Race Haulers and the Iowa DOT

[427c.i.]

Hearing that at least two haulers were stopped and ticketed for not being DOT compliant in Iowa today. I wonder if the crackdown is Iowa only, a particular county in Iowa or if all the states are going to put the pinch on racers using big rig conversions.
If what I'm hearing is true, that if you receive a 1099 as a part of your racing operation, then your rig is a commercial vehicle and you'd better be in compliance.
If they want to get serious on the 1099 thing, an open trailer with a pickup towing it would be considered a commercial vehicle and have to comply with the rules for a vehicle of that weight.

[Scott Boesel]

Unzinkers Facebook page sayed he got a $800 plus fine ouch

[george w]

Unzinkers Facebook page sayed he got a $800 plus fine ouchI know something similar to this took place in Nebraska before, remember pieces of the story husker im sure has a more accurate account on the matter..... jacked up part to me is that the a$$ wipes writing the tickets seem to pick an choose when they decide to write the tickets kinda makes it hard for a guy to decide how to approach the situation its hard enough to break even at a race these days ...... one more reason to hate cops ....... " i joined the police force to protect an serve the community" they said . LAME !!!

[GRT62]

Federal dots our on their summer inspections weeks. Got my dad for improper band clamp on the exhaust of his generator for his sleeper last week. He asked him why it was improper and he couldn't answer the question just told him it was a violation.

[TALON75]

800 is cheap, could be thousands. Gotta roll through there in the wee hours when the pigs are sleeping. I have driven our rig all over from Cali to FL to Ohio and everywhere in between without issue.

[huskerdirt]

800 is cheap, could be thousands. Gotta roll through there in the wee hours when the pigs are sleeping. I have driven our rig all over from Cali to FL to Ohio and everywhere in between without issue.

You are right 800 is cheap considering there multiple violations. I drive I-29 at night and I also know when there is a mlra or usmts show in the area based on the number of toters I see going either north or south on that stretch.

[huskerdirt]

When you notice what's missing...... You'll know why DOT busted him from the other side of the road. The key is don't look suspicious..... No speeding, make sure all the trailer lights work.... Etc.

[huskerdirt]

I know something similar to this took place in Nebraska before, remember pieces of the story husker im sure has a more accurate account on the matter..... jacked up part to me is that the a$$ wipes writing the tickets seem to pick an choose when they decide to write the tickets kinda makes it hard for a guy to decide how to approach the situation its hard enough to break even at a race these days ...... one more reason to hate cops ....... " i joined the police force to protect an serve the community" they said . LAME !!!

I know they busted some rigs coming up from Kansas one year for a NCRA show. The highway took them right past a scale house and DOT ran them down. Can't remember for sure what came of it.

I will agree that DOT seems to pick there spots to write tickets.

[Bubstr]

I seen a gray/green unit pulled over on hy 61 north. Was that him? There was a white one behind me that got lucky. DOT was busy.

[rc24]

Unzicker's hauler is all gray.

[Madcat]

When you notice what's missing...... You'll know why DOT busted him from the other side of the road. The key is don't look suspicious..... No speeding, make sure all the trailer lights work.... Etc.

Cant see pic?

I know at Oakshade last year there was talk that if Pierce's took the thruway they would be stopped if anyone in OH caught wind of their length. I have no idea what is what for DOT crap, but they haul triples up on the thruway in OH at 70mph so not sure how a hauler would be longer.

[cjsracing]

In Iowa we can register the Motorcoaches/Toters as RV's. If you follow the IDOT manual there is an RV exception and as long as your Motorcoach/Toter meets the minimum guidelines it is ok to register as an RV (I keep a binder with all this information in my hauler plus when I was pulled over one time the DOT guy was pretty nice and answered all my questions, he confirmed that Iowa allows it as an RV, so I have notes from my discussion with the officer in my binder). What Iowa is doing in order to pull these rigs over is 1) getting them for over length violations because all the big haulers are pretty much over the legal length and 2) pulling over out of state haulers and trying to get them for Interstate Commerce.

