Hotshot truck and trailer length WOW it's that long?
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- Опубликовано: 28 дек 2021
- As more states begin to recognize the Hotshot industry is not going away despite the efforts of "Big Trucking" lobbyist in Washington, they are cracking down on some of those little known laws that trip up even the best Hotshot professional. Sure, "Hotshotters" don't go to the big training schools if they are non-CDL, but they go to the school of "Get it done!" or starve. Get a measuring wheel and keep it with you especially if you have overhang.
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Been searching the web for 3 days now for this level of analysis! Thanks for answering all my questions! Gotta get me a wheel now...
I was at 66ft I got a gen-y Pegasus hitch and mounted it backwards. Hitch was made for a megacab to get a horse trailer away from the cab. It brought me to 65’ 1”. It also rides way better. Back doesn’t hurt at the end of the day anymore.
This is great info that seems to be overlooked more often than not. Keeping a tape measure on the truck is useful for figuring available deck space when booking loads too.
That's where it should be!
Tudo de bom sucesso para você guerreiro 🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷👍
Where the pin is set (ball) is actually supposed to be 2" forward of the axle.
That doesn't matter on the manufacturer of the pickup.....
Just download the installation instructions for your brand of hitch and it will tell you where it gets mounted.
If you ever decide to upgrade your truck, I'd suggest a F-450 or 550 with a bed delete or utility bed. The wide front axle will put any 350 to shame in turning radius alone. Making getting into tuff tight spots much easier, you'll notice the diffence immediately especially turning into narrow roads and city blocks. I had a 2017 F-350 with a 38ft sliding axle trailer, I measured about 58ft from nose to a allowable 4ft over hang. Once I upgraded to a F550 with a utility gooseneck bed and same 38ft trailer at 11k lbs with a 16k lbs max cargo weight rating on the deck. It was a night and day difference in maneuverability in any place. No power issues or turning into tight spots. The Ford engine brakes aren't as good as the Rams and GM's but the power is whether commercial detuned or fitted with the bigger turbo in the personal market, which I prefer. 500hp 1200lbs torque is way better then 350hp 850 of torque, especially in hilly areas. Stay safe 🫡 🇺🇲
We have a couple of F450s in our fleet as well an F550 pulling a 5 car. But, the F450 is slightly heavier than the F350 due to the additional axle length up front and the factory 19inch wheels. So, if you are Non-CDL that extra turning ability will come at a price of cargo weight and even fuel mileage. Our F450s are piloted by CDL drivers as is the F550 so weight is not an issue. The particular F350 shown is a back up used to fill in the gaps. By the way, all F550s are straight framed and are Cab and Chassis only. They also have heavier suspension, axles and frames so they do get less fuel mileage due to these factors and lower gear ratios. So, unless you are really going to get heavy with 5 or 6 cars, they are brutally harsh riding trucks when not loaded down. LOVE THE FORDS THOUGH!
@@rctjacksonville thanks for your response and the reality of using the aforementioned from your prospective. I do agree and the ride can be brutal on tough roads emptied, never really felt that with mine but from driving big rigs for 90% of my 24 years of commercial driving experience I guess I got numb over the years 😆
Nice trailer. It seems more versatile to haul cars and other commodities
We use it for large vehicles like busses, Dually, trucks with utilitie bodies, tractors and the occasional freight back run. It is for lease right now.
Forest in the city 😂 it's always bout
Da money they can get from you. California big fine for over length but no safety check.
Nice truck and trailer. Have you encountered any clearence issues with the gooseneck and the box on your truck?
No, it looks very close but has not made contact. Our other trucks have the bed removed and this truck will soon follow. It save about 400 lbs without the bed and that takes away money. Beside when disconnecting the trailer it is easier without a bed.
👍🏾
Ford and Ram make short bed dually or did, of course a man has to take what he can get now
there also is a difference on max length if your truck came in the pickup config with a bed verses a truck purchased with just cab and chassis
Yes, I only covered the bed code trucks as it is the most popular form of Hotshot.
