State Transport (DOT) got me today

[SC74]

I thought that SC had easier personal transport laws than NC but I was wrong. I was pulling my tractor behind my f-350 this morning and got pulled for an inspection. It took a full hour and I had a learning lesson :banghead:

Since I was over 10,001 lbs, I was held to all federal transport laws. With my personal tag I only pay taxes up to 10,000 lbs and I weighed in at 12,800 lbs (overweight I'd say :rubeyes. I did not have a medical card, no fire extinguisher, no warning devices, no truck inspection (thought SC did away with these - not if you're over 10K :error, no trailer inspection, and best yet no trailer break-away.

He did compliment my tie-downs, proper weight distribution, correct rated hitch, correctly crossed chains, and the fact that all lights worked. upergrin:

He let me go easy since I was all PERSONAL and nothing to do with business. I got fined $100 over-weight and he said he could have hit me with well over $1,000 of fines.

Time to go to the DMV to get a P-tag and pay more taxes :banghead:

[chuzie]

Or just find a way to reduce your weight by 2,800 lbs.

[broncosbybart]

Ouch! I had no idea SC had all those laws in play. Good thing SC isn't as cash strapped as NC is. He'd have given you every ticket he could have thought of... Thanks for sharing for the benefit of our SC folks.

Might be time to drive the tractor around...

[SC74]

I told him I thought SC was a lot more relaxed on those laws and he said they are, up to 10,000 lbs. Since I was over 10,000 it was a "federal" transport law so every state is the same in reality over 10,000 lbs.

What I don't understand is that if I were in my truck with a farm tag on it I would have been exempt since it was for farm use - and it was since I was hauling my farm tractor. But.... if I were hauling the bronco with a farm tag it would not be legit farm use and I would get hit with false use of my farm tag. I need to weigh the fines of using a false farm tag (with REDUCED taxes) versus paying increased taxes on a P-tag. It's a double edge sword in multiple ways.

[SC74]

Oh yea.. funny how my "federal" fine gets submitted to the State cratchhe:

[broncosbybart]

Yeah, never heard about the 'federal' side of things here in NC. I guess they just stick with their standard rules. Don't know if that is because the NC laws are more stringent or if it is out of ignorance. Perhaps the federal side is for commercial vehicles? I dunno.

Sounds like it is time to put the farm tags on the truck and paint Massey Ferguson on the Bronco. They were orange, right?

[SC74]

Sounds like it is time to put the farm tags on the truck and paint Massey Ferguson on the Bronco. They were orange, right?

:hysterical: MF's were red, but my bronco is painted Kubota tractor orange!! Bought the paint from TSC and can prove it! Hmmm... maybe I can rig up a 3 pt hitch on it and then really be legit cratchhe:

[JayT]

Ouch! I started worrying about this when I first renewed my F250... and they gave me a "weighted" tag. I think the DMV caught flak for it, cuz at the next renewal they gave me a regular p-tag...

But, I don't give crap now... My tow-rig (when I get it back on the road) is an SUV.. Woot! Sorry you got hit, Robert... That just plain sucks.

[Timstrk]

They say higher education is expensive. Lucky you got the community college version instead of the Harvard edition. And better yet, we all get to go to school on you. Sorry you had to take one for the team.

Tim

[SC74]

My tow-rig (when I get it back on the road) is an SUV..

I specifically asked the officer that if I had been in an Expedition or Tahoe with the same load would he have pulled me? His answer was YES - does not matter what is pulling it as long as it is over 10K the same rules apply. I didn't get into the RV rules with him, but I do know that those are different and not near as harsh.