Possible 2nd truck questions

FMCSA is for Interstate.

Texas DOT is for intrastate

Therefore not interchangeable..

And as such, things like insurance have different requirements. It’s a different entity needing a separate authority.

 

For me to do it (add an intrastate only truck) in Florida.

• Your vehicle will need a separate Florida DOT registration number.

 

We have a Texas dot and are interstate. Texas requires you to have a Texas dot if you pick up a load and drop off in the state. Since we do this occasionally we have a TXDOT. We also are registered for MI and MO as well since we occasionally do pick and drop us same state. About half of US states require you to register if you pickup and drop, even if you have interstate.

 

Didn’t know that, just assumed a us dot number for interstate covered everything in any state.
Every state has its own quirks, lol, they can’t even all agree on what color lights for police and fire departments. Texas has blue lights on their highway construction trucks and fools me every time!

 

you didn’t even need a DOT number in MA up until 5-6 years ago,

before I had full authority and knew I was going to take my truck down and rebuild it I just slapped commercial plates on under my name and 50ish miles insurance radius and did what we had to do with it,

 

When I was a O/O that’s what I thought. Made sense to me. But apparently about half the states have rules on out of state carriers picking up and delivering. I reckon. They were old laws to favor intrastate carriers. Along with hut ny, ky, NM, Oregon bond, etc… All these regs keep my lil home office busy!

 

Lansing told me that I would need Michigan Intrastate Authority on top of my Interstate Authority to run Intrastate Loads. From what I have read, some States don’t require or even have separate Intrastate Authority options. Suggested to “check with each State before running Intrastate Loads”. I know a few O/O’s that run Intrastate Loads regularly in Michigan without a separate Intrastate Authority. One claims it’s not needed if less than 50% of operations. Michigan clearly told me in person that we would become very familiar with each other if I obtained Intrastate Authority. I decided against it, Lol. I have ran Intrastate Loads in other States without checking on requirements. I’d rather not deal with Michigan any more than necessary. I’m guessing the Lady was confusing Authority with State vs. IRP plates. I recall when working for Heartland Express picking up a load in Iowa and being routed around the scale. I asked why the special route, load was light. The answer was they don’t have Intrastate Authority in Iowa. I thought that was odd. Like many things at Heartland. They would however honestly answer any question I asked. Including the fact that 50% of their freight was Broker freight. Key to always covering contract freight regardless of driver turnover. They were great, till they weren’t.

 

When I bought my current Truck in Jan ‘09, along with a 2 yr old 53’ Wabash, I flew to Atlanta. The sellers brother was the used car manager at a Chrysler dealership. He got the Truck financed through Chrysler for $30k for 48 mo. 0 dn. $750 mo. Wrote everything up through the Dealership. Sent me out with a standard GA. 30 day temp paper plate. I paid $4500 cash for the trailer. Didn’t want to DH home empty. Made some cardboard signs, taped them on the fuel tanks. Ran a couple loads with that Ga temp tag taped onto the front bumper. Sellers old plate on the trailer. Dropped the trailer in Peoria Taylor Martin auction. Bobtailed home. Luckily I didn’t get caught. One O/O in Biloxi asked about my paper plate. I explained. We laughed. Said he was talking with his wife when he spotted me. Told her “ This guy thinks he’s back in the 80’s” Lol. What can I say. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I didn’t have much to lose at the time. Figured what’s meant to be will be. The Trailer surprisingly sold for $13500. Net cost for Truck, $21000. Best Truck I ever owned, best deal I ever made. The fresh OH lasted 1.5 million miles. Dumb Luck. Go figure.