Hey Guys,
I was wondering what everyone is doing for registration on 5-Tons in Florida. There are a few other threads going for other states but I couldn't find anything on Florida. Trying to figure out how I want to approach registering my truck. Thanks for any input!
Edit: I was banking on Florida having a higher weight class for a non-commercial license like other states but it doesn't look like that is the case. At least from what I have been able to find.
Edit2: I found this under "CDL Exemptions" on the Florida DMV Site:
That is corect, Florida only has two types; regular license or commercial. They don't have a non-commercial class A or B. As far as the CDL exemptions I ran across that quote several years ago too. What doesn't make sense to me is that they are saying you can drive any size truck regardless of what the GVWR is with any size trailer as long as the truck itself is meant to carry cargo on it (like a flatbed or moving truck) but if the truck in question is built for the sole purpose of pulling a trailer and does not have the ability to carry cargo on it directly (like a semi truck tractor with a fifth wheel setup) and it has a GVWR over 26,000 pounds then you have to have a Class B CDL (Class A if you pull a trailer with a rating over 10,000 pounds), even if the truck is an antique and will not used to haul anything at all (i.e. it will never go over the 26,000 pound mark). That makes no sense to me at all.
When I did a run to Starke I called the Fldot and taked to the head of the law enforcement dept. and he told me as long as I was driveing my on truck to get my on stuff not for profit,I could be in anything up to 80000 lbs and 75 feet. No cdl
I have driven through Florida with an out of state rig twice and while I didn't have any issues with Florida about needing a CDL (have even been stopped for random log book checks and when they found out I was not for hire I was let go) I did have to get something else. Because I was over 26,000 pounds I had to buy permits, one for weight and one for fuel. Some officials I talked to said that since I was not for hire I didn't need them but most most officials have said I do. On my latest trip in to Florida I got stopped at the weigh scale for not having IRP or an IFTA sticker. When I explained to the gent that I was not for profit and I was only moving my own stuff he told me that that didn't matter, I was crossing the scale at 42,000 pounds and being not for commerce didn't mean anything. I tried to argue the point with the guy but was beating a dead horse. He was just about to write me up when I pulled out my permits. Boy, did that piss him off but he couldn't do a thing about it.
I have read several different regs pertaining to this issue and it is a really gray area. Some regs mentions needing them if you are doing commerce from one region to another while other regs word it to say that if you are driving from one region to another you need IRP/IFTA or permits. I got nailed for $600 in fines in NC for not having IFTA/IRP and I was driving a truck/trailer combo that was over 26,000 pounds. It was my own truck and I was not for hire but that didn't mean anything. ATHS has been trying to get a letter from the folks at IFTA that shows antique trucks are exempt from IFTA for the last several years and have yet to get such a letter.
On top of all this if you have a deuce and a half and drive it out of state you may be in need of IFTA/IRP (or permits) due to the tandem rear axles. Even though a deuce and a half is under the 26,001 pound cutoff pertaining to CDL's the regs pertaining to IRP/IFTA say that the weight rating becomes a moot point when the truck in question has tandem axles in the rear.
He might be right, but the state trooper won't care and will write the ticket. You might win the argument, but it will be argued in front of a judge. I'm in the same boat. I just bought a 5ton 818 and now I know the best thing to do is get a CDL class A. I didn't want to, but it is the right thing to do for me. I don't like to worry about things like this.
Just my
I had this arguement many times with different scale officials during cross country trips and while I had several tell me I was not properly licensed I never had one write me a ticket. At the time I was licensed for Virginia and when the scale officials brought up my lack of a Class A CDL I told them Virginia followed federal guidelines about CDL's and that since I was not for hire I didn't need one. Even had copies of the regs to prove it but it all fell on def ears. They kept telling me I was wrong but that they weren't going to cite me for it. They seemed more worried about whether I had IRP or IFTA then they did about my license.
You will only be required to get a Class A, if you plan on pulling a trailer. If you keep the weight under 26K, and drive it as a single unit, you don't need the CDL.
I don't think 26,000 pounds is an issue. From what the Florida DMV web site indicates is that as long as the truck can carry cargo on it directly then the GVWR does not mean anything and you can have as heavy a truck as you want and carry as much stuff as you want without needing a CDL. Plus it sounds like you can tow a trailer with a GVWR in excess of 10,000 pounds as long as the truck doing it is not a tractor trailer truck. The fun part is while I have read this on the Florida DMV web site I have yet to come across this in the state statutes. All I have found in the statutes is that a CDL is required (based on GVWR) if you are in commerce. If you are not for hire then no CDL is needed regardless of what kind of truck you are driving. I have yet to find anything in the statutes that says you must have a CDL for a tractor/trailer combo if you are not for hire.
Anyhow, back to the original question about registration. You have three different options in Florida.
1.) You can go with permanent antique tags. Pay one fee and that's it. The catch is you are restricted as far as what you use the vehicle for.
2.) Annual antique tags. Looks like the permanent antique tag but has an annual sticker on it and must be renewed every year. The plus side is there is no restriction pertaining to use. Drive it as much as you want, can even use it as a daily driver. The down side is if the vehicle's empty weight is 5,000 pounds or more you must pay for a weighted tag. This means you have to pay for registration based on how much weight you plan on hauling/towing with the truck. The cost can start to add up real quick with a weighted tag.
3.) The last option is to just get regular tags. They are weighted tags too (based on the same weight rate that would be used for option 2 above) but may be a few bucks cheaper the option 2 as you don't have to pay the extra fee for the antique plate.
Ruppster
I'm 18 and have my CDL. I can only operate Intrastate until I'm 21
