Towing for hire question

[Ryan_V]

I'm looking at using my truck to make a little extra money by moving campers/etc. What is normally used as an equation for charging? Is it usually charged as per mile, or just figuring the cost of fuel with loaded/unloaded miles and then figuring out what to charge for time? Thanks!

[Valv]

Ryan, I would not suggest to do this on a part time basis, you are entering an area which is highly regulated by DOT and you will incur in huge fines and problems if you are caught not being legal and compliant.

To become a transporter you will need a complete setup from DOT which includes DOT number, MC authority and number (if you plan to haul out of state), BOC3, full liability and cargo insurance (approx $ 700/$1000 month), DOT inspected truck, DOT medical card, log books, and, if your COMBINED weight of truck and trailer is over 26,000lbs, a CDL drivers license.

This will make the part time job almost impossible. If you get inspected and you are not compliant you can have your truck (and whatever is attached to it) impounded on the spot, and you will have to pay huge fines and the towing costs associated.

If you want to pursue this career full time you can ask the local Hwy Patrol for some info or go to the FMCSA web site (I believe is www.fmcsa.dot.gov), and you'll get plenty of info.

Don't get in trouble, I know of several people that is still paying for something like this.

[harvey lee]

I agree Valv. The paper work we have to go through just to haul the race car for the DOT is quite a bit.

[Ryan_V]

Thanks for the info! This even applies to someone just towering a camper? I can see a commercial hauler have to go through all that, but someone who helps someone move a camper?

[Macgyver55]

Basically anything you do (for profit) while hauling across the border is interstate commerce. That puts you into all the DOT rules.

Even hauling your own racecar on your own trailer with your own truck is included in these rules if you are racing for money.

[Ryan_V]

Basically anything you do (for profit) while hauling across the border is interstate commerce. That puts you into all the DOT rules.

Even hauling your own racecar on your own trailer with your own truck is included in these rules if you are racing for money.

What if I don't cross the border? Your post says "while hauling across the border" I don't plan on anything interstate. All in the great state of mn!

[Valv]

If you are intrastate (not across the border) you will need same setup except your MC will have different registration.

Follow the instructions on this link, it will help you with information:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration-licensing/gettingstarted/guide0.10.htm

As they stated anything that is done "for money" it is considered commercial, consequently regulated. If you have to haul a RV one time to help a buddy, well it's not a big deal, but anything else is considered commercial.

[gregg52]

when you say truck

what kinda truck are you talking bout??/

i thinbk valv is being alittle over dramatic here if you are just moving travel trailers or 5th wheel ins isnt going to be no 700

amonth (unless they have people in them..lol)

you will probably need a dot# which you can get on here no big deal

the health card i'm not sure bout if you do it yourself you might need that to which would be 100$ at a local clinic..... might need to have truck dot

but that cost like 75-100$

part time with in 60 mile of home you wont need a log book

probbly an inspection book..5 bucks at wal mart or fleet

what you wanna do first is be sure you have soome kind of work load

and like you are asking..figure out a price

then check out these other things it might be worth

it might not

i own my own trucks and equipment here

i do paving and sealcoating i dont pay even close to 700 a month for insurance

and remember if you hafta get stopped first

9 yrs in business we have 1 dot violation and that was a warning

dont let guys scare you to death on this dot thing

they are strict but also not to hard to work with

unless you buck them and have junk on the road

every body needs an extra buck go for it

[hawkeye43]

I have a class A with health card and drive over 40,000 miles a year, 22 years, been stopped once. Did get a fix it ticket for a cab light out. Just take of follow the law.

[harvey lee]

I was told by the DOT inspector from the state that even professional fisherman need a DOT license.

They have not been very tough in the past but they are starting to check more all the time.

I know of 2 guys that got caught without the DOT paperwork and it was not cheap.

If you are required to comply, I would suggest you do.

[gregg52]

pro fisherman ???/ dot license ????

explain dot license...never heard of it !

[rattlereel]

In my area they are really cracking down on lawn care and landscapers. If you do get stopped they will crack down on you. It seems that they do saturations every spring to make sure of compliance. Most fines to me seem like they take what it would've taken to do it legal and triple it.

[Valv]

pro fisherman ???/ dot license ????

explain dot license...never heard of it !

Greg I think you should follow the link I listed above and learn what it's needed before giving advice to somebody else.

[gregg52]

Ilooked at it

theres nothing in there really that he needs to be to concerned about i didnt read it in detail or that he cant take care of for a few bucks

i'm not promoting to do illeagal things here

just use a little common sense

moving a few campers around for some cash doesnt need to be approved by the federal transport commission for petes sake

or cost 700 -1000$ in interest

maybe you should check some facts before you give dramatic over the board advice for petes sake

[Matt C]

Valv is trying to give common sense help, no over drama on his part at all. He is trying to make sure a guy doesn't end up with fines up the ying yang. IMO that's a HUGE help.

Sure movin a few trailers here and there is cool to help out buddies, but if you want to do it commercially, you need to be compliant.

