# Farm Logo on Truck/Trailer



## Dan_GA (Dec 29, 2015)

So I was talking with my neighbor about putting my farm name and number on the tongue of the gooseneck so those that see me hauling through town know I exist. He brought up an interesting concern, when he mentioned that might put me in the realm of needing a CDL. Would CFV/MAP21 not protect me as a farmer delivering my goods to market? What are y'alls thoughts and opinions?


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## Smoothy (Apr 26, 2015)

Not positive on laws but everyone around here does it and I know most of them don't have a CDL.


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## Dan_GA (Dec 29, 2015)

That's what my thoughts were, but my neighbor has a CDL for other reasons. Not sure he's aware of MAP21 because it's irrelevant in his case. Did some more research and believe that even though I have the CFV exemption under MAP21, I think I'm still supposed to have a US DOT registration number, though not a MC registration. Leave it to the government to "simplify" something.


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

You can and are supposed to have your farm's name on your stuff. Just needs to be clearly marked "Not For Hire" especially on Farm plates. Here in Mass. They are pretty good to the Farmers as far as road rules go. 
As long as you have all your lights and triangle in good shape they will escourt you to curtail the traffic road rage from going so slow, LOL.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

Dan, the State laws will vary greatly from state to state; the US DOT regs should be regular between the states. Don't take MY word for it (or anyone else's word that doesn't live in your state or know your state's laws), but HERE, the ticket-passer-outers don't consider at US DOT as a requirement for a farmer delivering his own product within his own state. Hauling others' commodities changes the laws in a hurry. Delivering outside of home-state borders also changes it.

The was I see it, you can either talk to the local law enforcement (they're are the ones that will be seeing you driving around) to find their interpretation of the laws, or you could modify your sign on the trailer to something like this

If LOST or abandoned call:

*DAN'S HAY ANYPLACE ,GA 555-1212*

or drop in any mailbox; postage guaranteed.

More than one way to skin a possum!! 

Mark


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

Put the name on the door, no downside to it. The dot number is a little different. You shouldn't need it if not crossing state lines. New applicant's for the # now have to go thru more hassle as part of the process plus some bi yearly reports.


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## Dan_GA (Dec 29, 2015)

Thanks guys!


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## Dan_GA (Dec 29, 2015)

skyrydr2 said:


> You can and are supposed to have your farm's name on your stuff. Just needs to be clearly marked "Not For Hire" especially on Farm plates. Here in Mass. They are pretty good to the Farmers as far as road rules go.
> As long as you have all your lights and triangle in good shape they will escourt you to curtail the traffic road rage from going so slow, LOL.


Don't really have any issues with road rage around here. It's an Ag community and this time of year you expect at least one tractor. Most people even wait for passing zones before they go around. Did have one guy honk once when he passed but I think he was saying "hi." I can even head to the field around 5pm with no issues.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

In PA I've been pulled over a few times for inspections. You need to have DOT#, PA license# and company name.
This was told to me by a PA state trooper. He didn't seem to want to cite me or anyone else for not having company name on truck. However, DOT # seemed important. Luckily, I was in good standing. Just got a seat belt warning. 
In my 35+ driving big and small trucks, the only thing I have found with highway patrolmen (and bull dy..., I mean lady officers), is that they are consistently inconsistent with their answers and interpretations of the law.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

JD3430 said:


> In my 35+ driving big and small trucks, the only thing I have found with highway patrolmen (and bull dy..., I mean lady officers), is that they are consistently inconsistent with their answers and interpretations of the law.


That is one of the worst things that I find with the law-enforcement community; lack of consistency.
The laws pertaining to traffic/vehicles is overwhelming and no one person could remember every single exemption for everything, every single wording of each law.

