DOT nailed me, need bigger rig...

KDOT nailed me yesterday hauling 20 1600lb bales of alfalfa on my 40ft gooseneck behind my F350. They believe I don't have a big enough truck to be hauling that and gave me about a 2ft long ticket explaining why.

So what do I need to do? F450? F550? Single axle semi or go all out and just get a regular semi and big trailer where I can haul 32-34 bales at a time?

I've been avoiding the semi route as I don't really want a CDL...well just don't want to do the testing.

Plan b would just be running at odd hours smokey an the bandit style the way I have been!

You need a CDL to haul that weight anyway.

either get legal or adjust driving times and route to stay off their radar. If stopped always say its for the "farm"

I'm not sure even a F-750 can legally handle that weight. Reguardless of what rig you ues, you are in CDL terratory with that weight.

OK so at 20 bales your at 32,000lbs add for the gooseneck and truck your some where around 42-48,000lbs gross weight. At 34 bales you would be hauling 54,400lbs. Its time to for bare minimum a single axle semi and tandem drop deck. Or go full out tandem axle semi and tri-axle drop deck and haul even more. If you gonna buy a semi might as well buy a tandem axle so u can haul other things than just alfalfa. But there's no way to legally scale 20bales with any Powerstroke.... much less 34bales

I really am astonished that someone would trust a F350 to stop that much weight.

I used to think running over weight and out law trucking was cool then I got a few over weight tickets. They don't pay for them selves. Plus when a family in a mini van pulls out in front of you it will make it that much harder to stop being over weight and when you hit them dot don't care they pulled out in front of you. Your over weight and your getting charged with man slaughter. Get a daycab with a lowboy and be safe.

Exactly its not pulling it that's the problem they have with you its being able to stop that heavy biotech that is where the DOT have the issue

But but but that toyota pulled a space shuttle so I should be able to haul hay bales.....


Do it right and be legal, if you dont wannt buy a new rig and trailer then find a company that will haul it for ya.

CDL requires school...5k worth.

You can find good deals on KW's and Pete's with CAT's in them for pretty cheap

Since when does one need to go to school to get a CDL?

AmericanPride! said:

CDL requires school...5k worth.

You can find good deals on KW's and Pete's with CAT's in them for pretty cheap

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Out here in cali you can go take the test whenever you want. Most people usually go to a driving school for a day or two, just to be sure. They make sure you can pass before you take the test. Like 5-600 bucks or something like that. But thats not mandatory.

dieselpower said:

Out here in cali you can go take the test whenever you want. Most people usually go to a driving school for a day or two, just to be sure. They make sure you can pass before you take the test. Like 5-600 bucks or something like that. But thats not mandatory.

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Edit: I'm sure to take a full school would probably be that much, but unless you're pretty dumb I don't think you would need it.

AmericanPride! said:

CDL requires school...5k worth.

You can find good deals on KW's and Pete's with CAT's in them for pretty cheap

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LOL... Your kidding right?

AmericanPride! said:

CDL requires school...5k worth.

You can find good deals on KW's and Pete's with CAT's in them for pretty cheap

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I spent like $100 on the written tests at the dmv and then another $130 for road test.

CSIPSD said:

LOL... Your kidding right?

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To concur with his post about 5k...theres a few training programs here where I live that offer a cdl training course which guarantee an employment contract upon completion and all that good...and they run around 3-5k...


But they're not necessary

Bobby@cp said:

I spent like $100 on the written tests at the dmv and then another $130 for road test.

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When was that? CSA 2010 changed the whole world of trucking

JSchuricht said:

I'm not sure even a F-750 can legally handle that weight. Reguardless of what rig you ues, you are in CDL terratory with that weight.

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That's what I wondering, I was hoping a smaller truck would do what I'm looking for, but its not looking like it.

I don't need a CDL it turns out, just a class A license, standard driving test but with trailer hooked on. Good for >26k as long as I'm within 180miles from home or something.

Oil Field Trash said:

OK so at 20 bales your at 32,000lbs add for the gooseneck and truck your some where around 42-48,000lbs gross weight. At 34 bales you would be hauling 54,400lbs. Its time to for bare minimum a single axle semi and tandem drop deck. Or go full out tandem axle semi and tri-axle drop deck and haul even more. If you gonna buy a semi might as well buy a tandem axle so u can haul other things than just alfalfa. But there's no way to legally scale 20bales with any Powerstroke.... much less 34bales

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I was doing some checking and the tandem semi's aren't much more than the single axle. Guess I will be looking for one of those. Any suggestions on brand/motor? Are the Allison autos worth a crap? How do those work in a big truck? The more capacity would pay for itself in fuel savings pretty quick it looks like.