I got my DOT card by simply taking a physical from my regular Dr. Which allowed me to drive company vehicles over x amount of weight.

Ryan was asking a simple question, being what should he charge to move a few more trailers and such around. Heck, I say go to town man! Figure out your gas mileage and go x 3 plus a fair rate. (you gotta cover your wear n tear) So say moving a RV from St Paul to Mpls...100 bucks as an example. It's not like the guy is trying to take over Dart transit or somethin.

[MJ1657]

I agree that you need a dot #, health card, etc.... You most likely will not have a problem unless you were to have an accident. That is when you will wish you were properly licensed and insured.

It all comes down to is the risk worth the reward.

[harvey lee]

pro fisherman ???/ dot license ????

explain dot license...never heard of it !

I never heard of this either until 3 years ago all the racers recieved letters in the mail from the track they raced at that the DOT would be checking the trucks and trailers.

Anyone who makes money from fishing in a tourny is concidered a for profit business. That off course means that you will need a DOT license. Thats what the inspector explained to me.

DOT--Dept of Transportation. This means log books, and all the other fine things that go with it.

It was explained to me when the DOT inspector came to our race shop to inspect all our files so we had everything in order if the DOT decided to come and inspect our files.

We have to have applications on file for all of us who would drive the pick up to haul the race car. Health cards, log books and the whole shamu.

Truck and trailer inspections annually just like a trucker on the road making a living.

The way this fellow from the DOT explained it to me is that if you are doing it as a business and making money at it, then it is considered a commercial business.

Now, if you travel less than so many miles within the state, then these rules may not apply or will require one to do a bit less than the others.

I would check it out if one is going to towq things down the road for money. You may get lucky but if you are not, they do know how to wqrtie tickets and fine one heavily. No joking matter here and as the Gov gets shorter on funds, one could be the next.

Hawkeye may have gotten lucky for some years. The further you travel from home on the Hwy', the more likely you will get caught. Espically if you travel the state and are required to go through the scales along the Hwy's.

It's a pay me now or pay me more later program. That simple.

[harvey lee]

moving a few campers around for some cash doesnt need to be approved by the federal transport commission for petes sake

I thought that taking a race car to a few race tracks on a Saturday night for fun didn,t need to be approved also Greg but, I was wrong.

[harvey lee]

mistake and cannot delete.

[JohnMickish]

Anytime you are responsible for someone elses equipment, it's best to make sure you butt is covered. Just sayin'.

You dent my $30,000 camper that I'm paying you to move you better be covered.

[Valv]

Ilooked at it

theres nothing in there really that he needs to be to concerned about i didnt read it in detail or that he cant take care of for a few bucks

[castmaster]

I think Gregg is confusing the insurance coverage he carries on a work trailer with insurance coverage one would need when towing other peoples property for profit. Tends to raise the rates just a bit!

Heck, call your insurance guy and tell him your going to start using your boat to guide, and see how much your rates increase. Same boat, same value, NEW liabilities.

Like others have mentioned, they are really cracking down on this. I know of several guys in the siding & gutter business that have been stopped and ticketed for not being DOT compliant with their equipment trailers. Lets just say they would have been way ahead of the game to have their ducks in a row to start with than to pay the fines and impound costs they paid.

Like has also been mentioned, with the budgetary problems the state and fed faces, the days of warnings and slaps on the wrist are most likely over.

[Ryan_V]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the information! I had no idea of all this stuff! I have a 3/4 ton diesel and was just looking to put it to use to make some extra fishing money.

[fish2live]

now i do not know the law to a T since i do not drive commercially any more but, for you guys that race and tow your own stuff can't you put not for hire on your rig to by pass some of the laws. i believe if you add a bathroom to a enclosed trailer it can be licenced as a camper whitch i believe would help to. not any help for the guy trying to make money but for the weekend racer, tourny fisherman, this may be worth looking into.

[harvey lee]

Not for hire will not allow one to follow the DOT laws with a race car. At least that is what I was told by the DOT dude.

They consider a racer a guy who is making money at the sport so they need to comply.

I would beg to differ on the making of a profit but that is how the law was explained to me by the DOT.

There are some exemptions if you race Intra state and do not travel over 100 miles I believe. I could be wrong on the exact mile Intra state but it's close.

One also has to placard the trailer if you are carrying over a certain amount of race fuel and placard the trailer if certain gases are in the trailer for any use. They also check to see that all fuel containers and air bottles under pressure are also secured tightly.

WE are required to also have in the truck cab, all papers just like an over the road trucker. No difference.

[gregg52]

ya ya i use to drive otr to

i didnt own the truck but still had a pretty good understanding

of laws all though they may have changed some since then

the guy had idea to make some extra money and you are just telling him dont do it..which i still say you way over exagerated the whole thing

maybe you could have said

before you start you should check into this and into that

not just slamming door in his face

let him call and check the dot bologna and see if he thinks its worth

it...he didnt say any thing about being big commercial Interstate hauler