A cab and Chassis configuration is classified as a tractor and length laws do not apply
@@dariuslacombe4692 I had spoken to this in a previous comment. I did not include the cab/Chassis (Considered a "Power Unit" by the DOT) version because the Dually with the bed is by a large margin the most popular Hotshot truck. I also did not include the fact CA is going to pass a law in June that prohibits Pick up trucks from removing the bed to become a "Power unit", it has to be sold as a cab/chassis from the dealer. The VIN is different on Cab/Chassis from Dodge, Ford and Chevrolet. If you go to buy a used Cab/Chassis, run the VIN through Carfax or another service and it will show Cab/Chassis if originally sold that way. CA's up coming law is going to use the VIN decoding to find out if it is original Cab/Chassis or not. If it is not, they can put you out of service over 65ft. There are 3 more states including IL, NC and NY that are working on or have similar Cab/Chassis laws. These powerful trucking companies full of union drivers have an unbelievable lobby in Washington and they are dead set on running Hotshot companies out of business. Hotshot take away an estimated $100 Million from the pockets of Big trucking annually. Someday, Hotshot will organize and hire a lobby to go protect our interest and rights to the road. The average consumer has no idea how Hotshot trucking helps to hold down prices. If there were only Big trucking transporting goods, they could charge whatever they want. But, with the Hotshot option, small manufacturers can compete with big business. Great talking to you..
@@rctjacksonville you are correct however that only applies to PICKUP'S 3/4 ton 10,000 GVWR and below. a 1-ton is classified as a truck because it's GVWR is over 10001 lb ( when you buy a cab and Chassis it is licensed as a tractor and classified by DOT AS power unit )
But if you remove a bed of a "truck" you may chose to not register as tractor. And keep in mind taking the bed off pick-ups only applies to pickups purchased after the law goes into effect. The ripples from that law will be felt hardest 3 to 5 years in the future. FYI FMCSA DOES NOT RECOGNIZE STATE LAW VIOLATIONS AS OUT OF SERVICE....YET
HERE'S TWO TALKING POINT.
1. In the great state of Texas they sell a permit for over length hot shots for $980 a year.
"To insure you buy the permit" see #2 below
2. In the great state of Texas they measure your truck length plus your bed length ( they count it as capable cargo deck ) Your rig would be considered 8 ft longer here in the Lone Star State.
@@dariuslacombe4692 Ok, a lot to unpack here. I was referring to the state DOT putting you out of service which inmost states they can do. I was referring mainly to the new law in CA that will apply to pick up conversions V. Cab/Chassis original trucks. Your right, the older trucks have some "Grandfathering" but some states are even exploring ways to end that exemption. If a State DOT puts your truck out of service, that can be listed on your FMSCA. Would it get listed? Up to the individual state, but you can bet most will since the states work closely with Federal. If you remove the bed of a truck it is not a Cab/Chassis and I make that point. Again, CA is going to use the VIN to determine if the original status is power unit Cab/Chassis or if a truck with the bed removed. If the latter, CA will ticket you and can put it out of service by the state of CA DOT. Other states have laws like this that are not being enforced or have not yet been put in place. Everything is designed to make sure the regulations are against the Hotshot industry. If Government officials did not own RVs that push the 26K mark, you can bet it would be illegal to drive over 10K without a CDL. So the next time you see one of these giant RVs or Tow behind campers plugging down the road, give them a giant Thumbs Up! Right now the RV industry is actually the Lobby for Hotshot without trying. Their lobby is actually pushing to raise the 26K number to 30K to allow for average Joe to buy an even bigger land ship. If that happens, Non-CDL Hotshot can get heavier to 30K, so keep praying!
If your getting a brand new truck off the dealer, that your gonna add a 5th wheel hitch.
I’d ask them to add a extra spring (it will lift the back a bit) especially if your hauling a recreational trailer/toy hauler. But once you have it connected the bed will be level instead of a slight sag (or a big one if u have a luxury trailer)
My 37ft toy hauler added 5000 pounds to the bed pushing down (and when I’m hauling it the truck looks level).
