Port of Entrys

[CMSGT]

This is probably a really stupid question but here goes. I drive my 5 ton out of the mountains of WY to my home in UT in the fall and then back to WY in the spring. I noticed today that the Port of Entrys call for all vehicles over 10,000# must stop at the port of entry. I must have missed the signs last time because I have never stopped. My question since I have NO experience witht his sort of thing is what should I expect at that station? I know I have to weigh but what type of paperwork should I have avaialble? I am planning on calling the DMV for info but any advice/info from experienced drivers would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[EO2NMCB]

Can't say what WY POE would ask you for with your 5 ton, but with a CMV they want to see your plate reg, IFTA permit and ask what you are hauling. All the scale masters in WY are really great people.

 

[jollyroger]

As far as I know The ports of entry are for commercial vehicles or if you are transporting livestock. Any diesel dually crew cab with a light load and some passengers weighs over 10000#. I have stopped at a CO POE with my flatbed trailer on because of the same sign and the guys inside asked me if I was hauling for hire? Nope. Did I have any livestock onboard? Nope. The guy said I don't have to stop and have a nice day. My Mom and Dad have a 38 foot motorcoach with full air brakes and it weighs 40,000#. We don't stop as it is considered a house car. I don't know where the 5 ton fits under those rules but I don't think I would just stop by while in transit and ask them. I would make the phone call first and try and figure it out before you get some guy at the port that thinks what you are doing is wrong but he can't find any regs or laws against it so he makes some stuff up. I've had LEO's do that to me before. That's a whole other story.

 

[shootiniron]

Just roll on by them,unless you're registered commercialy.Its always easier to get forgivness rather than permission.

 

[CMSGT]

My biggest concern if I roll by is a trooper who looks for things to write me up on. While I have the vehicle registered, insured, under the CDL weight...etc Id hate for an over zealous trooper to find SOMETHING to ruin my day. I agree that stopping at a weight station does seem unnecessary, fortunatley this will probably be the last time I do the drive from UT to WY as my plan now is to just leave it up in the mountains in the winter.

 

[Ruppster]

Your best bet would be to take half an hour to make some calls. I find Google to be a very easy way to find phone numbers for Port Of Entries. Because a 5 ton 6x6 has tandem rear axles it puts it right in to IFTA and IRP territory, regardless of the vehicles GVWR or registered weight, as soon as you drive out of your home state in to another. Some POE's will let you drive right to them to get permits (if you need them) while other states make you buy them before you cross the border in to their state. When I drove my semi truck from Alaska to Florida even though I was not for hire and was only hauling my own goods I had to stop at the scales. Because I did not have DOT numbers or IFTA stickers on the side of the truck they usually gave me a red light to pull over and come in to show my papers. Scale officials are usually nicer to deal with at the scale house and not along the side of the road when they are pissed about having to chase you down.

After getting hit with almost $600 in fines in NC for not having permits I find a little time spent on the phone is a lot better then getting hit with a ton of fines. If you do talk to someone that says you are fine and don't need permits or need to stop at the scale be sure to write down the date and time of call along with the name of the person you talked to. That way if a Commercial Law Enforcement officer pulls you over and tries to treat you as he would a commercial truck you will have something to back your claim with.

Ruppster

 

[jollyroger]

Your best bet would be to take half an hour to make some calls. I find Google to be a very easy way to find phone numbers for Port Of Entries. Because a 5 ton 6x6 has tandem rear axles it puts it right in to IFTA and IRP territory, regardless of the vehicles GVWR or registered weight, as soon as you drive out of your home state in to another. Some POE's will let you drive right to them to get permits (if you need them) while other states make you buy them before you cross the border in to their state. When I drove my semi truck from Alaska to Florida even though I was not for hire and was only hauling my own goods I had to stop at the scales. Because I did not have DOT numbers or IFTA stickers on the side of the truck they usually gave me a red light to pull over and come in to show my papers. Scale officials are usually nicer to deal with at the scale house and not along the side of the road when they are pissed about having to chase you down.

After getting hit with almost $600 in fines in NC for not having permits I find a little time spent on the phone is a lot better then getting hit with a ton of fines. If you do talk to someone that says you are fine and don't need permits or need to stop at the scale be sure to write down the date and time of call along with the name of the person you talked to. That way if a Commercial Law Enforcement officer pulls you over and tries to treat you as he would a commercial truck you will have something to back your claim with.

Ruppster

What he said.

Also I would like to add the National GVWR for a person with a class R license is 26000# regardless of configuration. This includes GCVWR which is Gross COMBINED vehicle wight rating. This includes your trailer. There are some restrictive exceptions like house cars, (Motorhomes) or farming use within a certain radius of the farm or on the way to market. What they care about is the GVWR or GCVWR, not what you are actually weighing while running. I found this one out the hard way. A M-35 by itself is under this 26000# rule. Add a trailer and not under the GCVWR. Any 5 ton is not just by itself. Thankfully the M-35 and the The M-800 series trucks look very similar so it is hard to tell the difference at a distance unless one is looking really hard. IMHO You either gotta be totally legal with the class A CDL and all the permits you need or you don't stop and plead ignorance and the lack of regular highway use if you get stopped.