427 c.i. I would argue with them on a 1099 making you a commercial vehicle. How would they even know if you were or weren't getting a 1099? Plus I know many people who do hobby type activities and they get 1099's for them but they are in no way a commercial enterprise.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

I know something similar to this took place in Nebraska before, remember pieces of the story husker im sure has a more accurate account on the matter..... jacked up part to me is that the a$$ wipes writing the tickets seem to pick an choose when they decide to write the tickets kinda makes it hard for a guy to decide how to approach the situation its hard enough to break even at a race these days ...... one more reason to hate cops ....... " i joined the police force to protect an serve the community" they said . LAME !!!DOT pulls you over, you'll probably get a ticket for something. Some are overweight, some can't axle it, some it's the length, or the dumb stuff like lights and speeding.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

Cant see pic?

I know at Oakshade last year there was talk that if Pierce's took the thruway they would be stopped if anyone in OH caught wind of their length. I have no idea what is what for DOT crap, but they haul triples up on the thruway in OH at 70mph so not sure how a hauler would be longer.The length between axles is where they get you.

[Madcat]

The length between axles is where they get you.

Wow, really? Did not know that was something they looked at. Cool to know, thanks.

[huskerdirt]

Cant see pic?

I know at Oakshade last year there was talk that if Pierce's took the thruway they would be stopped if anyone in OH caught wind of their length. I have no idea what is what for DOT crap, but they haul triples up on the thruway in OH at 70mph so not sure how a hauler would be longer.

I don't know why my pic won't show up, must be the new 4m. It's a pic of Unzickers hauler. If you notice by the door there's no DOT number listed or Registered RV sticker.

This is why he got pulled over the way he did..... Like I said don't look suspicious.

You can find the pic on his Facebook page.

[huskerdirt]

The axle spacing wasn't a problem on Unzickers hauler. I've seen other trucks(not racing related) that are just as spaced if not worse.

[huskerdirt]

http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Freight/publications/size_regs_final_rpt/index.htm#tts

If put a standard toter right next to a semi with a 53 foot trailer. They are exactly the same length.

[huskerdirt]

Have a lot of hauler tickets been written for being over the allowed weight limits when it comes to gross weight per axle?

Shouldn't be..... I've hauled up to 47,000 lbs in cargo and not been over weight. Even with two cars and all the spare parts.... Etc. They should never even sniff being over weight.

And they don't have to have placards for hazardous materials because they honestly don't carry that much fuel.

[Kwd1253]

you better have stuff right when the state boys/dot pull you over, paper work right,weight,length,width. don't matter what you pulling they going try their hardest find something wrong to get money out of you.

[huskerdirt]

you better have stuff right when the state boys/dot pull you over, paper work right,weight,length,width. don't matter what you pulling they going try their hardest find something wrong to get money out of you.

Yes, you better have a sh!t together. If you aren't a d!ck to them they will help you out tremendously.

Unzicker didn't have a DOT sticker or a Registered RV sticker on his door. DOT can spot that from across the highway. That's why he got pulled over. You could say Unzicker didn't have his sh!t together.

[cjsracing]

huskerdirt,

Most of these haulers are a 38' truck and a 40' trailer which puts you at 78' total and over the length limits in Iowa and most states.

[huskerdirt]

huskerdirt,

Most of these haulers are a 38' truck and a 40' trailer which puts you at 78' total and over the length limits in Iowa and most states.

I'm just going by my visual when I see them parked next to other semi's. For example I saw Carriers and EPJs rig parked next to Blankenships last year and they were pretty much the same length. Maybe a foot either way.

40 foot sounds about right on trailer. 78 feet seems really high. I know you race so you are probably right. I guess my next question is why would these guys build these to be over length to begin with? That just seems so careless on the manufactors part.

[Madcat]

Yes, you better have a sh!t together. If you aren't a d!ck to them they will help you out tremendously.

