NHRA racers BEWARE, NC DOT is giving tickets to racers (1 Viewer)

[Jenn]

Just what they are looking for. Better keep log books and have a CDL unless you don't mind camping out in a truck scale until you find someone who has one to move it for you.

Fortunately, the guys are studying for their CDLs now. We had an issue a while back where Big Baby (Our toterhome) dropped a valve on the way to Denver, and we had to get the truck towed back and somebody to pick up the trailer. After paying $400 dollars to get the truck towed, we ran into a few problems getting the trailer towed back. (Clearances, apparently not all semi trucks come with adjustable airbags). Finally we borrowed somebody's truck but since we couldn't borrow the driver, had to get somebody else to drive it for us since it required a CDL.

 

[Nitrohelper]

Nebraska was doing the same thing a few years ago on I-80.They were looking for toter homes registered as RV's. A truck could be over 80 feet long if the kingpin length to the axles was right. But an RV unit is restricted to 65 feet for a driver without a CDL.
The folks with a 45' bus and a 22' "toy box" were getting ticketed,and had to have a towing service take the trailer to the state line. One of my friends was driving an Indy car owners million dollar bus and trailer when they tried to hassle him.
The cops thought they had one until after about 15 minutes of measuring the rig, they started to write the ticket , when they looked at his license & saw he had a CDL. They gave him some sh*t about not telling them right away, but let him go.

 

[skidaddy]

this is all very simple.
get the proper paper work on your rig and its driver.
this includeds but is not limited to:
cdl's
medical card
logs books
tags/dot numbers
insurance/lots of it/million dollars liability minimum
you would not send your race car down the track until it was ready,
why would you send your transporter down the road until it was ready?
if your rig is involved in a chargeable accident, being legal could save your butt
not for hire and motor home stickers will not make you legal
just friendly advice...take it for what its worth or what it cost you
be safe

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Add going to the IRS and filing a form 2290/paying annual federal highway use tax to the above. $550 a year for each truck at my weight, less for you folks.

 

[clwill]

this is all very simple.
get the proper paper work on your rig and its driver.
this includeds but is not limited to:
cdl's
medical card
logs books
tags/dot numbers
insurance/lots of it/million dollars liability minimum
you would not send your race car down the track until it was ready,
why would you send your transporter down the road until it was ready?
if your rig is involved in a chargeable accident, being legal could save your butt
not for hire and motor home stickers will not make you legal
just friendly advice...take it for what its worth or what it cost you
be safe

Couldn't agree more. A guy I knew was using a toter to haul a stacker with several cars, lost his brakes going down a long, steep incline in Idaho, and took out a couple of other cars on his way to totaling the whole rig. He was OK, but he spent years unraveling it all, and it cost him tens of thousands to settle. His rig was eventually covered by insurance, but none of the other stuff was handled. His lawyer said if he'd registered it as a real truck, had a CDL, and any kind of reasonable insurance it would've been a simple, ordinary accident, and cleared up in a couple weeks.

 

[jackass]

OK everyone and anyone headed to the Carolinas for this weekend events.. make sure you are up to date on all the right info.

Below is a link to a PDF version of the NC laws info...

http://www.unlimitedawnings.com/mstp.pdf

If you do not fit any of the listed guide lines.. i suggest contacting the NC DMV or the NC DOT about permits to enter with out possibility of citation...

Be careful...

Billy

editied.. i have been corrected on this rumor from the proper source with the NCMA

 

[Toejam]

You'd think a state like North Carolina would be the LAST place stuff like this would happen! Everyone keeps saying how the Southern states are so Pro Motorsports, and now this? I guess some Politicians could care less of the Economic Boom racing brings to communities!

 

[J.C.]

And what is wrong with ticketing (or impounding) illegal trucks and/or illegal drivers of these trucks? I see toterhomes and trailers in the pits at NHRA races that must push 80-85 feet in length and who knows how much they weigh? And they think putting a "not for hire" decal on the side of the cab exempts them from state and federal highway laws? Why do these guys think that they deserve "special" treatment on federal highways? You talk about a safety issue - how about any joe blow driving a 30-80,000 lb rig down the road, with air brakes, with no CDL and no idea how to handle such a rig in an emergency?

Just my two cents, but I have no problem with enforcing legal lengths and weights on the interstates that I share with these rigs!

 

[The Counterfeiter]

And what is wrong with ticketing (or impounding) illegal trucks and/or illegal drivers of these trucks? I see toterhomes and trailers in the pits at NHRA races that must push 80-85 feet in length and who knows how much they weigh? And they think putting a "not for hire" decal on the side of the cab exempts them from state and federal highway laws? Why do these guys think that they deserve "special" treatment on federal highways? You talk about a safety issue - how about any joe blow driving a 30-80,000 lb rig down the road, with air brakes, with no CDL and no idea how to handle such a rig in an emergency?

Just my two cents, but I have no problem with enforcing legal lengths and weights on the interstates that I share with these rigs!

Just what I would expect from you - putting the law and safety first. Seriously, some very good points. Now . . . does Christy know you're fooling around here instead of working? -

 

[J.C.]

Just what I would expect from you - putting the law and safety first. Seriously, some very good points. Now . . . does Christy know you're fooling around here instead of working? -

I'm quite the multi-tasker, lol. I can run a business, play online poker and post on nitromater, all at the same time!

 

[FuelFC]

None of this is new. None of this is different than before. Old news and even older rules. People/states are now paying more attention as rule benders have gotten out of hand. And worse some very large rig combos of R/V's trailer accidents have raised eyebrows around the industry.

Look at USDOT, FMCSA, FMVSS.... all online. The trouble starts and rests right from the rule pushers. Like the 80 plus feet behemoths (one I know of is 94 feet long. Really!) with the people who drive them having never even taken truck driving 101. The blame rests firmly in our own midsts of racing bretheren.

Wanna be a truck driver? Get the license and follow the rules. It is not that hard. Do it right and that way if something happens you are in good shape after the investigation and fault is placed. As well if you get hit and they pull records and you are not legal all bets are off for coverage and recovering any damages.

Insurance as a combination over the road vehicle you do have that right?

Do the pre-trips, document all scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and follow all the guidelines. They are there to help you and all the people you care about that drive the same roads too.

Oh and if you like to play games like one former competitor used to do with the old R/V license trick with a tractor trailer and get stuck at the scales in northern Cali be prepared for a long sit. $1-5K fine, escort to the OR border only to find out they called ahead for you to stop in and see officer friendly at the next scale for another deposit and trip permit. They like cash and credit cards, no checks accepted!

Or just ignore it all but for one extra large drum of K-Y and keep it handy. You will need it someday. As one of my old drivers always said "Log book, papers, and fresh tube of K-Y...check, check, and check. Now I am ready for the scale house." You may skip out for a while but all it take is one bad day or crabby inspector.

Simple work around is the old reliable Crew Cab and a 40' or less than 5th wheel trailer suits almost anything you need. And less is more if you are not sponsored when it comes to lettering and conspicuity. Plain no stickers same color wrapper on truck and trailer is a real good idea. Less than 36K weight gross, less than 9K on truck and less than 26K on the trailer. Most all states let those go right on by the scales if privately licensed and not a circus wagon!

You think this is ugly try permitting and clearancing a 150' long truck trailer combo weighing in at a svelt 495,000 lbs. 16' wide and 16.5' tall. Tooks three weeks and still hasn't left the yard and it is only going two states 350 miles.