Tractor combo help

I have a single axle Kenworth T600 (with a low/single), small sleeper, that I am using to pull my 36 ft, triple axle, pace trailer.

Rolling we are 30,000 lbs. We are private, not for hire, but are not registered as an RV due to configuration of the truck. Commercial inpections are all current, every 6 months, as required.

We are canadian, and have no issues here. We have run to california, and twice to Oregon with no issues. We stop at all the scales, get waved through. Log books no issue, there is always 2 of us, and they realize that we are recreation.

I got stopped in oregon on the way home...and was told I need a 'trip permit" as we were over 26,000 lbs. Makes sense...but I dont have a DOT number, so I couldn't buy one, as we are private only.

I only got out of the scale becasue a very nice lady at Oregon DOT, pushed through a "special event" recreation permit. It was the hot rod reunion, so have a "nostagia" dragster, and no sponsors or prize money fit the criteria. That is a per trip basis, and a pain in the ass.

Can anyone help shed some light on how we can do this better, or what some ways of skinning the cat may be? I dont think we want to open a can of worms, with dangerous goods and commercial tags (not for hire)...but dealing with each state trying to figure this out is becoming difficult.

California, Oregon, Washington, Utah are the only places we will be driving.

Any advice would be appreciated!!

Mike

 

Stopping

Why do you stop at the scales? It's like inviting a overeager or mistaken DOT worker to eff with you? I run a similar rig, I have a CDL, a current medical card, my rig is also registered as a RV so I don't stop at the scales. If they want me they can come out onto the highway and get me and then I will show them my papers, log book, insurance documents or whatever they want. From everything I have heard it comes down to each individual enforcement officer's interpretation of the rules and trust me one of them is going to get it wrong. Look at the T/F transporter that got stopped going to Pomona a year or so ago. He had to get his trailer loaded on a flatbed and hauled out of state. None of the more than 40 or 50 equal sized transporters got stopped or hassled. Dave Germain