Such as the conversation on this site a while back about the need or no-need for license plates on a horse trailer in this state. I posted the law to a fellow member, but he stated that the person at the DMV told him otherwise. I don't bring that up that to say that the member was wrong for taking their word for it, but to illustrate that the "authorities" make mistakes...they're bound to make an error every once in a while on the smaller laws...they're working from memory of the law as they last remember it; it may have changed since they read it last...if ever.

If you find yourself dealing with obscure laws pertaining to such things as JD was speaking about the DOT numbers and whatnot (as a lot of us working within AG exemptions/laws do), it wouldn't hurt to have the pertaining-law printed out and in your glove compartment if you can predict which ones consistently are challenged or wrongly enforced in your area of travel.

That will give you a 50/50 chance; depends on who pulls you over. It seems like there are two types of police officers. One kind puts his uniform over his body to indicate HIS authority; he probably won't read the law and might even take offense that you are questioning HIS authority. The other type of officer climbs INTO his uniform to carry out the authority that the uniform represents; that officer will probably read what you have to offer and be thankful for the knowledge and correction. Good luck with that!! 

Mark


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I agree, especially in this arena....

No farmer in any state should have to have a DOT number....if you're not a motor carrier and not a broker and you are hauling your items, no DOT number is required


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## Lewis Ranch (Jul 15, 2013)

somedevildawg said:


> I agree, especially in this arena....
> No farmer in any state should have to have a DOT number....if you're not a motor carrier and not a broker and you are hauling your items, no DOT number is required


Gotta have one in Texas along with Texas DMV number. Had to get mine in 2012.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

glasswrongsize said:


> That is one of the worst things that I find with the law-enforcement community; lack of consistency.
> The laws pertaining to traffic/vehicles is overwhelming and no one person could remember every single exemption for everything, every single wording of each law.
> 
> Such as the conversation on this site a while back about the need or no-need for license plates on a horse trailer in this state. I posted the law to a fellow member, but he stated that the person at the DMV told him otherwise. I don't bring that up that to say that the member was wrong for taking their word for it, but to illustrate that the "authorities" make mistakes...they're bound to make an error every once in a while on the smaller laws...they're working from memory of the law as they last remember it; it may have changed since they read it last...if ever.
> ...


Yeah, good luck with that INDEED!!!

Had the same thing here with these little Dudley Do-Right pricks that are still wet behind the ears but think they know EVERYTHING!!! I had one in town tell me that EVERYTHING on the road had to have plates, including "implements of husbandry" such as tractors, disks, implements, cotton wagons, etc. I called BS on that one, printed off the law from the DPS website CLEARLY STATING that my trailer did NOT have to have plates (any trailer less than 3500 GVWR in Texas does NOT have to have plates ACCORDING TO THE LAW, BUT, 99% of the STUPID cops with a bad attitude and a lot of the court clerks and other know-nothings SAY that you DO, so what can you do??)

The first time I took in the print-out and the judge looked at it, handed it to her clerk, told her to run a copy of that and "put it in his box" (the cop's) and told her to dismiss my ticket... Good, but still I had to take the extra time to find it on the net, print it out, and take it in to the judge hat in hand and HOPE that she did WHAT THE **LAW** SAID instead of what **SHE** wanted to do...

Got stopped again one night coming home after working on fence all day, by some little baby prick cop, same song and dance. I tried to show him a copy of the law and he told me outright, "Save it for the judge, sign here..." Took it to the JP and of course I can't see her directly, so I get some know-nothing clerk that starts some spiel about how I have to 'go to your county tax office, have them inspect the trailer, and write us a letter on their letterhead saying it's exempt if *by their estimation* it is less than 3500 GVWR..." I was like, "Here's the law right here-- it says NOTHING about having to have a "letter" from any "tax office" that "allows" me NOT to have to buy a tag... it just says, "if it's less than 3500 GVW trailer, it DOES NOT require a license plate!" To this, know-nothing replies, "Oh, no, EVERYTHING **MUST** have a license plate-- my husband had to get farm plates for all his farm trailers... they're only $5... if you don't want to be stopped ALL THE TIME, you might as well go buy a $5 farm plate and be done with it!"

