George, to me, after reading all the updates, it sounds to me like your state does it almost exactly like my state with the exception of the DOT #. So, it sounds like you don't need a DOT number. But it also sounds like you ARE commercial- ie, any vehicle engaged in a commercial venture (your rentals) with a GVWR or CGVWR of 10,001 lbs or more. Now, you wrote this- "My tractor is 3100 #, trailer is about the same 3100#, truck weighs in a little over 5000#. Tags on truck are 7K, trailer is 9K. So gross is under 16k. SO, I'm not commerical." The question is what is the CGVWR of the truck and trailer? Not what the truck or trailer weigh, but the GVWR off the data tag? Not what you have them registered for either. What do the data tags say? Look at it this way- if you have a 1/2 ton PU with a GVWR of 5500 lbs and a tandem axle trailer with a GVWR of 5K you have a CGVWR over 10,001 lbs. A 3/4 ton PU with a GVWR of 7500 lbs and "5 ton" trailer with a GVWR of 10K and you're way over the standard. A one ton PU like I just bought with a GVWR of 9990 and my wifes little single axle trailer with a GVWR of 1500 lbs and I'm a CMV IF and only IF I'm doing something farm related! That's the sticky point in all this- you aren't a CMV if you are just using your rig to haul home a new dining room set for your house or to run the old set to the Good Will store. If you are towing a new fridge to a rental with a truck a trailer with a GVWR of 10,001 lbs or more you ARE a CMV.
All this is dependent on whether or not your state did in fact adopt the FMCSR en masse as John noted. Check with that DOT cop in YOUR STATE to be sure. Sounds to me like they did and then, unlike my stupid state, they fine tuned it to actually make a little sense! :lol:
As far as the breakaway, the tether should be attached to a solid point on the truck, NOT to the hitch insert or clipped into the chains. That's an automatic Out Of Service violation. Look at it this way- the tether is supposed to activate the brakes int he event the trailer separates from the truck somehow. That means pretty much anything short of the whole hitch/bumper falling off the truck. This goes for goosenecks too. What you want to have is a tether that will clearly not "leave" with the trailer, the tether has to be short enough to be pulled BEFORE the chains come entirely tight, and has to be rigged so that the tether is not hampered from working. Iv'e seen dozens of people wrap the tether around the chains, have a 4 foot long tether that would never even come close to activating when the 16" of chain comes tight, or that clipped to the hitch insert. Use your head, you;re obviously a smart guy and this should be a no brainer.
The requirements for a fire ext may have changed a little on the 4 or 5 years since I retired, but basically, IIRC, you needed a dry powder B/C type of at least 2 lbs (might have that wrong, might want bigger) securely fastened in a accessible location. The little kitchen type ext were not quite up to code. You also needed at least 3 triangles or flares (forget how many). Get the triangles. Flares are expensive, don't last forever and are expensive! You're supposed to have a complete set of replacement fuses for all systems on the rig. Yeah, sure, a box of assorted fuses that actually fit the truck and trailer and you're good to go.
Tie down requirements are spelled out in the FMCSR. The pics you showed looked pretty good IIRC. A strap over the bucket and hoe bucket and you should be good. You will never have too many tie downs, but your tie downs have to be in good repair. A cut strap or a chain with a bad link can put you OOS. Oddly, if you have enough tie downs and the removal of the offending tie down doesn't reduce the required capacity, ie- you over strapped, you can be back in service simply be removing the offending strap or chain!
Talk to that guys son the DOT cop. Get it straight from him, get his name and phone number if you can. Scales are a State issue and talk to him about that too. That's the smart way to do it and something my partner and I encouraged people to do. We spent a LOT more time getting people up to speed over a cup of joe than we did writing tickets. Now, the guys that we did our best to get up to snuff that still played fast and loose, and there were a few, they got to see the down side to not working within the rules. I doubt you're one of them judging by your posts. We may not agree on wood burning, but you seem to want to do it "right".
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