Need dot consultant? Dot advice

IFTA will be in the picture for farm vehicles if:
- the vehicle crosses state lines and;
- the vehicle is an IFTA qualifying vehicle (3 axle power unit, or weighing or registered over 26,000#)

Farmers are not exempt from IFTA in interstate commerce.

They may not be "for-hire", but taking grain to market is "in commerce".

 

That is why I mentioned in my post about bought in the state where driven.

There are many farmers who cross state lines and do not do anything with IFTA. It happens alot where there are no scales located in the exact area that are used.

My comment about IFTA not in the picture is referenced only toward the fact that that poster had issues with driving on personal conveyance issues and the company not wanting it. It also was aimed at the fact that IFTA would not be a factor in those cases.

 

I guess I got a really ignorant auditor and then got a whole room of ignorant auditors who reviewed the ignorant auditor's decision when I attempted to challenge it. Their answers were all the same, if I am moving the truck then I am on duty and those are reportable hours and they are reportable miles. I suppose I could find a nicer police officer and show him the answers on the forum but somehow I still see him writing me out a big FAT ticket.

 

Hello

We pull a 40' enclosed race car trailer with a GMC Topkick toterhome. All of the DOT regs that require a CDL say if commercial and...etc. What is the definition of commercial. Our racing efforts are a hobby in that we do not make money as a professional team would and we have full time jobs when not Sprint Car racing. Also our rig is licensed and insured as an R.V.

We do ocasionally win money (nowhere near enough to break even) and we do have some sponsors. Would we be considered commercial regarding a CDL?

 

Your intention to win is the item that makes you commercial. Many racers are finding this out the hard way.

 

Personal conveyance is still taxable mileage under IFTA, just as it was under the former fuel tax programs.

I had a NJ fuel tax auditor question my one owner operator, we had bulk fuel and were audited every year. He would go off duty after dropping his tanker at the terminal and bobtail home. The auditor questioned the difference in mileage readings from Friday's shut down until going back on duty Monday mornings.

Every weekend the truck gained about 160 miles for his round trip to the house. When we mentioned he lived about 80 miles away the auditor rubbed his hands together and said ALL miles are taxable and he added in those miles.

Now he was doing a gross audit of just one month and spot checked the other 11 months so he added the missing 640 miles to each and looked like a happy bureaucrat!

640 X 12 = 7,680 miles @ $0.17 a mile we owed an additional $1,306 in tax...

 

Just what I said in the post before this.

 

I am curious about why DOT officers have such quick temper when they find out that I have cameras mounted inside and on the exterior of my tractor and trailer. The last two officers i have encountered have ordered me to turn them off and have offered to arrest me for obstruction of an officers duties. Why are they upset when we are always videoed by their cameras and voice recorders. I have the cameras for protection and record of events in-case of an accident or if my trailer gets damaged by the shipper or receivers when loading or unloading my rig. So whats the deal do some of the officers need anger management or what

 

Because they're used to doing whatever they want to and if they get caught on video doing something they aren't supposed to be doing, they get into trouble. Their egos can't handle that.

A good cop won't ask you to turn the cameras off. They won't care about being on camera because they won't do anything that will get them into trouble.

If a cop asks you to turn the cameras off, or worse threatens you, don't turn them off. That officer is about to do something he knows he can't get away with if he's caught doing it and he's going to do it to you. Pretend to turn the system off. Rig it with a light on the box and a switch that does nothing but turn that light off while it goes right on recording. If he figures out that it's still recording, play dumb. Tell him that you thought it was off, it's a new thing that you're still figuring out, etc. Better yet, hide it entirely and don't even tell them.

 

Cameras don't bother me. You can run your cameras, film our interview with your cel phone, whatever. Just as long as you don't do any creative editing and show everything in context. Spell my name right when you file your complaint.