SO, basically, the LAW doesn't mean SH!T... the "law" is whatever the A-hole behind the badge or desk SAYS it means, NOT what is in the [email protected] law book... Just another reason this country is going straight to hell in a handbasket...

When the LAW means whatever the knucklehead on the other side of the desk or badge WANTS it to mean, we're on a VERY slippery slope... and it's getting worse all the time!

I don't cut them any slack, either... KNOWING THE FRIGGING LAW THEY'RE ENFORCING is PART OF THEIR FRIGGIN' JOB!!! If you don't know the LAW, you have NO BUSINESS enforcing it! Too many of these cops have the attitude now that EVERYTHING is some sort of life-threatening thing... why so many come out guns drawn or want to throw granny in the dirt and kneel on the back of her head to cuff her over something that would have warranted a finger-wagging and "be more careful next time!" speech 50 years ago, when they still had SOME COMMON FRIGGING SENSE!!! Why we're getting ever closer to a police state...

Later! OL J R


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Lewis Ranch said:


> Gotta have one in Texas along with Texas DMV number. Had to get mine in 2012.


I don't know why....perhaps the laws have changed since '12. According to USDOT, it's not a requirement. They should be the authority having jurisdiction over this matter in ALL states....is the one you have to have issued from TDOT and allow for transportation just in TX? We have no such requirement with GDOT and any requirement put forth would not be applicable in any other state.....that is generally why all states look to the USDOT for guidance and compliance.

You may have asked before MAP21, it covers this as well....all states should have adopted MAP21 by now, it was a federal law...


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Trump could clear up all this bullshit with one meeting in an hour with our best guys at the bargaining table.
I vote Glasswrongsize (Mark), Slowzuki (Ken-great for shock value cause he have to sit with Trump and maybe make him into a conservative haha) and Luke StrawWalker (so we could get all the stuff that ticks us off over to Trump so we can simplify things for farmers).

Would be a sight to see!!!!


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I just wanna be the usher....for when we pass the hat around ya know, down here any Meetn like that will have two things....food and a plate,hat, etc....and some sweet tea


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

Dawg, won't be needing no ushers. If'n a feller wansta sit a spell and he has to look fer a spot, it's his own fault fer driving sumn without a tailgate in the first place. 

And JD, I know you didn't mean no offense, but that's awful close to the old Chinese curse which (loosly translated) says "may you gain the attention of the authorities". If'n it's all right with all y'all, I'd just as soon stay in my bunker til this passes.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Damn it man....thought I'd done went and found me a payin' job.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Hahahahahahaha!!!!!
Mark, It's just that you have this what cha' call innate ability to articulate things so well!! 
Trump would roll over and probably give all us farmers what we want!!


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## Lewis Ranch (Jul 15, 2013)

somedevildawg said:


> I don't know why....perhaps the laws have changed since '12. According to USDOT, it's not a requirement. They should be the authority having jurisdiction over this matter in ALL states....is the one you have to have issued from TDOT and allow for transportation just in TX? We have no such requirement with GDOT and any requirement put forth would not be applicable in any other state.....that is generally why all states look to the USDOT for guidance and compliance.
> You may have asked before MAP21, it covers this as well....all states should have adopted MAP21 by now, it was a federal law...


I'm not sure map21 was in place then or not, 12' is when I bought my first semi. Anything over 26k gvwr has to have a usdot number in Texas and In Oklahoma as well all though Oklahoma is more lenient then Texas on the matters.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Lewis Ranch said:


> I'm not sure map21 was in place then or not, 12' is when I bought my first semi. Anything over 26k gvwr has to have a usdot number in Texas and In Oklahoma as well all though Oklahoma is more lenient then Texas on the matters.


I don't know what the heck has happened to Texas... getting as bad as Commiefornia...

