How do I get my new truck home?

[13speed]

Yes, South Dakota. You can get your truck registered without being there and then you can drive legally.

Is SD any better/cheaper than MT?

 

If you decide to drive it home, which I would, then buy a trucker road atlas and go around any scales to eliminate that added risk. Truck drivers do it all the time. I once drove 13 months without hitting a scale even though I was always legal, I like keeping the risk factor low.

Greg

 

I should not have to go through any scales bobtail???

[GeorgiaHybrid]

If you are commercial, you go thru the scales bobtailed or loaded.

[bmzero]

Drive it.

 

Be overly prepared for a stop (with documentation).

 

Have proof of insurance.

 

Bypass the scales. Plan your drive to put you through any high traffic areas on Sunday afternoon. Of the four major scales I passed on my way home on a Sunday, only one was manned when I drove past.

 

I wouldn't worry about a temp tag if it becomes a sticking point. You have other more imposing issues than a temp tag. Your bill of sale should be good enough to get you home. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm not a lawyer nor did I say at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

I drove mine from Ohio to Birmingham, AL when I bought it. I was very nervous passing the scales, but I wouldn't have done it differently looking back on it.

[13speed]

If you are commercial, you go thru the scales bobtailed or loaded.

But I am not commercial.

 

Drive it.

 

Be overly prepared for a stop (with documentation).

 

Have proof of insurance.

 

Bypass the scales. Plan your drive to put you through any high traffic areas on Sunday afternoon. Of the four major scales I passed on my way home on a Sunday, only one was manned when I drove past.

 

I wouldn't worry about a temp tag if it becomes a sticking point. You have other more imposing issues than a temp tag. Your bill of sale should be good enough to get you home. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm not a lawyer nor did I say at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

I drove mine from Ohio to Birmingham, AL when I bought it. I was very nervous passing the scales, but I wouldn't have done it differently looking back on it.

 

 

I really can't do the Sunday thing as I pick it up on Monday. I am going to LLC through A MT place that someone suggested and should have plates sent to me by Wed. I will try a WA temp tag in the windshield till then.

[13speed]

If I do a LLC in MT how do I do the insurance? Is it in the LLC name or me? In MT or anywhere?

[Big5er]

But I am not commercial.

Technically you are a Commercial Motor Vehicle, but personal usage fall into an exemption.

 

But then this isn't going to be your "personal" vehicle is it? It will belong to the LLC? So is driving it bobtail personal or business? Is using the LLC's vehicle a perk or gain of being an employee/owner of the LLC? Hmm...we have a conundrum here, don't we?

[13speed]

Technically you are a Commercial Motor Vehicle, but personal usage fall into an exemption.

 

But then this isn't going to be your "personal" vehicle is it? It will belong to the LLC? So is driving it bobtail personal or business? Is using the LLC's vehicle a perk or gain of being an employee/owner of the LLC? Hmm...we have a conundrum here, don't we?

 

A LLC is not a corporation and I will not be "for hire" so I guess I as the LLC owner I can use it for what ever I want as long as it is not for commercial purposes.

[Star Dreamer]

It may not be a corporation but my understanding the LLC stands for Limited Liability Company. At one time (and may still be) Chrysler was an LLC. Since it is a company, how do you get around not being commercial? With a normal RV it probably doesn't make much difference but with an HDT the saying if it looks like a duck and quacks like one, it probably is one applies.

 

Dave

[OU812]

13 speed The more I read about your new truck project, It leads me to believe you never have owned/ driven a class 7 or 8 truck for K miles..!!!! With that in mind...... you have a real new eye opener coming your way. It is not really that hard.....but.... you can't cut corners on some of the subjects that have been pointed out. Being Commercial ( which you are until you get it license in your name as a RV) the truck is operated just like another commercial truck on the road. You may not like this....but some DOT will ask you for fuel sticker/tax....??????? Hallow problems, with a LLC.... .Good luck OU812

[gjhunter01]

When you go driving past a scale, the scale operator doesn't know at a glance if you are commercial or not.

Greg

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Many of the folks here bought their truck from a dealer as you have. BUT part of the buyers transaction was to have the commercial hitch removed. Not having the hitch limits what the truck can do.

I would think that having the truck owned by an LLC would make the truck commercial.

[Dollytrolley]

 

A LLC is not a corporation and I will not be "for hire" so I guess I as the LLC owner I can use it for what ever I want as long as it is not for commercial purposes.

13, you might want to consider that cases of Dr Pepper might calm big5er but.....the

The DOT-geek might be into bass boats and then your in big do-do.....rethink piggyback.....better than a cell with Buns and your tractor behind razor wire...