The addition of an airbag system is a very good alternative to an additional leaf. It allows for inflation under load and deflation when unloaded to maintain a better ride unloaded. My F350s and F450 love being heavy and with airbags they don't squat.
ALL of the gooseneck ball locations are engineered to be 4 inches IN FRONT of the rear axle.
If you visit the Diesel Stop forums, you will see the measurements for Fords before 2017 are "2 before the rear diff center line. After 2017, the measurement is 3 3/4 before the center line. If you visit the Turbo Diesel Register, you will see the Dodge turn over ball from 2010 and up is set at 2 1/2 inch in front of the center line. The Chevy follows the same. This means the Ford trailer pull length can be slightly, and I mean slightly longer. Now if you do not use the turn over ball system and use the "Puck System" you can alter the center line aspect. This sliding rail system allows adjustments in consideration of the massive 5th wheel camper overhangs. But if you slide those adjustable system behind the axle, which is able to be done on some, the front axle weight is going to start getting light. I sited a couple of information sources I used for prep on this, but I also measure the center line on our trucks.
I have the same setup. Can you sponsor me. I need to get running. Is that cat car only trailer. Who do I connect with?
Is that your first Lamar? And what do you think about it
We have used PJ and BigTex, yes this is the first Lamar. I am impressed with the fact that it has grease fitting every where including the tool box hinges and even suspension components that I have not seen on other trailers. Ramp are super heavy duty. Cons, it doesn't like being pulled without weight on it. It's rated at 21K and loves being heavy, but it your deadhead it seems bouncy. Also, the ability to mount a winch on it is a little less easy than the PJ or Big Tex. Overall build quality is very good and the welds are very good without cracks as I have seen on other trailers. The lower shorter Gooseneck i was a little concerned about going over mounds or turning, but it has proven to be great.I picked this one up new in PA for 17,900.
How are your brakes on that trailer? I have that same trailer but its a deckover and the brakes are not very good.
6 wheels stopping is great. All the brakes work well if you jack them up to around a 6.5 gain. They will hold the truck for a DOT safety inspection. If you haven't done one yet, they have you manually hold the trailer brake gain switch in the truck and take your foot off the brake pedal to see if it holds the truck at idle. Lamar trailers to have a lot of good things like grease fittings on the suspension and tool box door, but they twist a little because they don't use a full length torque tube as others do.I have about 35K on this trailer and have not had to replace brake shoes yet and I inspect them about every 1500 to 2500 miles.
Is this in reference to a noncdl set-up?
Yes, that is the most common use of this type of set up.
Can you tell me if 3 axel trailer makes it a non cdl trailer?
CDL or Non-CDL is not determined by the axles as any trailer can be Derated for Non-CDL. The weight of the trailer has an effect on you can make. Every pound of weight in the trailer itself is 1 less pound you can carry and thus get paid for.
Axle ratings determine cdl or not anything over 10,000
I would think if you ordered a trailer you could get the neck cut to a length to put it at or under 65 ft.as for a cab and chassis my GMC is 9 ft
You can have a trailer built to spec, but most manufacturers will tell you that's about 6 to 10 month wait. The differences from manufacturer to manufacturer that really effect the over all length are in how they build the gooseneck. The bed surface length is pretty standardized, so 40 is 40, 32 is 32 and so on. My comment was the Lamar seems to have the shortest Gooseneck by a few inches and that can be the difference between 65ft and 65ft 6,8,9 or more inches. Once over 65ft, it is up to the discretion of the officer to how long is too long. Again, some states are different such as IL at 55ft for non-CDL Truck and Trailer. Cab/Chassis seem to have no real length laws in most of the states I have researched as they are looked upon as "Power units" as a Semi tractor. If your looking at specs, look at overall length on the trailer to know from the ball to the end of the trailer, then measure from the ball of the truck to the front bumper. Using this you can determine the length before you buy without having to physically measure them together. Your 9ft Cab/Chassis is not going to get looked at by law enforcement for length, but trust me, you better have everything RIGHT if they stop you.
