Jake0147
Member
- 782
- 18
- 18
- Location
- Panton, VT
The answer to your license requirement depends on what the limits are on the license that you are issued. A Vermont license allows me to drive any vehicle up to 26000 pounds, any number of wheels, any number of axles, including in that weight one semi-trailer or full trailer. No placardable haz-mat, even if it's private. This applies in ANY state. I am not restricted from air brakes in states that have chosen to restrict air brakes. I am not restricted by weight in states that have chosen a lower weight limit to start implementing CDLs. I am not restricted by the number of axles if I drive in California. A vermont CDL does not have an air brake endorsement. I don't need that in states that require an air brake endorsement.
Your license grants you the privledge, and it's good for what it's good for in any state until it's revoked. Any state can revoke your privledge, but it's all or nothing and they've got to have a reason, and they WILL tell you about it before they do it.
As far as chaining up the axle, no, that's no good. The truck would probably be fine mechanically (with reasonable precautions). The legal part is no good. It's still a three axle truck, and disabling a portion of it does not change that. It's a three axle truck with an axle chained up, but still a three axle truck. Removing a part of it (the unneeded axle) and modifying the suspension to accomodate that would (in theory) make it legal assuming it's re-titled accordingly. (It's all being done by a certified bulder, right? Certified to all of the safety and performance standards which are probably the standards in effect on the date when it was modified, etc, etc?). So "legal enough" probably..... But that's not going to suit your needs. If it's even in question, a bigger license is not a bad thing to have... Adding an M105 could put you over the magic 26,000 if you're counting on a full deuce payload.
