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

I own a moving company with a tractor trailer, straight trucks etc. I've rented semis & trailers from penske and ryder, so this is in my wheelhouse so-to-speak. First a couple basic things that jumped out at me.

You quoted 5 tons. That's 10,000lbs which is the cargo capacity of a single 24'/26' truck (generally speaking, it ranges from 8-10 depending on the spec, but the penske one-way trucks don't have liftgates and typically tare at 16K leaving 10 for cargo). So some recalculating is necessary. IF you need a little more a 24' truck can town a cargo trailer so there's a little wiggle room for you too. Typically household goods weigh 7lbs per ft3 and a 24' truck is around 1200ft3 (if it's a rollup door) so you'd be at 8400lbs in one 24' truck (even though it can take 10,000). But, from experience if you pack tight and disasassemble EVERYTHING, you can overload a 24' truck. So, I'd look at packing tight and fitting that 10,000lbs into a 26' penske. Or, your weight calculation is wrong.

You mentioned renting a 28' trailer. You can't. Penske and Ryder don't have those. They're VERY hard to find for rent. So don't count on finding one to rent. Anything that's not a basic 48 or 53 might be hard to find.

Penske has their own DOT and if you're renting for a short period of time, you can techically run on it from a SAFETY point of view. So roadside inspections are on the Penske DOT if you've got it less than 90 days. Howver, that doesn't cover authority, which you won't have, and which penske doesn't provide. You may not need it being that you're not a business and it's your own stuff but... you're also representing to penske that you ARE a business to get them to rent to you.

The whole thing may come off fine. You don't get pulled over much in rental equipment, it's true. But the question is, what are you risking IF something goes wrong. If something goes wrong and your plan comes unravelled (lying to penske, running without any real authority etc) you may find yourself in a real jam. Especially if you get in an accident. Also, really you're at the discretion of the cop you end up dealing with if you get pulled over or in an accident. And they're going to smell something fishy real quick, and if they don't like it they'll find a violation. And if they don't understand your weird loophole logic, they're not gonna like it. Have you looked up what the fine is per state border for running household goods without authority? Here's the schedule of fines:

45618 - Decision

search that for "household", the fine is $38,175. It's also my understanding that they assess an "instance" as each time the same load crosses a state line. So it's not per load, it's per load per state. And they can hit you for the return trip running empty apparently. Is that likely to happen to you? No I don't think so, but the risk is BIG.

I think there's a decent chance you can hoodwink penske or ryder into giving you the gear, but if anything goes wrong you're gonna get F'd. You may be able to pull it off, and it'll all be fine, but if you don't, you're going to have a world of problems. I don't think it's worth it for an experience for your 11 year old. Do a 26' penske with two trips. Moving is hard enough as it is. Google 'major life events that cause stress" and it'll give you a list, moving is already on there.

If you want any help, tips, suggestions please feel free to PM me and I can provide specific advice about moving.

 

Why do people think moving through four states only requires a dot number and not an authority?

What is the purpose of the authority then?

 

That word used to hold a magicial... energy similar to the curtain at the far end of the temple where none may pass. Once you have authroity and can use it you are free from the common bonds and chains of being a mere company driver horsewhipped by dispatchers several times a day.

I wrote that in trying to be a little bit... fun. But in the industry, to be able to have the authority to order up a load from A to B any time anywhere any place at your whim and decision is a powerful tool.

I was fine with this man moving from Illinois until he wrote about needing 16 pods loaded to move. Pods in 20 foot TEU's is what? (Actually 16 foot or less...) 8 trucks less than that? I'll have to look it up so I don't look any more stupid here than I already do....

If anyone has that much stuff to the point of not being able to get up and go live somewhere at a moment's notice in one trip has to reassess materialistic living. I lived in one suitcase and a weeks clothes for decades. And it was so easy, until I got my first house and then eventually had to make a actual move. Across town.

THAT was a headache. Never mind 4 states.

 

Walk into a revenuer and ask for a Class A for airbrakes to run a really big RV towing something almost as big.

They are going to process your request as same as anyone wanting a CDL I imagine. I'll have to visit that office and ask them in person what happens if I bought a RV that is big enough to use big boy commercial tires, wheels and a 350 detriot in the back. And towing something almost as big.

I already know #### well the revenuer personal property taxes on about roughly 350,000 value total of this nice big RV and tow something will come out to a alot of money each year. To the state. Supposidely I can afford such a luxury and a thousand or so should not hurt right?

I am also a nothing. Ive always been told all my life work hard and be something someday. Well that someday has come and gone and Ive yet to be something. /Rhetorical question.

 

Dam you have to go thru all that?????? If everything is already good to go you might as well do it yourself now.

 

Your mind.







.

 

lol