@@rctjacksonville The truck VS tractor distinction is whether or not there is cargo carrying space on the tow vehicle. My non-CDL hotshot truck was F350 with an aluminum flatbed and I sometimes hauled loads w/o my 30' trailer. But a flatbed or a standard bed on a pickup truck can haul freight in or on the bed and as such has the overall length restriction of typically 65'. Remove the bed and register the truck as a tractor and you are set to go with longer trailers. You can have tool boxes, aux fuel tanks etc. and it's still can be a tractor so there's still good storage available for tools, consumables and whatever else you normally hauled around in the bed. The only real problem with registering the truck as a tractor is I believe you cannot register it back as a truck. I haven't done this, but it's what I learned while I was building an F450 to run CDL hotshot. I have since moved up to a semi so this is all a moot point for me.
@@2020HotShotTruckingLLC Yes, the bed removal is required to remove the length restriction. In most states a "Flatbed" will be considered a "Truck Bed" and will bring the restriction to the truck. In most states the registering of the truck as a "Tractor" is not necessary, simply removing the bed will ward off any evil Trooper spirits. But, there are plenty out there who have a wheel and love to use it because their mother left their dad for a Hotshot trucker and they are still pissed!
@@rctjacksonville Lol!
What about a F550 Cab and Chassis with a custom pick up bed installed. Am I still st risk regarding the 65 foot rule. My length is actually 66 feet? Thanks 👍
If the rear frame is not exposed it's not a power unit it's it's pick up. Even flatbeds are considered non-power units. About all you can have is fenders, additional fuel cells and a tool box. If the DOT or Trooper can't see the majority of the frame exposed they are going to call it a pick up. Also, the F650 Super Duty you see running around with custom beds are airbrakes and that's CDL time if used commercially.
@@rctjacksonville thanks for the reply. So if a single wheel Freightliner has a custom bed on it, it's considered a pick up aswell and not a power unit? I ask a DOT officer about my truck last year. He said if it came from the factory as a Cab and Chassis and the vin is identified as a Cab and Chassis and it being a 2 ton unit. It's exempt from the 65 feet rule. He also said you couldn't get regular pick up insurance for personal use due to the fact its a F550. FMCSA defines and vehicle with a GVWR of 10,001 is a Commercial vehicle. Drivers customize there units all the time. He didn't care if I had a flatbed, hauler bed, service bed and pick up bed on it. It's still a F550. Pick up trucks are classified GVWR under 10,000. Your thoughts. Thanks..
@@fritzduval I am sorry, I thought you meant the truck came with the bed. If the VIN say Cab and chassis your right.
@@rctjacksonville thank you much and for your time.
What is the total Gross weight haul on hotshot?
For non-cdl it's 26K, for CDL Hotshot it's the tow rating of the vehicle. I have seen Mini 5s behind Duallies that have to scale over 37 to 40K. That is far too much weight for a Dually to safely travel down the road, but they do it. The DOT will check the GVWR decal and find the rear axle max. If that load is over on the axle they can take you out of service and even issue a safety violation. They can check the trailer GVWR sticker and do the same. There are 34 and 40GN trailers so the trailer is not the real issue, it's the trucks ability to safely tow the weight. Most duallies max at around 34K GVWR towing, meaning truck trailer and load at 34K. But, that is a max amount and really stresses the entire drivetrain as well as brakes, tires and suspension. Usually if you stick to total scale weight of around 26 to 28K the newer trucks will last longer than if your driving at max for tens of thousands of miles. Again, if your nonCDL your max is 26K so no worry of excessive equipment wear. Think of it like this, a transmission will cost over $5,000 to replace, so how much profit has to be set aside to cover that repair? If that 4th or 5th vehicle is paying a net of 40 or 50 cents per mile, it's going to take a lot of miles to just break even.
Very bad business no money
How?
Look like you got hater 😏
lol looks like you were doing it wrong. My drivers make 15-20k a month. After expenses net is at 9-15k a month