Farm plates

Myth-Information

WOW!!!!!!!
Almost everything posted so far in this thread is complete mis-information.
It is late and I'm tired so I will let you all sort out the details.
Start here:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/

The FMCSA does not set statewide farm plate rules. Each state has it's own rules.
They do, however have rules for intrastate commerce and interstate comerce related to type of trucks, weight, length, doubles, etc...
Be aware that as beekeepers, we are in a VERY exclusive category, in that we are exempt from "driver qualification" (pain in the butt) rules.
Read this carefully:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regu...t.aspx?chunkKey=09016334800238a9&keyword=bees

You need to know and understand what you are doing.
Call your states DOT office and set up your Federal Motor Authority.
This isn't something one chit-chats out on a message board.
Get your DOT number. You will meet with the FMCSA for an audit of what you have going on. Then you will know EXACTLY what you need to do.

I have farm plates and can travel the entire continent.
What I can haul, how much I can haul, what permits are necissary, etc...is a state by state issue.
This subject is not like a bee meeting, "Should I use queen excluders or not?"
Set up your meeting with DOT and get the facts.

Hope this helps.

§391.2 General exemptions. (a) Farm custom operation. The rules in this part do not apply to a driver who drives a commercial motor vehicle controlled and operated by a person engaged in custom-harvesting operations, if the commercial motor vehicle is used to—

(a)(1) Transport farm machinery, supplies, or both, to or from a farm for custom-harvesting operations on a farm; or

(a)(2) Transport custom-harvested crops to storage or market.

(b) Apiarian industries. The rules in this part do not apply to a driver who is operating a commercial motor vehicle controlled and operated by a beekeeper engaged in the seasonal transportation of bees.

(c) Certain farm vehicle drivers. The rules in this part do not apply to a farm vehicle driver except a farm vehicle driver who drives an articulated (combination) commercial motor vehicle as defined in §390.5. (For limited exemptions for farm vehicle drivers of articulated commercial motor vehicles see §391.67.)

I read this post and have been wondering about our exemption hauling bees for sometime now. So I decided to call our regonal office in Atlanta to see what they said. My question was with the excemption for beekeepers would that apply only to our loads of live bees. And they stick us when we return with supers or going home empty. According to the guy I talked to he says we would be clear as we are beekeepers and don't haul stuff not beekeeping related. I have a copy of the handbook in my truck that can be found at most any truck stop for the DOT guys if needed. I would also think if you beat the DOT guy on that point you best have everything else in order. Because there is nothing worse than a mad cop with a ticket book and gun he dosn't get shot or write in. Point is we beat them there they'll find another violation they can get us on.