Unzicker didn't have a DOT sticker or a Registered RV sticker on his door. DOT can spot that from across the highway. That's why he got pulled over. You could say Unzicker didn't have his sh!t together.

That is interesting since his position at the family business is "Safety Coordinator" or was last time we chatted with him. Would think he'd be up on that kind of safety stuff.

Either way sucks for those parties who got stopped but as stated, gotta cover your a**es out there.

[427c.i.]

The other racer that got pulled over was Dan Rork from Pontiac IL. (I hope he doesn't mind that I mentioned his name) On his FB page he states that the DOT cop told him the about the 1099 and also made them dump any alcohol they had in the hauler.
I know of at least one toter/stacker that is 83" and his isn't the longest one I've seen...

[huskerdirt]

That is interesting since his position at the family business is "Safety Coordinator" or was last time we chatted with him. Would think he'd be up on that kind of safety stuff.

Either way sucks for those parties who got stopped but as stated, gotta cover your a**es out there.

Yea that's why I kinda shook my head. If you go to his FB page. You'll see a pic of the toter. And there's nothing printed on the door.

[cjsracing]

Husker,

The black hauler I used to have was a 34' truck and a 34' trailer for a 68' total so I was just under the max. I know when I have been parked beside a S&S or 5150 type they easily had 10' on me.

I know when I was pulled over the officer was very helpful (I was shocked). He asked me what I do for a living and I told him I was a CPA and racing is my hobby and fun to unwind from the long hours I work. He told me since I had a full time career that wasn't racing and because Iowa allows my type of hauler to be classified as an RV I am NOT a commercial vehicle. I conveniently forgot to tell him my racing is setup as a Partnership entity, lol.

[huskerdirt]

Husker,

The black hauler I used to have was a 34' truck and a 34' trailer for a 68' total so I was just under the max. I know when I have been parked beside a S&S or 5150 type they easily had 10' on me.

I know when I was pulled over the officer was very helpful (I was shocked). He asked me what I do for a living and I told him I was a CPA and racing is my hobby and fun to unwind from the long hours I work. He told me since I had a full time career that wasn't racing and because Iowa allows my type of hauler to be classified as an RV I am NOT a commercial vehicle. I conveniently forgot to tell him my racing is setup as a Partnership entity, lol.


Wow, I've seen your hauler before. I didn't realize it was that long. I thought it was maybe 5-10 feet shorter.

I guess my next question is IF it is registered as an RV are you exempt from being over length?

[cjsracing]

"I guess my next question is IF it is registered as an RV are you exempt from being over length?"

According to the IDOT website, length limits are applicable to ALL vehicles and not special to commercial vehicles. There are different length limits whether you are pulling 1 or 2 trailers (2 trailers like a pickup pulling a camper trailer with a boat trailer attached to the camper trailer). So over length is over length whether it is a personal or commercial vehicle.

[cgrace]

how do you get to be a registered RV?

[Car Biz]

I have been in this situation before. We were pulled over in IA I can't remember if we were coming from Owatonna or going to there. We had the registered RV sticker we were legal by length and everything. Cop said as soon as you cross state lines in the pursuit of making money you become a commercial vehicle. He wanted us to unload the cars to see the sponsor stickers. Kris (Patterson) told him no way he was going to do that. Him and the two cops talked alittle bit and they let us go. Only time we were ever pulled over and we went everywhere.

[Kenworth112]

Overall legal length is 70 foot from bumper to bumper. Rv/toter only good up to 26000 pound. Anything over goes into a commercial vehicle class. Very lucky the unit was not impounded. I have talked to many people these guys are running theses big unit a going to get burnt one day. They ever have a accident they will loose everything hey own.

[dirt33]

cjs,

Are you racing anymore? I am not quite as in tune with the Iowa racing scene as I used to be. But, I see that you mentioned that you got rid of your hauler? I always pulled for you to do well, you seem like someone who raced "for all the right reasons."

[b1eagle]

I had a friend that drove for a Cup team.He said every hauler that leaves a shop is illegal.They carry lots of hats and jackets to bribe with.