Too [email protected] many "imports" if you ask me... and not from 'south of the border' either...

Later! OL J R


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

luke strawwalker said:


> I don't know what the heck has happened to Texas... getting as bad as Commiefornia...
> 
> Too [email protected] many "imports" if you ask me... and not from 'south of the border' either...
> 
> ...


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

luke strawwalker said:


> I don't know what the heck has happened to Texas... getting as bad as Commiefornia...
> 
> Too [email protected] many "imports" if you ask me... and not from 'south of the border' either...
> 
> Later! OL J R


It might not be as bad as it sounds with the USDOT/Texas DOT number in Texas. I might have fell into the trap of assuming that Dan (OP) was talking about a pickup and @20' gooseneck and grossing <26,000#. I think Lewis Ranch was speaking of tractor trailer >26000#

26,001# is the magic number for the feds and a lot of states. Some of the states have exemptions for hauling your own product (in excess of 26k#) AG product to an end-user, some might not.

Mark

I'm often wrong; I'm rarely in doubt!!! :huh:


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Lol he's to busy rolling out Obamas plan for Afghanistan and Iraq to bother with license plates!

Seriously if they would write the darned law clearly it would save a lot of trouble later on. Maybe publish a little idiots guide to the law in plain language for the government clerks, police and public.

While at it, align rules between states too. Here I'm legal in my province with a farm plate but I'm breaking the law to cross Quebec, unless I'm towing a 5th wheel camper instead of a gooseneck!



JD3430 said:


> Trump could clear up all this bullshit with one meeting in an hour with our best guys at the bargaining table.
> I vote Glasswrongsize (Mark), Slowzuki (Ken-great for shock value cause he have to sit with Trump and maybe make him into a conservative haha) and Luke StrawWalker (so we could get all the stuff that ticks us off over to Trump so we can simplify things for farmers).
> 
> Would be a sight to see!!!!


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

"Obamas Plan"
Ahahahahahaha. Ken that's so funny.
Militarily, Obama, even with his Harvard education, only knows how to do ONE thing: surrender early and often. 
Obama is a loser and only knows losing as a strategy. Losing helps create victims. And Obama loves "victims"


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## Lewis Ranch (Jul 15, 2013)

When I was just running a 1 ton and gooseneck I never worried about dot #s it's only after I added the first semi to my operation. I was doing lots of running back then, New Mexico Oklahoma Arkansas Tennessee Louisiana, the way the law is wrote im required to have jt although the main reason I got my number and why I still keep them is in case of a bad accident. This is a lawsuit happy world and anytime a tractor trailer is involved the ambulance chasers come running. I figure the more legal I am the less likely I am to loose the farm. I had a dually hauling hay involved in a fatality accident in 14' and although my driver wasn't at fault it was still an insurance battle for nearly a year.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

If you look at policy and the actions in the middle east and Afghanistan, Obama followed the same general approach as Bush, and Trump is doing more of the same. The only major shake up lately is the withdrawal of support to a bunch of the moderate opposition groups in Syria who will now undoubtable have to align or be beaten by the islamist groups or the Syrian/Iranian forces.

Will be interesting to see if Iran is able to build their "Shite corridor" through Iraq and Syria in the race to occupy vacated ISIS territory.



JD3430 said:


> "Obamas Plan"
> Ahahahahahaha. Ken that's so funny.
> Militarily, Obama, even with his Harvard education, only knows how to do ONE thing: surrender early and often.
> Obama is a loser and only knows losing as a strategy. Losing helps create victims. And Obama loves "victims"


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

slowzuki said:


> If you look at policy and the actions in the middle east and Afghanistan, Obama followed the same general approach as Bush, and Trump is doing more of the same. The only major shake up lately is the withdrawal of support to a bunch of the moderate opposition groups in Syria who will now undoubtable have to align or be beaten by the islamist groups or the Syrian/Iranian forces.
> 
> Will be interesting to see if Iran is able to build their "Shite corridor" through Iraq and Syria in the race to occupy vacated ISIS territory.


