Thank you guys for all the help. Our lowbed is up and running and we have our farm tags and everything is working out great. Now when I picked up the lowbed, I had to slide the fifth wheel all the way completely to the end for the mud flaps not to hit. So is it legal for me to run without the mud flaps? I can buy another set that I can reconfigure things to move forward, but do I need to do that?
Technically legal, but the second youre bobtail, in violation (so dont ever take it to a shop without the trailer) Rearmost tires are the only ones that require mudflaps BUT, if youre doing farm and a lowboy, youre going to spit more dirt everywhere with no flaps... so i would figure out what needs done to have them on the tractor
@skallagrime answered correctly. I will add this. Carry the flaps with you. Dot likes that. That way they know when you drop the trailer you will make it bobtail legal. This is where the old school Betts spring type removable hangers come in handy.
You could do something like this. Pair Mud Flap Hangers Kit 30" with 24" Mud Flaps Reflective Plates Semi Truck | eBay local Freightliner carries something similar, but I don’t know the price.
wow a Betts kit with reflectors and bolts at a almost reasonable price. Consider picking up a second set of brackets to mount ahead of your drives if you have room. They can also be mounted unobtrusively on the neck of your trailer.
I was hunting for how close to your rear drives you mud flaps need to be. Didn't find that information but did copy and paste all of this: The Mudflap Rule One question that seems to get asked a lot is “Where are the mudflap rules?” This is especially true after someone receives a ticket for not having one! The FMCSA recommends mud flaps be mounted at 300 mm and at angle greater than 22 degrees. Most jurisdictions simply state that the vehicle must have mudflaps/splashguards on the rear of the vehicle that are adequate to keep spray and debris tossed up by the tires from hitting the windshields of following traffic. Specific requirements There are some states that provide specific requirements, and these are the ones that “set the standards” that interstate trucks need to follow. The most common requirements are that the mudflap/splashguard cover the full width of the tire and: • Reach to within 8 inches of the ground (AZ, DE, MO, and TX are examples). Several states say the mudflap/splashguard must be within 10 inches of the ground. • Extend down from the top of the tire at least the same distance as the width of the tires (MD is an example of a state that has this). • Cover 2/5 of the vertical tire area (MS is 2/5, several states say 1/2 to 2/3). • Be able to stop water and debris that is leaving the tire at a tangent angle of 22 degrees or more (MI, OK, and PA all use the 22 degree standard). So what can an interstate carrier do? To comply everywhere, most carriers go with a standard of around no more than 6 inches from the ground, but definitely no more than 8 inches from the ground (depending on where the fleet operates). This keeps you out of trouble just about everywhere you need to go! Hope that was somewhat helpful.
The truck I drive has removable mud flaps that I keep on the catwalk. The only time I put them on is when I bobtail. The mechanic made these little brackets for them on the frame and they’re secured by linchpins. On and off in seconds, as long as I remember to do it