[Clayton_Wetter]

Fill your rigs with Mexicans and assorted illegals and the DOT will back off!!! lol

[RTW]

For those interested. Here are weight and length limits for the state of Iowa. To the best of my knowledge Iowa does not have a restriction on the distance from the King Pin of a trailer to the back tandem axles.

WIDTH: 102 in
HEIGHT: 13 ft 6 in (14 ft auto transporter)
LENGTH:
Straight Trucks 41 ft
Truck-trailer 65 ft
Tractor-semitrailer combo No limit (see trailer max)
Tractor-twintrailer combo No limit (see trailer max)
Semitrailer 53 ft
57 ft lowboy trailers allowed exclusively
for the transportation of construction
equipment (empty or loaded) when used in
a tractor-semitrailer combination
Trailers of twin-trailer combo 28 ft 6 in
Auto/boat-transporter combo 65 ft (plus 3 ft front and 4 ft rear overhang)
Stinger steered 75 ft (plus 3 ft front and 4 ft rear overhang)
Saddlemounts 97 ft
Drawbar length 15 ft (except if towing vehicle is a motor
truck and the towed vehicle is a single
trailer with a single point-of-articulation at
the hitch connection, the drawbar cannot
exceed 21 ft and must be equipped with at
least one yellow reflector and a sign on the
rear of the towed unit indicating that the
vehicle is being towed)
WEIGHT:
Single axle 20,000 lb
Tandem axle 34,000 lb
Tridem Axle 42,000 lb with minimum 8 ft 1 in. spacing
(determined by axle spacing)
Steering axle Restricted to tire load rating, up to 20,000 lb
Load per inch width of tire 575 lb/in., except on steering axle which is
600 lb/in. (both based on tire rating)
Gross wheel weight Limited by manufacturer’s sidewall rating
(single & dual)
Gross vehicle weight 80,000 lb
Tolerances N/S

[stlracing]

Last summer I rode up with a racer to Farley in a pickup and enclosed trailer and DOT pulled us over and did the whole bit of asking if we made money, got a 1099 for racing, had sponsors on the car and so on.. We answered no to everything and he never asked to open the trailer. He did not write us any tickets.

[strong08]

What does it cost to get a USDOT number and would you still need a fuel permit and pay all the fuel taxes.

[cjsracing]

Kenworth 122,

Per the IDOT information I printed directly from their website there is an exclusion to the 26,000 lbs. rule for vehicles registered as an RV (and satisfying the RV requirements).

dirt33,

Yes I am still racing. I sold my black hauler (truck and trailer) and bought a newer white toter (it's actually a little bigger thn the black one) and a reliable welding trailer. Since I do 99.9% of the work on my car myself I wanted a trailer that I could easily and quickly loan/unload by myself.

Another quick item, a poster said the DOT asked to see the car to see if it had sponsors on it. Just because you have sponsors on it doesn't mean they paid you (I know they most likely did), but the DOT isn't privy to your financial information so I would just tell them "they are friend's business' that sometimes help me work on the car in the garage and the car would look pretty boring and plain without anything on it". I can put a giant Nike sticker all over everyone of my vehicles and that doesn't make them commercial vehicles just because I have someone's logo on it.

[Spi-nex]

Federal DOT regulations trump state and local regs as long as you are within 5 miles of a federal highway.

It's free to get a DOT number... you just call a number and enter information when prompted.

There is no way for a police officer to know with absolute certainty what the contents of your RV are without unloading it. So if you are pulled over and he wants to know just tell him you have "RV's" (ie. Recreational Vehicles) in your trailer (after all, that IS what a race car is) and leave it at that. And if he wants more then he has to get a warrant signed by the district judge to perform a search.

Plus just tell them you race for trophies.... can't tax those.

Like the others said, make sure you have your "Registered RV, Not For Hire, & DOT Number" stickers on the outside and make sure visually everything is up to snuff.

[vande07]

I had a friend that drove for a Cup team.He said every hauler that leaves a shop is illegal.They carry lots of hats and jackets to bribe with.

