I Got my CDL just to move my family across 4 states - I have questions

I moved out Chicago in May, after living my whole 33 years there... Crime, taxes, and crooked politicians was enough for me to get out. Won't be coming back.... Best of luck to you @DanTheMan2

 

They will allow interstate movement with out an MC number or ifta. For instance you have a local only gig and are only legal in your home state. These allow you to move a load across state lines for a certain time frame. A permit service such as JJ Keller can get you lined out on what you need.

 

Reading this reminds me of the "King of the Hill" TV show. The episode where Hank takes off in a big rig. I think that all worked out in the end, didn't it?

I get the adventure part Dan, I really do. My take on it is, this is something you just want to do and the money is an excuse or attempt to justify it. Been there, done that, and will probably do it again several more times in my life. I get it.

Please make sure you have all the proper insurance and be honest with the provider about your skills and experience when doing so.

 

Well I hauled the Ambassador's Limo to the port of Baltimore bound for Egypt of all places after watching the two man crew hammer wood around the tires a little bit. in that container. It made it fine. No one yelled at me about it. Crane picked it straight off me onto the ship next to me. Priority.

Ive witnessed drivers move a house borrowing the trailer with blessing for a few days, but not too much blessing. Fuel you pay.

Your 11 year old is going to be hell on wheels after the third hour. Are we there yet? No concept of two to three days to where you are going. What a country. Awesome. Stop at Wolcott Iowa on your way out wont you? Biggest truckstop anywhere.

That might turn him into a acoylyte ready to follow in your footsteps years later... who knows.

What I see on my end reading all this is a hell of a trip. A adventure with a mission, a bit of smokes, gas in the tank and out of Chicago in reverse (*Blues Brothers...) aint it fun?

I sure hope so.

 

Yep I know.

That's neither here nor there.

Wrong, you are not a private carrier, you are not hauling your own goods across state lines nor are you in the business of something else.

You are considered a carrier, you are operating a commercial enterprise which means you need an authority because if this wasn't a case, then many of us can assume the freight as property and haul it free to ourselves and sell it back to the company - side stepping all the legal requirements.

One other thing that isn't mentioned is you need to plate the truck with Apportioned plates, pay your 2290 and apply for International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) or aka IRP registration. You have to declare what states you will operate in and pay the fuel tax on it - this is based on your gross weight, nothing else.

Again the problem is you are taking every step to being a carrier, so in my state and all the others a dot number is needed for a commercial vehicle - this has been enforce for the past 10 years.

It is highly unlikely because of these reasons -

1 - the liability to the rental company is really high.

a - you don't have experience
b - you have no authority to allow you to shift their liability to your entity
c - they will have to do a recovery IF you are stopped and put out of service because of not being legal on the road
d - if you get into an accident, the insurance company can tell the renter company "too bad, this guy doesn't qualify" and they won't pay for the truck and ...
i - if you get into trouble with an accident and you have to deal with an ambulance chaser type lawyer, then you will end up being sued and your insurance won't cover it.
ii- you also open up your family for this if you try to hide assets because many lawyers are like mine - he digs to find all the assets and uses them to leverage a settlement.

Insurance for a short term rental is on you, one way or another - it is on you.

There isn't anything to clarify, an RV is not a commercial vehicle, so hence the commercial driver's license doesn't apply. AND neither does the weight issues.

I've dealt with Ryder (rented and bought vehicles off of them) and Penske (leased a truck to move customer's product). Both of these were interstate and both of these companies required my authority or lease (which is another issue I won't get into). They do this because of the legality and liabilities involved.

Look I'll be frank, this isn't something you can easily do, when you have an accident, there can be millions of dollars involved, and the insurance company is the guys in charge of all of it, they can really screw you over if you do something wrong. This is one of the most dangerous job out there, our exposure to death increases with the miles we drive, the less experience the more of a chance to have something happen. One reason why we have a revolving door employment problem and you see it with the BS with the claim we have a driver shortage - which we don't.

AND It also harms us because we can't have people just do this, many of us treat this as a profession and have to deal with the problems from people coming into the industry and screwing something up and then we get a reaction from the government by more regulations.

 

If you are correct, which I doubt for all the reasons ridgeline states, thare are a lot of little things you will have to do as a business owner. Paperwork requirememts, and silly little things like enrole your employee (yourself) in a random drug check pool, getting your employee (again yourself) drug tested, doing a background check and a I belive a 3 year work history. I say 3 as I think thats what one without previous driving experience needs. Could be up to 10.

Also you are reading the regs wrong. You are reading them under the assumption that they are written for all contingencies. They are not. They are written on the assumption a commercial motor vehicle will be used commercialy. Stuff like if you need a dot number go off that assumption, and ask about exemptions on why you might not need one.

 

Don't recall who posted it but, it was fantastic!.
Contact OOIDA
OWNER OPERATERS INDEPENDENT DRVERS ASSOCIATION.
They will clarify all the needed do's and don't' s legal stuff from A to Z it's what they do.
It was truly a great piece of advice.

 

Ridgeline is a very force of nature in that last post.

I recall having a nice converstation with a trucking insurance agent who happened to be on break with us 6 one beautiful day. She told a story and a couple of tidbits and somehow or another I worked in a Earl and Billy story. It was supposed to be a knee slapper but seeing how she calculated the costs of that scenario it went over like a lead balloon. No humor at all.

How do you make a insurance agent laugh? I don't know.