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Commercial Tractor with a Military Trailer

swbradley1

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Not being used to fifth wheel setups I was wondering if I could pick up a military trailer with a commercial tractor?

thanks
steve
 

Recovry4x4

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Tell me more about the type of tractor and which trailer. Kingpin placement can cause issues.
 

M1075

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Ditto on the king pin placement. King pin size can also be different, if you are looking at big trailers like M747. Lights are generally different (24V) unless you get something like the M127 that has dual voltage setup 12V and 24V. Air brakes should be compatible with no issues.
 

beaubeau

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What kind of trl. are U looking to pick up? Is all U R doing is trasnporting from one location to another may be different than using the combination for other services. I went to In. to pick up a M750 trl with my 1 Ton Chevy Duramax with a commercial fifth wheel bolted to my dump body. I hauled this trl 950+ miles with no problems. Just be sure the fifth wheel goes back far enough for the trl. U R getting. Good luck, Phil
 

wreckerman893

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I have the same type trailer that I pull with my M52.
The big issue will be the lights. The electrical "pigtail" that carrys the voltage to the turn signals, tail and brake lights will not plug into your trailer plug.....unless that truck has been used to haul military trailers and has a dual pigtail set up.
There may be a way to engineer a pigtail using a civilain pigtail spliced into a military plug.
Just my 2cents .
 

beaubeau

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I have been using Magnetic lights for over a year. They are handy when pulling even M105 trls. with a civy pickup. I had to plug in an Extention when I used them on my M750 trl.I have recently used single Magnetic battery lights for my last recovery Worked great!!
 

swbradley1

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Thanks for all the responses. My biggest worry was the fifth wheel. I figured the lights wouldn't work.

I'll probably hold off until my new barn is in and I get some of my stuff inside.

steve
 
It'll work

When I bought a similar trailer in IL, I rented a Ryder single axle tractor. Worked great. We found that the county I got it from had already installed a cobbled up civvy light connector. Not the best but it worked. DaveP did have a set of lights and long cord to put on if we'd needed them.

Hauled great all the way home, around 900 miles, if I remember right.
 

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Monty

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Re: It'll work

bigbee said:
When I bought a similar trailer in IL, I rented a Ryder single axle tractor. Worked great. We found that the county I got it from had already installed a cobbled up civvy light connector. Not the best but it worked. DaveP did have a set of lights and long cord to put on if we'd needed them.

Hauled great all the way home, around 900 miles, if I remember right.
What was the cost for the rental tractor?
 
Rental

This was in 2006-may have changed

1 Day rental was $99.
1197 miles at $0.12/mile @ $145.

+ $360 fuel at $3.00/gal

We left after Dave P got out of work on Friday, drove all night, picked it up about 7AM, and headed back home.

Had to request the single axle. They brought it over from another location to where I picked it up.
 

wreckerman893

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Did the rental require a CDL in order to rent it? If not what hoops did they make you jump.
The last time I asked Ryder about renting a Class 8 tractor the first thing they asked was if I had a CDL (I do). Unless you have one I doubt they would rent you a tractor.
You DO NOT want to get caught in a commercial rig without a CDL...especially pulling a piece of military equipment. You would prob be entertained by some guys in a black Suburban with little or no sense of humor for an extended period of time.
The civilian DOT guys would not be amused either. Every time you pull into a weigh station you are subject to be redlighted and invited in to show your manifest, log book, medical card and any other paperwork they want to see.
If you dont have a CDL let the professionals do it. I had my first deuce moved by a hotshot rig and it was well worth the cost.
 

Monty

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I'm in the process of getting my CDL, I'd like to be able to drive my 5tn when it's finished. I was wondering the cost since it may be cheaper to get it myself than having it hauled, I now have a ruff idea of what it'll cost.

Plus its the adventure of getting it.
 

rmgill

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Wreckerman, I Dunno, technically renting such a truck as a private individual should at worse net you a query. Though technically, if you're in the employ of the military and driving a military truck but NOT military you're still excluded from the DOT and the States MUST comply with that exemption.

Again, according to the federal Regs, it's use and NOT equipment which makes the determination of Commercial or not. One can rent a Motorhome for personal use and it's NOT commercial even though the size/weight is in the CMV classes. Use the same vehicle for a commercial purpose say like for a major news organization, and the driver has to be a CDL driver and the vehicle has to be operated as a CMV.

Still, the idea of being able to rent such a truck in a case where my truck has failed and I HAVE to get a personal vehicle moved, I'm interested. What sort of deposit was required? Presumably an AM-EX?
 
business name

Looking at the paperwork, I remember now that we had to do it in a business name, could not rent the commercial rig as an individual.
BUT, she did not flinch when she looked at my license that only shows "Chauffeur", not CDL. I did have a TIP (temporary Instruction permit and my health card cause I was lookin' to get a CDL.

Still, I checked the rig out and drove it to pick up DaveP. He was my CDL trainer for the trip.

$5K deposit on the credit card. They deducted the rental fee and mileage and fuel (forgot to fill it up when we were done dropping the trailer late the next night!), gave me back the balance.
 
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