Class A licesce

Class A covers any motor vehicle over 26,001bls.Yeah you should be good.

 

what he said.

there are some hot shots that run under the 26,000 lbs mark and don't need one

but is you have a class A you are good to go

 

That's the sweet thing about class A CDL,you can drive anything,lol.

 

I think a few don't but most do. It probably depends on the size and weight of the vehicle.

 

Yes you do if your over 10,000bls I think.

 

This is a myth I hear over and over again, that hot shot drivers are exempt from logging hours of service. It simply is not true.

If you are a motor carrier, or drive a CMV for a motor carrier, you must keep records of your hours of service. There is no exception in FMCSA rules for hot shots.

However, there is a definition of what constitutes a Commercial Vehicle... And it states that if any one of these apply, it is a CMV...

• Weighs 10,001 pounds or more
• Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more
• Is designed or used to transport 16 or more passengers (including the driver) not for compensation
• Is designed or used to transport 9 or more passengers (including the driver) for compensation
• A vehicle that is involved in Interstate or intrastate commerce and is transporting hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placards is also considered a CMV.

Using this definition, a typical Dodge Ram 2500 falls under the 10,001 with the GVWR, but well over 10,001 with it's GCWR of about 15,000. Since most hot shot rigs are 3500s or better, which have GVWR of over 10,001, logging would be required. Any size vehicle carrying hazmat requiring placarding automatically requires logging.

As a hot shot O/O (and Motor Carrier) I log just like an O/O of a big truck does and am required to follow all of the same rules.

From what I see on the road, I think there are a lot of hot shots out there who aren't running legal in any way. I see a lot of unmarked pickup trucks, not running apportioned tags, no IFTA stickers, and it's probably a logical conclusion that they don't have operating authority (or run illegal for some trucking companies who do but don't want the expense of actually hiring class A CDL drivers for their hot shot loads), that probably aren't correctly insured for commercial transport, and probably aren't keeping logs...but I wouldn't want to be one of them when they get pulled over...

Here's the link to FMCSA
http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrruletext.aspx?reg=395.8&keyword=log%20book

 

^

Just because you're driving a CMV doesn't conclude you need to have logs.

Also, GVW =/= curb weight.

 

It's better to have a log book and not need it than the other way around, cheaper too.

Same goes for Med cards.