I find that very hard to believe (the illegal part). The Cup teams are way too visible and have too much to lose.

Even the WoO Sprint teams make sure anyone driving the truck has a CDL and they have all their #'s and permits in the cab (and they race for peanuts compared to NASCAR).

[dirt33]

dirt33,

Yes I am still racing. I sold my black hauler (truck and trailer) and bought a newer white toter (it's actually a little bigger thn the black one) and a reliable welding trailer. Since I do 99.9% of the work on my car myself I wanted a trailer that I could easily and quickly loan/unload by myself.

Cool, glad to know you are still racing Curt. I can imagine that the Reliable trailer makes for an easier time for you, and those are some real nice trailers. You have given a lot of good info and advice in this thread. It is appreciated by all to have someone that has your work background/knowledge chime in. Good luck racing this season.

[cjsracing]

Spi-nex,

Just to expand on something I said earlier. The RV exclusion that I mentioned is part of the Federal DOT regulation manual (The IDOT has this on their website). Each State has their own statutes regarding what they allow to be registered as an RV (There is no Federal statute on what determines an RV). So as long as your vehicle satisfies what the state allows it will also apply to the Federal RV exclusion.

[tsand]

Spi-nex,

Just to expand on something I said earlier. The RV exclusion that I mentioned is part of the Federal DOT regulation manual (The IDOT has this on their website). Each State has their own statutes regarding what they allow to be registered as an RV (There is no Federal statute on what determines an RV). So as long as your vehicle satisfies what the state allows it will also apply to the Federal RV exclusion.

Had an uncle that was a DOT man he told us that if your on an interstate hwy they couldn't override your home state regulations as far as how your vehicle is registered.It's only on secondary roads that's the laws become iffy on certain things

[cjsracing]

tsand that is interesting. The reason that I think it is interesting is because most of the time when I see a DOT guy pulling someone over it is on a non-interstate road.

[tsand]

tsand that is interesting. The reason that I think it is interesting is because most of the time when I see a DOT guy pulling someone over it is on a non-interstate road.

Yea i think it has something to do with interstate commerce laws. That you can move through
A state unmolested. But once you leave a federal hwy your fair game.

[J20in1st]

Hearing that at least two haulers were stopped and ticketed for not being DOT compliant in Iowa today. I wonder if the crackdown is Iowa only, a particular county in Iowa or if all the states are going to put the pinch on racers using big rig conversions.
If what I'm hearing is true, that if you receive a 1099 as a part of your racing operation, then your rig is a commercial vehicle and you'd better be in compliance.
If they want to get serious on the 1099 thing, an open trailer with a pickup towing it would be considered a commercial vehicle and have to comply with the rules for a vehicle of that weight.


Nope got a bunch of Slinger (WI) drivers last year.

[J20in1st]

Federal DOT regulations trump state and local regs as long as you are within 5 miles of a federal highway.

It's free to get a DOT number... you just call a number and enter information when prompted.

There is no way for a police officer to know with absolute certainty what the contents of your RV are without unloading it. So if you are pulled over and he wants to know just tell him you have "RV's" (ie. Recreational Vehicles) in your trailer (after all, that IS what a race car is) and leave it at that. And if he wants more then he has to get a warrant signed by the district judge to perform a search.

Plus just tell them you race for trophies.... can't tax those.

Like the others said, make sure you have your "Registered RV, Not For Hire, & DOT Number" stickers on the outside and make sure visually everything is up to snuff.

A not for hire sign on your truck means nothing.

[KRLLC]

"Like the others said, make sure you have your 'Registered RV, Not For Hire, & DOT Number' stickers on the outside and make sure visually everything is up to snuff." I am not sure that I agree with this approach. If you take the position and display that you are operating a private recreational vehicle, then you do not need a USDOT Number. If you register and display a USDOT Number, then you are saying that you are a commercial vehicle in the business of hauling cargo or passengers. From the FMCSA website: Companies that operate commercial vehicles transporting passengers or hauling cargo in interstate commerce must be registered.

