heitjer

Sorry for not being clear. Its was my understanding that the officials made 100% sure this was my owned trailer and it was not used commercially or as farm equipment to be considered to be used under this non commercial Class A type. It took a while for them to allow the test drive to start. They asked for the title and the registration details for the trailer and the truck and went inside for 30 minutes to check on this before we could start the test drive.  

4 hours ago, MrTuxTravels said:

 My plan was to rent a dump trailer that has a GVWR of 14,000 lbs from Big Tex Trailer World to take the skills test since its pretty close to the Fort Worth testing center so that will minimize my risk driving without the proper license to the testing site and possible insurance not paying if there is an accident.

1. Since I have to certify on the application that I'm getting the license for an RV, will they allow me to take the test with a dump trailer?

2. Also, which option would a dump trailer even fall under on this list?

The renting of a trailer will not work for you.

Here is my situation. I have a large horse trailer (17.5k#) and a large low boy (14k#). Both get me over 26k#. When I filled out the paper work I crossed both option but the officials would only allow me to cross one. So I opted for the low boy and they asked why this is a recreational item. I told them that I need this to haul hay for my farm and equipment to/from the deer lease. Then I showed up with the low boy trailer and luckily I had all the registration paper work and the ownership papers with me. They wanted to see that this trailer was not registered as a commercial trailer, was not registered as a farm trailer (I do not have a farm exemption) so that it would fall under the claimed recreational category. 

After that it was a breeze. Its much easier to drive a 20ft low boy then a 38ft horse trailer around in Pasadena. But the officials were confused all the way with this option. 

Anyhow - all worked out for me. I think there is no visibility later to what vehicle you took to the test ones you have the class A document in hand.

Good luck!

Quick Update from today! 

I thought its Friday and I have nothing better to do so I decided to take a trip North to Conroe and visit the DPS department. 

They seemed to be well versed in what I was trying to do. I explained that I have two trailers and ask what I should check, the Farm Trailer for the low boy or the recreational for the horse trailer. The lady said that she was not allowed to suggest anything as this was an affidavit. So I checked the Farm Trailer box after I explained that I need this to haul my tractor from A to B. 

Everything else was simple, scan thumbs, vision control, photo, etc, paid $11 and got a number and password to schedule a practical test online. I could have taken the written test right there but did not study for it. The lady then dismissed me by saying that I only need to study section 14. 

Easy breeze in Conroe!

Needed forms:

• CDL-2 (Rev 11/14)
• DL-43

I just looked up the legislative text: I highlighted some things in red where I need help with. 

- what constitutes a farmer, I have 6.5 acres but I am not farm exempt. I haul a tractor to and from my my deer lease. 
- there is a definition below what 'recreational' means. So I guess a low boy is not recreational.

§ 522.004. APPLICABILITY.  (a) This chapter does not 
apply to:            
		(1)  a vehicle that is controlled and operated by a 
farmer and:             
			(A)  used to transport agricultural products, 
farm machinery, or farm supplies to or from a farm;
			(B)  used within 150 miles of the person's farm;  
and                      
			(C)  not used in the operations of a common or 
contract motor carrier;     
		(2)  a fire-fighting or emergency vehicle necessary to 
the preservation of life or property or the execution of emergency 
governmental functions, whether operated by an employee of a 
political subdivision or by a volunteer fire fighter;
		(3)  a military vehicle, when operated for military 
purposes by military personnel, including:
			(A)  active duty military personnel, including 
personnel serving in the United States Coast Guard;  and
			(B)  members of the reserves and national guard on 
active duty, including personnel on full-time national guard duty, 
personnel engaged in part-time training, and national guard 
military technicians;
		(4)  a recreational vehicle that is driven for personal 
use;                
		(5)  a vehicle that is owned, leased, or controlled by 
an air carrier, as defined by Section 21.155, and that is driven or 
operated exclusively by an employee of the air carrier only on the 
premises of an airport, as defined by Section 22.001, on service 
roads to which the public does not have access;  or
		(6)  a vehicle used exclusively to transport seed 
cotton modules or cotton burrs.
	(b)  In this section, "recreational vehicle" means a motor 
vehicle primarily designed as temporary living quarters for 
recreational camping or travel use.  The term includes a travel 
trailer, camping trailer, truck camper, and motor home.

Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.  Amended 
by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1061, § 13, eff. Sept. 1, 1997;  Acts 
2005, 79th Leg., ch. 357, § 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2005.

All,

I have a Horse Trailer with Living Quarters (17,500#) and a low boy (14,000#). I intend to pull this with a Dually (14,000#). 

I am just back from the DPS Office in Humble, TX. All I wanted to do is to sign up so I could schedule a test in either Conroe or Livingston. 

When I went to the desk the lady did not know what I wanted when I told her that I needed a "non-commercial class A" for my travel trailer and/or low boy. She consulted with her supervisor and after a lot of back and forth both came back and told me that I had to do a commercial class A as there is no such thing as a non-commercial class A. They basically said that all 5th wheel Travel Trailer over 26,000# GVWR need a commercial (!!!) class A as there is no non-commercial available in this category. I asked if I could get that in writing and both refused.

She also told me that if I use my flatbed (Dually 14,000 # and my low boy trailer 14,000 #) I definitively need a commercial class as there is no "recreational aspect" in pulling such a trailer. 

They both deferred their knowledge from the application from (link) of the non-commercial form. It looked similar to this page (link) but had some different wording. I.e. the recreational aspect was phrased as "recreational vehicle" so not like on their web page "purposes other than engaging in business or profit". I tried to argue this point and asked them to open their own web page but they were standing on their form and said that CDL law probably changed.

They insisted that I needed to do the full Class A Commercial and I had to start with a medical test before I even come back to them. 

I guess I need help. Can someone point me in the right direction or the right legislative text?

PLEASE! 

heitjer

P.S. Thanks for this excellent write up - it prepared me for this but now there is a realization that this understanding depends highly on where you are.