I've hauled scrap cars for a while now in the boonies of Michigan and never got hasseled by law enforcement. I'm moving to Colorado and I'm going to have to haul scrap on major high ways and will probably get hasseled. My truck has a 9,200 lb gvwr and my trailer is rated at 10,000 lbs. Will I need to worry about CDL's or DOT numbers? Do I need to stop at scales? I'll probably be hauling 1 or 2 cars a week.

CDL regs are 26k combined weight and trailer over 10k

so no you don't need a CDL however if you're hauling for commerce then you will need to follow FMCS regs and maintain a DOT#.

What is involved in FMCS regs and getting a DOT#?

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ DOT #s are free. Its alot of info to look through, but that link should have all the answers.

As long as you stay under weight for the trailer you should be ok. Be advised, even though you may not drive by a scale, most DOT enforcement vehicles carry portable wheel scales with them. Over weight is a favorite ticket and quite costly. Try your best not to "Look" heavy.

If you get a heavier trailer above 10K you may have to get a Class A CDL. Some places do allow the trailer to go over 10K as long as the total weight is less than 26K with no CDL.

You may be required to tarp your load, and tie downs will be looked at closely.

I'll have to weed through the fmcs stuff, anywhere that explains it simply? Will I need different insurance? Will I need to be a "leagal" company? Right now my scrap hauling has all been a cash under the radar side business.

I purposly bought a trailer that's under 10,001 lbs to avoid the CDL stuff.

I should be alright on weights and my setup looks a little more "profesional" than most scrap haulers.

as long as it is presonal property and you are not makieng money off it... all you need is a currently DL and make sure you dont over load any single axle while on flat ground..

BarrelRoll, As far as vehicle insurance is concerned depends on your policy. My '00 F250 has a "utility" rating from State Farm. I can use it for work and plow with it and make money. My '08 F550 has a true commercial auto policy. It's cheaper than the F250, go figure!

As a true business you will most likely need to have some sort of commercial liability policy and a rider for Enviromental hazards or waste. Ie. oil and antifreeze spill if there was an accident. All of this is assuming that you work on the books.

The place where all of this will become sticky is if you are stopped by the cops on a DOT inspection or worse have an accident while hauling. Give the insurance company one excuse to prove that its not for personal use and you will most likely find your a$$ hanging out in the breeze with no coverage for the accident.

General liability varies depending on what you do and where you are. I got quotes from $800-$1800 / year depending on the company. Actually the cheapest policy had the best coverage and is not who I have my auto policy with. I've been told that if you haul its a good idea to have the same carrier for both. That way in the event of an accident the two companies are not tring to push the coverage on the other company and leaving you to fight it out as to who should pay.

Hope this helps