Bullshit.....it is not the same "general approach" as Bush or Obama. It'll be interesting for for you to see, but that's all you'll do is sit back and see and then judge from a distance. Your a sideliner....You have no idea the sacrifices made by both Canadian and US forces in the war in Afghanistan, some gave their lives, some left limbs, but all left with scars. War is not pretty but objectives have to be clear and defined, not to the press but to the military leaders. You my man will be left to Monday morning quarterbacking, you're very good at that....typical progressive liberal.

For the sake of mankind, I hope we come away with a result that achieves some type of victory over radical ideology....perhaps that's gonna mean some additional lives are gonna be lost, that's what pisses me off....we've had 16 years of fighting with our hands tied, telling the opposition every move we make, bullshit rules of engagement.....that's fixing to change, you can take that to the bank

In so far as the law covering USDOT laws.....we have Obama to thank for that Map 21 and it should have been adopted by every state in the union by now.....a real forgotten victory for farmers. We were too busy cussin the POS....
Unless your state has not adopted map 21, there is no USDOT requirement for the aforementioned uses. Georgia was the first state to adopt it, Florida was not far behnd......


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I say forgotten because I started a thread about Map 21 several years ago but got no posts in return, it was like it didn't even happen. I was following it purty close.....


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

It's been a few years since reading the language, but I believe if a neighboring state adopted it, it allowed the farmer to travel into the neighboring state under the same guidelines


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

somedevildawg said:


> It's been a few years since reading the language, but I believe if a neighboring state adopted it, it allowed the farmer to travel into the neighboring state under the same guidelines


I believe thats the way it reads,to me anyway that you can go across the state line for xx miles without DOT # or name on door.BUT a friend of mine took his magnetic sign off and sure as shit he gets stopped and gets a ticket for not having it on leaving salebarn 23 miles across the border.

Every state seems to be different which is BS


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## Dan_GA (Dec 29, 2015)

glasswrongsize said:


> It might not be as bad as it sounds with the USDOT/Texas DOT number in Texas. I might have fell into the trap of assuming that Dan (OP) was talking about a pickup and @20' gooseneck and grossing <26,000#. I think Lewis Ranch was speaking of tractor trailer >26000#
> 
> 26,001# is the magic number for the feds and a lot of states. Some of the states have exemptions for hauling your own product (in excess of 26k#) AG product to an end-user, some might not.
> 
> ...


Yep... 2500HD DMax has max towing capacity of 17,100 and pulling a 25', 14k goose. GCWR will be below 26k. I'm very conscious of the 26k, though that truck could handle a lot more.


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## dbergh (Jun 3, 2010)

Idaho law gives farmers an Ag Exemption within 150 mile radius if hauling your own product.. No CDL required. Dont know that there is any requirement one way or another with the advertising aspect. We have our Farm name and phone number on our rigs and have never had any issues. The Semi does have a DOT number as it is interstate and we do need the CDL to go outside our local radius.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

What I'm Seeing around here lately are a home made sign, like a piece of cardboard that says "FARM USE" on it taped to the door and where the license plate normally is mounted. Not junky trucks, either. I'm paying a small ransome for a commercial tag so I can use my truck for other purposes. 
Something tells me they're using their untagged trucks for other purposes, too.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

dbergh said:


> Idaho law gives farmers an Ag Exemption within 150 mile radius if hauling your own product.. No CDL required. Dont know that there is any requirement one way or another with the advertising aspect. We have our Farm name and phone number on our rigs and have never had any issues. The Semi does have a DOT number as it is interstate and we do need the CDL to go outside our local radius.


Have you checked with your dmv to see why they haven't adopted MAP 21? It would allow the same rules to apply within the entire state of Idaho, not just 150 miles.....and no DOT if used for agricultural purposes


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