Registering M931A2 semi tractor tomorrow -- 80,000 plates reasonable or overkill?

[ichudov]

I am going to go and register my M931A2 semi tractor tomorrow and I will use it for commercial use, such as hauling scrap metal and equipment to nearby scrap yards.

My question is what plate to get, as registrations and HVUT get expensive with higher plates.

Specifically, does it make sense to register it for 80,000 lbs gross combined weight? Would it ever be able to haul as much for local business, with very little to no OTR use?

How much gross combination weight can it realistically be expected to handle?

Thanks

 

[Suprman]

Whatever is on the data plate

 

[wreckerman893]

My son was a Petroleum Specialist in the Army and they pulled the 7000 gallon fuel tankers with the M900 series trucks. I think grossing out a 5-ton with 80,000 pounds would be pushing it past it's limits. It's not getting it up to speed it's getting it to stop in a panic situation you have to worry about.

 

[quickfarms]

Registering M931A2 semi tractor tomorrow -- 80,000 plates reasonable or overkil

My son was a Petroleum Specialist in the Army and they pulled the 7000 gallon fuel tankers with the M900 series trucks. I think grossing out a 5-ton with 80,000 pounds would be pushing it past it's limits. It's not getting it up to speed it's getting it to stop in a panic situation you have to worry about.

7000 gallons if diesel weighs 50,050 lbs, if you combine that with the weight of the tractor and trailer it would be at least 80,000 lbs.

Stopping it is not an issue if the brakes are properly adjusted.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Figure out what the max weight you will haul is, plus the tractor and trailer weight. If you think 60,000lbs is enough, plate it for that. Just don't get caught going over your plate limit.

In my mind it is better to be plated higher than to be ticketed for going over a lower plate. The fines outweigh the plate cost by a lot.

When I was hauling WVO with my tanker and M818, I had 80k plates. Why? because sometimes the loaded rig would weigh 69,345lbs, and sometimes 75,678. I just wanted to be covered. It was only $75 a year more for the 80k plate than the 75k plate.

 

[zout]

Seeing as your going to run Commercial - have you paid attention to a required VIR (vehicle inspection book) that has to be filled out daily with pre and post trip info - DOT does not care about pre trip info - they require POST trip daily recorded. Under Commercial you also have to carry the previous days POST trip recorded document with you. You are also requiure to maintain a 90 days filing of the VIR reports. After 90 days get rid of them as they are not required or can be requested by the DOT if they audit you.

The unit requires a maintenance file kept for a full year - on the back of its file folder the UNITS complete information has to be recorded.

 

[ichudov]

Yes, I have another semi truck, so I am a "trucking company" already, we try to comply with all of that.

Additionally, I wrote a program that prints out DVIR's that are prefilled with all particulars, such as days, driver's name, truck/tractor name, trailer name etc. All that the driver needs to do is put his signature, and note any defects ni the checkboxes. But the driver does not need to write in his name, dates, truck or trailer information etc, just sign.

 

[originalstarhauler]

Dont forget your running a commercial vehicle you might need to run a log book if you travel to far.

 

[Csm Davis]

As long as you are just running local and not real fast it will handle 80 just fine