Size matters? Cargo vans / straight trucks

ADBrouse

Rookie Expediter
Researching
I understand that the cutoff for running without CDL is 10,001 ( call it 10K) How large of a straight truck could somone run and still be under that 5 ton total vehicle weight limit? 12 or 14 feet?
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I understand that the cutoff for running without CDL is 10,001
The cutoff for running without a CDL is 26,001 pounds. Anything between 10,001 and 26,000 you still have to have a Medical Card and run a logbook, though, because anything 10,001 pounds or more is a Commercial Motor Vehicle.

As for how large a truck you can run before you are a CMV, it's all about the weight. Any box truck with dually rear wheels is almost certainly going to put you into logbook territory.
 
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Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Any box truck with dually rear wheels is almost certainly going to put you into logbook territory.
True, unless you put the GVWR UNDER 10,000 LBS. signs on either side of the cab.:D
Go Big Yeller!
Over the last few weeks I've seen an inordinate number of dually Penske-type vans pulled over. I don't know why they were pulled over, of course, but it's odd to see the Michigan State Police have 4 pulled over in one week, and to see the Kentucky State Police have 3 pulled over between Lexington and Berea on the way to Berea and 2 more pulled over on the way back up the next day. And it was interesting to see 4 of those trucks just parked on the far row in the scale house on I-65 just north of the TN line the other day.
 

ADBrouse

Rookie Expediter
Researching
Any box truck with dually rear wheels is almost certainly going to put you into logbook territory.
True, unless you put the GVWR UNDER 10,000 LBS. signs on either side of the cab.:D
Go Big Yeller!
Over the last few weeks I've seen an inordinate number of dually Penske-type vans pulled over. I don't know why they were pulled over, of course, but it's odd to see the Michigan State Police have 4 pulled over in one week, and to see the Kentucky State Police have 3 pulled over between Lexington and Berea on the way to Berea and 2 more pulled over on the way back up the next day. And it was interesting to see 4 of those trucks just parked on the far row in the scale house on I-65 just north of the TN line the other day.


No telling , I am from Lexington so I know the KY stretch of I-75 like it was my own driveway... Spot checks for smuggling immigrants?
 

ADBrouse

Rookie Expediter
Researching
I understand that the cutoff for running without CDL is 10,001
The cutoff for running without a CDL is 26,001 pounds. Anything between 10,001 and 26,000 you still have to have a Medical Card and run a logbook, though, because anything 10,001 pounds or more is a Commercial Motor Vehicle.

As for how large a truck you can run before you are a CMV, it's all about the weight. Any box truck with dually rear wheels is almost certainly going to put you into logbook territory.


I have no problem running with logs... I have almost understood recaps LOL .. Recaps BAAAD. Besides, good idea to keep one anyway for IRS right?
 

ADBrouse

Rookie Expediter
Researching
I suppose I am safe in assuming the higher the load rating, the better ?? Like A chevy/gmc 3500 over a 2500 , Ford e-350 over the E-250 ect...
 

schwanman

Expert Expediter
Any box truck with dually rear wheels is almost certainly going to put you into logbook territory.
True, unless you put the GVWR UNDER 10,000 LBS. signs on either side of the cab.:D
Go Big Yeller!
Over the last few weeks I've seen an inordinate number of dually Penske-type vans pulled over. I don't know why they were pulled over, of course, but it's odd to see the Michigan State Police have 4 pulled over in one week, and to see the Kentucky State Police have 3 pulled over between Lexington and Berea on the way to Berea and 2 more pulled over on the way back up the next day. And it was interesting to see 4 of those trucks just parked on the far row in the scale house on I-65 just north of the TN line the other day.
Also starting to see 10,000 painted just below drivers window? So must be true if painted on!
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
I suppose I am safe in assuming the higher the load rating, the better ?? Like A chevy/gmc 3500 over a 2500 , Ford e-350 over the E-250 ect...
Size will get you more loads than weight and less wear and tear.
Yeah. It should probably be pointed out that the goal really shouldn't be to see how much weight you can carry, but rather to see how many loads you can carry that weigh as little as possible.
 

ADBrouse

Rookie Expediter
Researching
I suppose I am safe in assuming the higher the load rating, the better ?? Like A chevy/gmc 3500 over a 2500 , Ford e-350 over the E-250 ect...
Size will get you more loads than weight and less wear and tear.
This is true though would it not be good to have a higher weight load capacity? A van with a one ton cap would be much happier running a 3/4 ton load than a 3/4 ton running same load? I would think that a full weight load would be an outlier in the average weight loads taken. Would still be good to have that capacity if refusing a full weight cap load meant being stuck at the corner of no and where waiting for a lighter load , correct?
 
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