 

Drive on......(piggyback ain't all that ....bad)

[13speed]

13 speed The more I read about your new truck project, It leads me to believe you never have owned/ driven a class 7 or 8 truck for K miles..!!!! With that in mind...... you have a real new eye opener coming your way. It is not really that hard.....but.... you can't cut corners on some of the subjects that have been pointed out. Being Commercial ( which you are until you get it license in your name as a RV) the truck is operated just like another commercial truck on the road. You may not like this....but some DOT will ask you for fuel sticker/tax....??????? Hallow problems, with a LLC.... .Good luck OU812

 

What are K miles?

[13speed]

When you go driving past a scale, the scale operator doesn't know at a glance if you are commercial or not.

Greg

 

True but I just don't see them worried about a bobtail tractor... You are not carrying anything so you are not overweight which means you are not engaged in commerce?

[Steve from SoCal]

True but I just don't see them worried about a bobtail tractor... You are not carrying anything so you are not overweight which means you are not engaged in commerce?

Ah,

 

But, You are the truck they want to do a level 1 inspection on. If you are an RV or look like an RV then, maybe you go

down the road. A tractor in transit from a dealer, your still a commercial motor vehicle. I looked at the

personal exemption on the FMCSA, their opinion on this is" unladen and traveling between two personal stops"

They explicitly note re positioning is not an exempt trip.

 

An LLC is by definition a company, a company that owns a commercial motor vehicle be it private or for hire, is still

a company. I am a not for hire company with a DOT number, I don't haul for hire. My trucks are used in the

furtherance of my business. Even if you only haul your RV, if it is registered to an LLC it is a private truck in

commerce. Because the LLC IS a Company. Like a lot of racers you say, but I don't make any money. Makes no

difference, for profit, non profit, loosing money hand over fist, it IS a business.

 

I don't know if you are a CDL holder or not, your knowledge of the FMCSA and DOT is weak regardless. An LLC IS a business entity

in the eyes of DOT. If you intend to move to Montana, just register as a person there. The LLC is great if you have a high net worth

and, you want to register your Gulfstream or Falcon. For an RV to a person or couple who sold their house and bought an RV, why?

 

Steve

[13speed]

Ah,

 

But, You are the truck they want to do a level 1 inspection on. If you are an RV or look like an RV then, maybe you go

down the road. A tractor in transit from a dealer, your still a commercial motor vehicle. I looked at the

personal exemption on the FMCSA, their opinion on this is" unladen and traveling between two personal stops"

They explicitly note re positioning is not an exempt trip.

 

An LLC is by definition a company, a company that owns a commercial motor vehicle be it private or for hire, is still

a company. I am a not for hire company with a DOT number, I don't haul for hire. My trucks are used in the

furtherance of my business. Even if you only haul your RV, if it is registered to an LLC it is a private truck in

commerce. Because the LLC IS a Company. Like a lot of racers you say, but I don't make any money. Makes no

difference, for profit, non profit, loosing money hand over fist, it IS a business.

 

I don't know if you are a CDL holder or not, your knowledge of the FMCSA and DOT is weak regardless. An LLC IS a business entity

in the eyes of DOT. If you intend to move to Montana, just register as a person there. The LLC is great if you have a high net worth

and, you want to register your Gulfstream or Falcon. For an RV to a person or couple who sold their house and bought an RV, why?

 

Steve

 

I am a class A CDL and a Local truck driver for a living. This falls into a place that I as a company driver never have to go. I know what to do while working not while owning a "personal" truck. Like everything new this is a learning experience and the only way I will get to know it is by doing it and doing as much research as I can before hand which is why I started this thread.

[Big5er]

A LLC is not a corporation and I will not be "for hire" so I guess I as the LLC owner I can use it for what ever I want as long as it is not for commercial purposes.

 

PepsiCo (Pepsi) is the largest "not for hire" commercial operator in this country. They own over 6,000 tractors, but they are still in commerce. "Not for hire" means nothing other than they can not be "hired" to haul. Like Steve said, his trucks are "not for hire" either, but still commercial.

And yes, as the owner of an LLC, you can use your truck however you want..and you can also find yourself sitting on the side of the road with a hand full of tickets. How is a company owned CMV, being used by the company owner not a "gain"? A tax write off, is still a "gain" for that company isn't it? And as I said earlier, our personal HDT's are commercial motor vehicles, but we are exempt from the regs. Yours company owned HDT may not be. But you are the company owner and can use your truck for whatever you want. Explain that to the DOT while you sit on the side of the road.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

 

I am a class A CDL and a Local truck driver for a living. This falls into a place that I as a company driver never have to go. I know what to do while working not while owning a "personal" truck. Like everything new this is a learning experience and the only way I will get to know it is by doing it and doing as much research as I can before hand which is why I started this thread.

