I started confusing myself... nevermind

Yes, the paper she was referencing was MONEY.

I did some research (a lot of research) on this a year ago just completely confused myself… I even called the local State Police barracks and talked to the DOT officer. He mentioned the non-commercial Class A but then told me it wasn’t necessary less than 26,000lbs…

My truck (08 2500HD Duramax) originally had weight class 3 (7001 lb – 9000 lb) I don’t know how I got out of the dealership with that since the truck’s door sticker is 9,800 lbs.
My trailer has 12,000 lb rating which means the truck registration & weight class now need to be in combination. I re-registered truck to a Class 8 (21,001 lb – 26,000 lb). Actually, my title states 22,000 lbs since that’s the maximum according to the owner’s manual and that’s fine since the combo equals 21,800 lb.

According to the statement above, you are saying I now need a CDL, since the trailer is over 10,000 lbs?

Due to having to drive the farm's grain truck, I've had a class C license forever. My class C is good up to 26K lbs with or without airbrakes. It includes being good for up to 26K lbs COMBINED weight whether personal or commercial registered vehicles. The farm is a business.
Also earlier in my career when I was traveling the country running industrial construction projects as an independant contractor, the general contractors would give me a choice of company trucks to drive and their insurance companies would require a copy of my driver's license if I chose a Ford F450 or F550 to drive. On occasion I was asked to pull a loaded company trailer to project sites as long as the combined GCW was below 26K lbs.

If you guys are barely over 26K lbs, buy an aluminum trailer and get a class C. Problem solved.

Yes, as far as I know that is the case. When I got my first DOT safety inspection at my shop the RI state police DOT officer brought this up to me specifically to make sure I was clear the requirement in the event I had anybody working for me. So truck and trailer with combined GVW 26,001 or more requires a A license. Truck and trailer combined 26,000 GVW or less but with trailer 10,001 GVW or more still requires an A license. So basically towing any trailer that has a GVW of 10,001 GVW or more with anything requires an A license is my understanding. I asked the question........" So I'm towing a twin axle open flatbed car trailer that has two 6k axles (12k GVW) with and F150 and the trailer is empty.........I need a class A license?" The answer I got was yes. I think the reality is if the truck has a pickup bed, truck and trailer dont have any lettering, and both are registered personally probably not going to get hassled. If the truck looks commercial, either have lettering, or either are registered in the name of a business you're likely to get hassled sooner or later.

And BTW, my experience with DOT in general is if you get pulled over because they suspect you are towing illegally they are much more interested in establishing that you are "engaged in a commercial enterprise" in order to start giving you a problem. If you are legitametly towing your own privately owned pleasure boat with a regular pickup truck, without any of the commercial red flags, and they can't make a case that you are engaged in a commercial enterprise they generally loose interest quickly. I'm sure that's not always the case but that has been my experience.

Exactly. The DOT officer said I "stood out like a sore thumb" because I was towing with a mason dump with commercial plates (although I don't have it lettered up, nor numbers on it). Actually.....I had just bought the truck less than a week......and this all happened, on my first time towing with it! (Too bad to.....cause it towed it GREAT!)

this is why I have said before to not put names on your truck. I know guys think it is cool to have the truck lettered up with the boat name or some other such stuff but as soon as you do the DOT is going to look at you as a commercial venture. it does not matter if you really are or not, they will pull you and try to work the angle that you are. when you get stopped by DOT the only thing to remember is that no matter what you think or can prove, you are wrong and the guy writting the book of tickets is right. sure you can go to court and argue it but why give them a reason to pull you in the first place. btw, I have a class A from when I pulled the race boats and have kept it just because once you have it, renewing it is easy. dealing with all the crap to get it now is a pain thanks to all the changes and "improvements" to the testing that is now required.

Some people will have the usual "a cop told me..." or "when I was stopped they would have ticketed me for..."

But the law is the law regardless of what anyone thinks or has heard and this is the law:

(a) Vehicle group descriptions. Each driver applicant must possess and be tested on his/her knowledge and skills, described in subpart G of this part, for the commercial motor vehicle group(s) for which he/she desires a CDL. The commercial motor vehicle groups are as follows:

(1) Combination vehicle (Group A)—Any combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more) provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds).

(2) Heavy Straight Vehicle (Group B)—Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more), or any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) GVWR.

(3) Small Vehicle (Group C)—Any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that meets neither the definition of Group A nor that of Group B as contained in this section, but that either is designed to transport 16 or more passengers including the driver, or is used in the transportation of materials found to be hazardous for the purposes of the hazardous materials as defined in § 383.5.

For those that still don't believe the Feds set up this read question #2:

§383.91 Commercial motor vehicle groups.

Question 1: May a State expand a vehicle group to include vehicles that do not meet the Federal definition of the group?

Guidance: Yes, if: a. A person who tests in a vehicle that does not meet the Federal standard for the Group(s) for which the issued CDL would otherwise be valid, is restricted to vehicles not meeting the Federal definition of such Group(s); and b. The restriction is fully explained on the license.

Question 2: Is a driver of a combination vehicle with a Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) of less than 26,001 pounds required to obtain a CDL even if the trailer Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is more than 10,000 pounds?

Guidance: No, because the Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) is less than 26,001 pounds. The driver would need a CDL if the vehicle is transporting HM requiring the vehicle to be placarded or if it is designed to transport 16 or more persons.

Question 3: Can a State which expands the vehicle group descriptions in §383.91 enforce those expansions on out-of-State Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) drivers by requiring them to have a CDL?

Guidance: No. They must recognize out-of-State licenses that have been validly issued in accordance with the Federal standards and operative licensing compacts.

Question 4: What Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) group are drivers of articulated motor coaches (buses) required to possess?

Guidance: Drivers of articulated motor coaches are required to possess a Class B CDL.

Question 5: Do tow truck operators need CDLs? If so, in what vehicle group(s)?

Guidance: For CDL purposes, the tow truck and its towed vehicle are treated the same as any other powered unit towing a non-powered unit:

—If the Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) of the tow truck and its towed vehicle is 26,001 pounds or more, and the towed vehicle alone exceeds 10,000 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), then the driver needs a Group A CDL.

—If the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the tow truck alone is 26,001 pounds or more, and the driver either (a) drives the tow truck without a vehicle in tow, or (b) drives the tow truck with a towed vehicle of 10,000 pounds or less Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), then the driver needs a Group B CDL.

—A driver of a tow truck or towing configuration that does not fit either configuration description above, requires a Group C CDL only if he or she tows a vehicle required to be placarded for hazardous materials on a ‘‘subsequent move,’’ i.e. after the initial movement of the disabled vehicle to the nearest storage or repair facility.

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regul....91&guidence=Y