Another DOT question

[larryanderson]

A farmer from Neb.came into Ia with a ton pickup pulling a gooseneck tandem axle trailer to pickup a 4320 near Iowa City.Before he even loaded he was stopped and charged $521 for no DOT#,log book,medical card and put out of service.In order to continue with his wife driving he had to get legal by hooking the trailer to his rear hitch so it became a bumper hitch and wasnt a problem to the DOT officer.This sounds crazy to me but according to seller of tractor it did happen.Is this possible as I thought Iowa had put these laws on hold?I guess if it would have been me I would fight it.
 

[d beatty]

First thing was he picking up the tractor for himself or was he hauling for hire. How could his wife drive? If he didn't have a log book and medical card she most likley did't have it. Also it would take a lot of work to revamp a gooseneck to a bumper pull trailer.
 

[larryanderson]

According to the seller they put a ball on the bumper ,extended the mast ,then she proceeded as it no longer was illegal as it was a bumper hitch.I know this doesnt make sense but the man that told me this would not make this up.Seems like it would be safer hooked up to truck bed.He was picking it up for himself or at least the seller thought so..He was told when he crossed state line he was a commercial hauler and intrastate rules apply.It makes me not want to go out of state unless I know I am legal which I know Im probably not.
 

[730d se]

Some of us on here have been sharing the stories and warnings, but a few still refuse to believe that things are no longer like they used to be a few years ago.
If the truck and trailer have a COMBINED RATING of 26,001 LBS, (matters not what is loaded unless it is overloaded, then it is even worse), you must have basically what truckers have. There are farmer rules and in state rules that will allow you to haul equipment from farm to farm, but many were lying aboout that. So now, you best have two farms and be able to prove ownership of everything on your trailer.
They also caught on to fake bill of sales. They can actually track those later and fine you months down the road if you create a fake bill of sale.
 

[ericlb]

it can easily happen, the problem with the dot laws while supposedly designed to cover commercial vehicles nation wide, the laws do varry some state to state, and the biggest problem is they seem to be open to interpretation to the individual cop, some of these guys are former truckers and are highly trained, others are fresh out of school and have very little practical knowledge,cops are told to write tickets the gov, needs money, which makes it hard not only for the commercial trucker with very little money left today for the man doing the driving, but the guy just running to town in his own pickup and trailer is subject to whatever the cop decides applies too
 

[mkirsch]

How do you create a "legit" bill of sale? You can write anything you want on a piece of paper. Farm equipment ownership is not tracked.

Heck, the DMV accepted a "bill of sale" scribbled on the back of a USED ENVELOPE when I registered my flatbed trailer. You couldn't even read the handwriting, but he didn't give it a second look.
 

[rustyfarmall]

[J.Wondergem]

I agree, Rusty. If the combination with the goose neck was over 26000 lbs, it was still over as a bumper hitch. So if his wife had a CDL, why wasn't she driving to start with. Sounds like the story had a lot added to the original story. Maybe he was a truck driver that spent a lot of time in the truck stops?
 

[1206SWMO]

Friends tell me that Iowa is now a good state to stay out of..DOT is out to get all the money that they can..
 

[larryanderson]

He nor his wife had a CDL I am repeating was was told to me by an honest seller who is well over 70.I probably should not have even bothered to ask about it as it seems like a wild story.If you want the name of seller you can call me and I will give you his #.I just thought it seemed like a total rip-off that could be discussed.
 

[mkirsch]

There is no such thing as a "private" gooseneck in Iowa, apparently.

If you tow a gooseneck you must be automatically commercial.

Wife probably had to drive because the husband was put out of service for not having a log book or a CDL.

If the story is true, the DOT cop did them a HUGE favor by letting them use these loopholes to continue on down the road.
 

[rustyfarmall]

[Welding man]

That's where the DOT officer was a total IDIOT. He turned a simple paperwork issue into a real safety issue. Hooking up a gooseneck trailer to a bumper is totally ignorant. Throws off the balance of the whole load. It puts too much tongue weight on the bumper of the truck and should make it unsafe to drive.I hope he put it back like it was suppose to be when he got back across the state line. I would take this issue to his superiors and see if the whole state DOT are Idiots.
 

[rustyfarmall]

[mkirsch]