Recently, federal and state agencies have been increasing the number of traffic stops on pick up trucks and pick up truck-trailer combinations.

Pick up trucks used strictly for personal non-business or recreational use — such as pulling an RV or personal-use trailer — are not subject to federal trucking authority. But farriers using pick up truck with a farrier body or who use a vehicle to pull a shoeing trailer may have to obtain state or federal trucking authority.

You should take some time to figure out if you need to obtain either kind of certification. 

Where To Start

First, find the registered gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of your pick up truck or vehicle-and-trailer combination. The GVWR is not the actual weight of the truck. It is the maximum allowable total mass of the vehicle or vehicle-trailer combination when loaded, including the weight of the vehicle itself plus fuel, passengers, cargo, etc. The GVWR can be located on your vehicle door jam or trailer tongue. It may also be found on your vehicle or trailer registration. Let’s look at a couple of examples.

Example 1. The registration for your 3/4-ton truck lists a GVWR of 8,600 pounds.

Example 2. The registration for your 1/2-ton truck has a GVWR of 6,700 and you pull a trailer with a GVWR of 6,000 pounds. Your total combined GVWR is 12,700 pounds.

Next, determine if you travel intrastate or interstate in your hoof-care business. Farriers who operate entirely within a single state are…