[Spi-nex]

If you register and display a USDOT Number, then you are saying that you are a commercial vehicle in the business of hauling cargo or passengers. From the FMCSA website: Companies that operate commercial vehicles transporting passengers or hauling cargo in interstate commerce must be registered.

Not true. "Technically" anything over 10,000lbs is supposed to have a DOT number. The number doesn't implicate that you are commercial. If you are commercial then you are required to have it. It's one of those things where it's better to have it & not need it, then need it and not have it.

Here is a really good article in layman terms for CDL/DOT/Weight/etc:
http://www.motorists.org/other/dot-numbering

[GRT24]

We were pulled over in Ga in a F-350 pulling a mini trac hoe on a bumper pull trailer. SHE wrote 3 ticket and 4 warnings. When I asked why she pulled us over she said we didn't have a visual DOT number and were considered commercial. I tried to tell a little white lie by saying it was a friends and I was just using it at my farm to clean up around my pond. Never the less we were going to dig footers for a house and she could care less if I was telling the truth because she was already writing tickets. We got a tickets for no DOT number, tread wear on steer tires, and for unsecure load because we didn't have a chain across the bucket. So I guess my question is what's the difference in pulling a mini trachoe on a trailer vs. a race car on an open trailer?

[TALON75]

http://www.dragracingscene.com/news/trucktrailer-licensing-follow-up/

Some new info, this would be a good thing for the Fed to do.

[chupp n bloomer fan]

We were pulled over in Ga in a F-350 pulling a mini trac hoe on a bumper pull trailer. SHE wrote 3 ticket and 4 warnings. When I asked why she pulled us over she said we didn't have a visual DOT number and were considered commercial. I tried to tell a little white lie by saying it was a friends and I was just using it at my farm to clean up around my pond. Never the less we were going to dig footers for a house and she could care less if I was telling the truth because she was already writing tickets. We got a tickets for no DOT number, tread wear on steer tires, and for unsecure load because we didn't have a chain across the bucket. So I guess my question is what's the difference in pulling a mini trachoe on a trailer vs. a race car on an open trailer?You are treated as a commercial vehicle and must have the proper tie downs and steer tires with proper tread depth etc. When I was in between jobs, I worked for some idiot in a little podunk town by me. He had F550's and 450's etc with trailers for minis and bobcats, took awhile, but as they tightened the laws up, they finally nailed him. Anything over 10k, and he was way over 10k plus combination, so yeah, he had all kinds of fines and homework to do.

[cjsracing]

Good find Mr. Talon. My preliminary research says that that bill has passed the Iowa House by a vote of 93-0, but it does not appear to have been voted on in the Iowa Senate. I will make a call to the Iowa Legislature tomorrow to see where it sits.

Reading the bill, it is pretty much common sense and needs to be passed.

If I need to I can put a call in to a guy in the Iowa Senate that I played college football with and get some insight on it.

[TALON75]

Sounds good, I believe Jason Hughes and Cory Dripps had something to do with helping this along, at least they knew about it last year and this is the first info I have found on it. I'm sure everyone would rather just pay the "fine" upfront and not have to worry so much about it.

[cjsracing]

Talon this is a huge find by you and I can't thank you enough!!! So this bill has passed the Iowa House, Iowa Senate and the Governor has signed it on May 30, 2014 so it should be current Iowa law. Talk about sneaking it through.

This is a link for the summary of the bill http://www.iowahouserepublicans.com/wp-content/uploads/House-File-2447-Motorsports-Recreational-Vehicles.pdf because reading the actual passed law is kind of confusing.

[Southern Ohio Racer]

Years ago when the team I was with had a Western Star toter home and a two car stacker trailer, King of the Road conversion and trailer. The Western Star national sales manager told us at that time a truck could not be built that would be legal in all the 48 continental states.
He said that the big coast to coast trucking company's paid fines all the time to some states, just as a cost of doing business.
Things may have changed since then, but it sounds like the variations still exist.