If you are a CDL holder, and driver for a company, then you need to follow the commercial regs to get the truck back home. With the bill of sale of the truck in your name, and your CDL from your home state, you should be good. Many of the interstate weigh stations are weigh in motion. 99% of them that I roll over give me a green arrow/light to bypass the station.

I would say if the light turns red, or it says all trucks must weigh, pull in, hand them the bill of sale, and the brand new log book you just purchased for this trip and say you're transporting home to Washington state.

[OU812]

13 speed We are all trying to help you out. Many very good suggestions have been given. Not all are cheap, but it is what you need to do. My other thread about " class 7 or 8 truck for K miles".......... "K" meaning "1000"s of miles". If you have a commercial driving experience with a CDL, you would know, it could turn costly. Take it from people that have been there, done that..... JIm's last thread is a good one. With a log book, yes We are here to help. OU812

[13speed]

13 speed We are all trying to help you out. Many very good suggestions have been given. Not all are cheap, but it is what you need to do. My other thread about " class 7 or 8 truck for K miles".......... "K" meaning "1000"s of miles". If you have a commercial driving experience with a CDL, you would know, it could turn costly. Take it from people that have been there, done that..... JIm's last thread is a good one. With a log book, yes We are here to help. OU812

I get that and appreciate it very much. My expertise is in driving trucks not owning them especially privately. My main priority right now is if everything is good tomorrow getting this truck home. After that getting it singled and ready to go. I have just under a year before we hit the road and I will reevaluate how I do things over that time. If a LLC is not the best way then I will change it. If it is I will keep it. We will establish residency in another state before then which will make things much easier at that time.

 

One thing some of you may forget is that when I ask questions on the forum I am getting advice on multiple ways to go. Some in this thread and some through PM and I have to try to make sense of it all and decide what will work best for us in our situation. Some times people get very passionate about how they do things and think that what they do is the best and only way for everyone.

 

You have all been awesome throughout this process and I am sure I will be asking many more questions as I go.

 

Chris

 

PS. I should have gotten the "K's"....my bad:)

[Big5er]

My expertise is in driving trucks not owning them especially privately.

Chris, we understand what you are trying to do but using an LLC your truck won't be "privately" owned. It will be a company owned truck.

And just drive it home. The odds of not getting stopped are heavily in your favor. 10 million trucks vs 10 thousand enforcement officers.

[Dollytrolley]

Maybe I am being a bit of a old lady here but......I tend to be less concerded about bloodthirsty DOT-geeks in Dr. Pepper withdrawal.....(as Big5er points out the actual numbers make them a rare breed).....the item you might want to consider is Insurance and what type of insurance is proper for this rather odd trip as a quasi-RV / Commercial Hybrid .....sorta......

 

Just because you might get a policy it could be problematic if you are deemed out of category / class.

 

 

IF you think DOT-Officers are a rare breed just count on the fingers of one hand the number of Insurance companies that will (sometimes) insure a HDT / RV........

 

Insurance companies are funny animals and I would hate to see a problem pop-up that might have adverse consequences for the HDT/RV market population.

 

When I was immortal (younger) I did things that were "Risk Adverse)........Insurance companies hate "Risk Adverse"........

 

Be careful.....

 

Drive on.........(take....care)

[Steve from SoCal]

Dolly,

 

You been drinking some of that goat juice again? "Risk averse" is Not taking risks. I agree with the intended I think,

premise of getting the proper insurance for the trip.

 

!3 speed is a CDL holder of the proper class to drive the truck home, that alone will go far towards finding a company

to insure the the trip. He may have to buy bobtail insurance for a month or quarter. The selling dealer may have a

company that will insure the trip as well.

 

A few things for 13 Speed to consider additionally, IFTA, IRP and, trip permits. 13 Speed; as a local driver you may have never

had to deal with trip permits but, without IRP registration you may have to buy trip permits at ports of entry. This is one

of the reasons traveling weekends is perhaps best. From Georgia to Washington you may get hit up for trip permits

at every port of entry. If you travel the route less taken, you stand a much better chance. With a commercial vehicle

every state is going to be looking for their piece of the pie. It may be less expensive in the long run to have the truck delivered?

 

Steve

[Randyretired]

When we had our HDT driven home we had a dealer plate (don't ask). We were good in most states but one. I think it was Neb. They charged a small fee. It was explained that without the plate most states charge a small fee to drive the truck bobtail home. I am not experienced enough to know but it might be worth checking.

[Hewhoknowslittle]

I would start it up, put in in gear and drive it like I stole it till I got it home.

But that's just me.

And I got away with it for a long time.

 

Roger