What do I NEED? Farm truck/tractor Questions in Texas???

1. NO
2. NO..hauling exempt not for hire UNLESS what you haul is NOT considered farm machinery. Typically, if you own whats on the truck, ya don't need to have "authority" to haul it unless you are "for hire".
3. YES...,DOT # is free,,,see the DMV for the form.
4. YES...you can do this yourself. FMCSA says that ANYONE qualified to do this inspection can do it. Head to the truckstop and buy the kit with everything you need. It's in the logbook section.
5. YES...you have a CDL and are required to have a current medical card.
6. YES...you have a CDL
7. Probably,,,unless you run nothing but "farm" fuel. Try USDOT.gov and see what they say. Texas makes their own rules so try TXDOT.com or whatever. Rand commercial; atlases have contact ph.#s for all state authoritys.
You may have to report the miles you run as "exempt" (farm fuel) and the miles in the state you run as non-exempt. IFTA is also free so see the DMV for it too. It gets complicated from here so I recommend you find a "tax & Licence" service specific to trucks and ask them. Small fee...big rewards.

EDIT...just read a couple replys above about just playing dumb. Thats BAD advice!
Get legal and don't worry about it!
It's EASY and doesn't rely on farmers being considered STUPID by diesel cops. Only stupid farmers are considered stupid & they still get tickets even tho the cop may feel badly while giving it to em!

OK,,,sorry.....sorta!

As far as an "apportioned" tag goes,,,the only time ya need this is when ya run INTERSTATE. (state to state) If all you typically run is within Texas INTRASTATE (within the state), you only need a Texas baseplate. If ya run to NM for example you will have to buy a permit at the POE. Ya better have an IFTA account and a USDOT # when ya get there or you WILL licence your truck in the state of NM for a year before you leave the port.

 

This can be very frustrating to figure out. I moved to Vt from NY about 8 years ago and am still trying to figure out the exact applicable laws. You can get a different answer from DOT, state police, and DMV, all to the same question. The good news is everyone is nice about it. If you only haul your own equipment from farm to farm property you are not a common or contract carrier. FMCSR 383.3(D) is the applicable federal statute. You can haul in a 150 mile radius. You are exempt from needing a CDL. No authority neccesary. I don't get an IFTA sticker for the farm trucks and go over to NH with no problems (called troopers a while back to verify) Also no DOT #s on the farm trucks. So they say, you don't even need tags on a VT farm truck, and it only needs to be "inspectable" should you get a going over. Always sounded too weird for me so I have Ag plates, a state inspection, and an insurance card all the time. Last time I talked to the DOT guy, I asked him why they have ag plates, but also allow trucks to just go down the road. Answer was something like "good question" Anyways, I just make sure to be legal as possible, and have never got real definitive answers to questions. The problem to remember is you are limited to farm related machinery, feed , supplies and can't haul anything else. Consequently I went and got the CDL, and am putting the PETE to use as a common carrier.

 

Glen,Just edited w/ more info...re-read post above and good luck.

 

Gotta love the good old days! Problem now is nobody can afford to get on the wrong side of legal with this stuff.