot them, surely you guys can too.

I think some of the states just are not enforcing it yet. Some of them are even at my own company.
I have seen them without signs and told the safety department about it. Nothing happens.

 

In due time, I imagine they will get theirs.

 

Been seeing this for over 6 years. They are not caught yet.