Lease or buy???? Single axle day cab Lease or Buy Dually truck

It's a coincidence you said Florida I-10. I ride 10 everyday in Jacksonville to and from work. Thanks for sharing.

 

This was how I rolled for most of the last 20 years. Single axle with 6/7 car trailers on predictable short haul routes. Made a small fortune before retiring and getting into other businesses. Here are just a few of the trucks I have run, one was as a company driver (back when they had them at Copart) others were as owner operator.

As Stan said, overhang will get you on high mounts, many states don't allow it if you exceed 65' overall bumper to bumper, so no 53' trailers. That said, know where you are running and plan accordingly. In almost 20 years only had a handful of over length citations, never over weight.

 

Hey Brian,
I remember last year or so I had read that dot was looking at at letting highmounts be reclassified as specialized equipment the same as stingers were?
This was supposed to bring an overhang benefit to highmounts.
Do you remember this or have you heard anything about it?

 

Dennis,
Still pending, no decision has been made yet. As submitted it still falls short since it really only addresses the lack of a cab carrier and does nothing to allow overhang on combinations greater than 65'.

It could be beneficial if they were to include language stipulating overhang off of a 53' trailer and to specify that front of trailer overhang is specifically addressed. As written none of that is addressed in the proposal.

All of my overhang citations have been front of trailer in New York. They don't permit divisible cargo greater than 53' linear. I was usually able to reduce or eliminate rear overhang but on 7 car loads my #1 typically had 3-4' front of trailer.

 

Interesting...
So If they reclassified high mounts as auto hauling specialty equipment would that not activate for high mounts the same rules of over hang as the stingers have?

 

No, those are specific to stinger-steer haulers. High mounts are already classified as automobile transporters, just restricted to 65' overall bumper to bumper and must have cargo capacity on power unit. Meet those two criteria and you are permitted 3' front of tractor and 4' rear of trailer overhang right now. All yhe proposed change will do is remove the cab carrier requirement, all other demensions stay the same. That is why I say it doesn't go far enough.

 

The orginal intent when these length and overhang limits were first enacted were to give auto trnasporters an advantage, back when 65' was long for a combo and not all states allowed 65', some were still 55 or 60 foot. This standardized auto transport dimensions long before stingers were popular.

 

Ahh understood.
I always thought that high mounts were just classified as a
Standard 53 ft trailer.

 

Without the head rack, yes that is how most states look at them. Add a cab carrier and stay under 65' then like magic you are an automobile transporter. That is how ridiculous the current FHWA regulations are.

Saddest part, this is all due to an interpretation they issued in 2002, prior to that the cargo capacity on the power unit was clearly optional. 65' was still required, but head rack no needed.

 

You can add a motorcycle carrier on the truck and get your overhang.