Will such set up attract attention of DOT?

[oNdAnSONdE]

I am hauling mostly household - furniture, couches, boxes across like 35 different states. Nothing obviously commercial, but sometimes motorcycles, or a tanning bed. Trailer is 32' former toy hauler which has been gutted for more room, and added rub rails. Bus has no seats, just a small kitchenette and a sleeper above cab. GVWR for bus is 14,000 lbs, for trailer is 13,000 lbs. Weight sticker is gone on the railer though. It's a duramax with 6 speed, so pulls relatively well.

I have done over 100,000 miles across the country with an older Chevy window van and a regular 24' enclosed cargo trailer with GVWR of 9900# and have never gone to a weight station or been bothered by them. Money is good but again my only expense is fuel and oil/tires... I am looking to upgrade my set up for bigger hauling capacity but I wonder if this will expose me.
I do not really want to go in the DOT/MC territory, as reading alone about those endless regulations drives me mad. What happens if I go through a weigh station with this and pretend to be just a regular person?

Thanks.

 

[uriykir]

You'll probably get away with it for awhile, but they will eventually pull you over and if you don't have everything proper... There will be a floodgate of fines. Pretty cool setup though.


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[tknight]

Hauling stuff for money my friend is commercial and a gvw of 27k is cdl ,medical card ,Ifta taxes on fuel ,dot number , mc number and commercial insurance ! Plus other things
In other words your a dot dream come true better carry a lot of cash for those tickets they'll keep coming!


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[xiggi]

His only expense is fuel, oil, tires? SMH

 

[tknight]

His only expense is fuel, oil, tires? SMH

What about federal commercial insurance minimums


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[danthewolf00]

He's a uship accident waiting to happen.

 

[TeamCaffee]

When we talk about cheap freight you are the problem. You are a criminal as far as I am concerned.

Looking at the picture the trailer in not attached to the bus. What about freight securement? I can think of a list a mile long of how your set up is what is hurting our industry.

We pay our taxes, our registration and we follow the rules to haul freight legal and that adds to the rates we need.

 

[fastman_1]

Shipping Wars was canceled! You should be too.


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[FreightTrain37]

Its people like you that make the government keep coming up with new regulations. Had my authority for 10 years. Once or twice a year I would have a dot officer at my house for an audit. One year my testing consortium sent me for 11 random drug tests. Always did everything above board though because the money was so good. When I got sick of the dot I didn't decide to become a felon, I quit and opened a antique store. You might think your being slick but the first time you get into an accident they are going to lock you up and impound your vehicle freight and all. Then your going to get buried under a mountain of fines and lawsuits.

 

[oNdAnSONdE]

Thanks for your empathy. I do realize all the potential that might happen and thoughts about it have always been a major source of frustration for me. I have done tons of research and also read this forum almost daily.

I can change either bus or trailer to keep total GVW under 26k to skip the whole CDL and IFTA thing. The rest stays I guess. How to deal with it if it's mostly a seasonal business? I don't want to be paying $1000s a month in commercial insurance in the winter months, when I don't run. Please tell me what are the all permanent monthly expenses when you stay at home?

TeamCaffee, you're right, on the picture the trailer isn't connected to bus. Just proof of concept. Why is freight securement a concern? Some stuff is strapped inside if you're curious, but all cargo is enclosed anyway. I would love to see your mile-long list please!

 

[fastman_1]

Thanks for your empathy. I do realize all the potential that might happen and thoughts about it have always been a major source of frustration for me. I have done tons of research and also read this forum almost daily.

I can change either bus or trailer to keep total GVW under 26k to skip the whole CDL and IFTA thing. The rest stays I guess. How to deal with it if it's mostly a seasonal business? I don't want to be paying $1000s a month in commercial insurance in the winter months, when I don't run. Please tell me what are the all permanent monthly expenses when you stay at home?

TeamCaffee, you're right, on the picture the trailer isn't connected to bus. Just proof of concept. Why is freight securement a concern? Some stuff is strapped inside if you're curious, but all cargo is enclosed anyway. I would love to see your mile-long list please!

It's very simple, we don't stay home, we run freight 12 months a year, this ain't no hobby. If you want to be a real expediter, sell your junk by a real van or straight truck lease on a to real carrier and leave your Uship in the dust,


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[oNdAnSONdE]

It's very simple, we don't stay home, we run freight 12 months a year, this ain't no hobby. If you want to be a real expediter, sell your junk by a real van or straight truck lease on a to real carrier and leave your Uship in the dust,

I don't like winters. Too cold, mostly dark miles, blizzards, delays, no fun! And most importantly - way less loads in my niche. And btw, how is my equipment junk? I don't haul pallets...

 

[xiggi]

Over 10001 you still have to scale, empty or loaded. If you don't want to pay for the right insurance then you shouldnt.be hauling for pay. I kinda doubt I don't want to is a legal excuse

 

[fastman_1]

I don't like winters. Too cold, mostly dark miles, blizzards, delays, no fun! And most importantly - way less loads in my niche. And btw, how is my equipment junk? I don't haul pallets...

The fact that you asked that question proves your just a wannabe. Go get a real job, trust me if I ever see that junk on the highway I'll be more than happy to drop a dime on your illegal operation.


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[danthewolf00]

Wow you realllllly don't get it....your trying to find a way to do this job cheaply and cut corners.....and if I ever see you at a shipper and you don't strap a pallet down I will call the cops myself because a lose pallet becomes a projectile in a accident.
Ever see what a roll of steel does when it gets thrown? Or one of those big new rolls of paper. Same thing as a lose load in your van/trailer.

 

[brokcanadian]

Buy a cheap straight truck and park it when it gets cold (or head south) I can't imagine you earning anywhere close to good rates no matter how much stuff you cram in there

BTW whatever you have for insurance is null and void. Read your policy on commercial, you're not covered - people on here are trying to help, you aren't factoring in risk and you don't control everybody else on the road smashing into you and exposing this operation

 

[oNdAnSONdE]

danthewolf00, first, for some reason you wrongfully assumed that I do not strap loads inside. Of course I do and I do it safely. Put a nick on that mid-century chest and you just hauled it for free... Second - I do not transport heavy low paying things like rolls of steel, machinery, vehicles, etc. One such roll will overload my van or trailer, it's just not worth it.

brokcanadian, it is just that, what you can't imagine doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I have read on this forum that netting $2k/wk is considered big money. Seriously?

 

[xiggi]

I am hauling mostly household - furniture, couches, boxes across like 35 different states. Nothing obviously commercial, but sometimes motorcycles, or a tanning bed.

Money is good but again my only expense is fuel and oil/tires...

Thanks.

 

[fastman_1]

Doesn't uship have a forum you can join? You and Jarrett can compare busses! Oh wait he got busted and fined big money. Had to go belly up.


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[Turtle]

I have read on this forum that netting $2k/wk isconsidered big money. Seriously?

Yes. Seriously. But of course, it's much easier to net more money when you do it illegally. That's the main impetus behind most illegal ventures. Since you have openly admitted that you regularly and routinely engage in illegal activity as a business model, and have even expressed a desire to find ways to continue to do so, including solicitation of those ideas, I strongly suggest you read the Code of Conduct with regard to the discussions of illegal activities here in EO.

http://expeditersonline.com/forums/threads/eo-code-of-conduct-for-open-forum.65667/