If a COE is a straight truck.......

and you turn it into a pickup, do you need a CDL to drive it? If registering it with the COE wouldn't that be a heavy duty vehicle requiring a CDL? I am in Illinois and they are *****s to deal with.

 

I think, as long as it doesn't have air brakes. you'll be fine

 

It should not be a probem, it is not heavy enough and not commercial use.If you make it a pickup make sure to register it with a lighter gross vehicle weight.

 

You only need a CDL if it's commercial use. You need a cl*** B GVW exceeds 26k lbs or towing more than 10k lbs. Cl*** A is combinations, Cl*** B is straight trucks. I carried a Cl*** A non-cdl for years when I owned a bus, even though it was just a cl*** B straight truck when not used for p***engers.

 

Hey cougstang;

I think Scotty has it correct. Although they change the statutes faster than a lot of folks change undies... Once in awhile, for the better, but...

A couple of decades ago, long before 9-11/CDL/CurrentParanioaHysteria/NannyState, I looked into resurrecting a ~ '35 Dodge Texaco Tanker streamliner truck (IIRC, 5T rating), w/the idea of de-rating its' GVW, for "normal" use. (Private, Non-Commercial). Went through a lot of helpfull-wanna-be's in MN. Nice enough guys (at the time) in/@ State dept incl Hwy patrol/Dept, but found out that here, at least, there were no provisions to de-rate a mfgr's ratings - actual use be damned... Keeping the orig frame, but changing springs, drivelines, street-rodding it, nothing... they all said it would be Federal issue. Would require proper license(s), state inspection(s), current (safety)equipment, insurance(s) (& that was a killer!), everything, as if current Commercial (Semi - truck) useage, based only on Orig Mfgr weight rating(s). No exceptions. Buck-p***ing, probably, maybe truth. After about a month of chasing ghosts, I gave up on the idea. Would've made a neat heavy-duty rod... & reasonably priced when done, at that.

I do believe that the only thing that might've worked, was a frame/driveline swap onto something from a 3/4T truck. Ultra-Super-Duty, maybe, but 3/4T. Around here, 1T gets you into Commercial-level. Serious PITA. Read: Expensive.

I didn't know, at the time, about the Military truck groups, fire truck groups, etc. Talking to some of those guys over the years, I think they've figured out a way around the regs. But not for daily-driver status. May be worth looking them up.

FWIW.

Please post what you find.

Marcus...

 

I would think that if you had a 1/2 or 3/4 ton ch***is truck and changed the body or cab, it would not put it into a CDL required status.
Just register it as the original vechicle. (It's just customized)

 

How about those huge motorhomes, does your state require anything special to drive one?

 

If thats what you want for a project, build it. By the time its done , the rules will have been changed. The pace of of new regulation makes hitting a moving target of most anything you do. They will get no revenue if you don't road it, it will simply cost more to do so. Enjoy your build.

 

I have rented many bob-tails from U-Haul and CDL was not required...

 

it's all about GVW! I met a guy that drove a 1970 mack truck around that had a small deck on back to haul all his motorcycles around and the truck had GVW lowered and he said he didn't need a CDL to operate it this way.

 

as long as not over 26000lbs, no cdl required in illinois. not a commercial vehicle? refer to the 26000 lb rule.

 

nice tag line gary in da up

 

My COE was a 47 Ford and built into a Ramp Style Tow Truck. It only weighed 4800 pounds and did not require a CDL in CA. It also did not have to have a Commercial registraition number on the side as it was marked as Not For Hire. - Never had a problem.

As for the big Motorhome question, here in California A non-commercial cl*** B is required for any motorhome over 40 ft. and an airbrake endor*****t if the coach has air brakes. A non-commercial cl*** A is required to pull a trailer with a GVWR of 10,000 lb. or a fifth-wheel with a GVWR of 15000 lb.<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

 

At least around here, the GVWR has to be 26,000 lbs or more to need a CDL.

Also, a commercial vehicle does not necessarily have air brakes. You can take the CDL test without the air brake portion. This will make it legal for you to drive a commercial vehicle sans air brakes. The license will have an air brake restriction on the back, so don't get caught driving something with air brakes.

What you have bolted to the frame rails behind the cab shouldn't make a difference unless it is designed for people, flammable, explosive, or other hazardous material.