Vehicle Inspection Requirements Interstate Driver Must Have:

All vehicles over 10,001 lbs. involved in interstate com- Direct questions to: Guide to
merce (crossing state lines) must be inspected annu- ♦ State driver license;
ally for safety. Either, the inspection sticker or inspec- ♦ Health card certifying that the driver meets the mini- TENNESSEE FARM BUREAU Trucking Laws
tion report must be in the vehicle at all times. The mum physical qualifications; FEDERATION
vehicle must be inspected by a certified mechanic. The
report or sticker should include the date of the in-
♦ Vehicle inspection sticker or report;
♦ Logs for the past 7 days;
Department of Public Affairs
Rhedona Rose, Director
and Regulations
spection and not the date of the next inspection. ♦ Log for the current day;
♦ Shipping papers for any hazardous materials.
Stefan Maupin, Associate Director
P.O. Box 313
in Tennessee
Inspection includes: brake systems, coupling device,
fuel systems, lights, steering, suspension, frame, tires,
Columbia, TN 38402
wheels, windshields and wipers. Farmers are exempt from several safety regu- 931-388-7872 ext. 2220
lations such as certain brake, safety chain, etc.
Trucks Which Must Be Inspected requirements. However, it is the recommenda-
tion of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement that TENNESSEE
Annually include: farmers should still comply with regulations fea- DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY
sible to them for their personal safety and the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement
♦ A vehicle or combination vehicle with a GVWR of safety of other motorists.
10,001 lbs., or more, that is crossing state lines. P.O. Box 463
♦ A vehicle which must be placarded for transporta- Manchester, TN 37349
tion of hazardous materials regardless of the GVWR. 931-723-5062
♦ A passenger-carrying vehicle with a seating capacity GrossVehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) — the value or
of 16 passengers or more including the driver. specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of 1148 Foster Avenue
a single vehicle. Usually there is a tag with this infor- Nashville, TN 37210
Trucks Subject to Inspection mation on the inside driver’s door. On trailers, it must
be on the front. Otherwise, it should at least be on the
615-687-2322 Do They Affect
If your truck meets any of the preceding criteria, your
vehicle is subject to inspection and therefore, must meet
registration papers. You and Your
minimum federal safety standards. Interstate Commerce — means across state lines,
including international boundaries.
Farming Operation?
U.S. DOT Number — If your truck meets any of the
Hazardous Materials — those materials which have
preceding criteria and you cross state lines, you must
been designated by U.S. DOT to be capable of giving
have a U.S. DOT number from the U.S. DOT.
an unreasonable risk to health safety and property when
transported.
CONTACT:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Private Motor Carrier — is a person who provides
640 Grassmere Park, Suite 111 transportation of property or passengers, by commer-
Nashville, TN 37211 cial motor vehicle, and is not a for-hire motor carrier.
615-781-5781
For-Hire Motor Carrier — is a transporter of goods
or passengers by motor vehicle for compensation.
Apply on-line for a DOT number at:
For-hire motor carriers must comply with ALL fed-
https://www.mchqecom.com/mcs150v5/welcome.asp
eral trucking regulations even when hauling agricultural
or
supplies and equipment.
http://www.safersys.org/
Loose Material — includes any substance that could
Federal regulations enforced by spill, drop off, or blow away from the open bed when
Department of Safety, the vehicle is operated. It does not include materials
such as sand or salt for weather conditions. 08/02
Commercial Vehicle Enforcement. Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation
Commercial Driver License (CDL) ♦ A vehicle which must be placarded for transporting
You are a commercial driver and DO NEED a CDL if a hazardous material regardless of GVWR. Width & Height Requirements Trailer Tag Exemption
you operate one of the following: ♦ A passenger-carrying vehicle with a seating capacity No motor vehicle or any trailer or semi trailer, with a License tags are not required on trailers owned by farm-
of 16 passengers or more, including the driver. width, including any part of the load, exceeding 8’ 6”, ers and used for agricultural purposes or hauling live-
♦ A vehicle or vehicle combination with a Gross Ve- or height, including any part of the load, exceeding 13’ stock between farm and market in Tennessee. Note:
hicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 26,001 lbs. or more. 6”, shall be operated on any highway. This shall not Other states may require license tags on trailers. (TCA
Farm Vehicle Exemption: apply to farm tractors or farm machinery temporarily 55-4-111)
♦ A vehicle that must be placarded for transportation You are exempt if you meet ALL of the following cri-
of hazardous material regardless of the GVWR. moving on any highway. The maximum width restric-
teria: tions shall not apply to a trailer utilized for trans-
♦ A passenger-carrying vehicle with a seating capacity Log Book
of 16 passengers or more, including the driver. porting seed cotton or rolled alfalfa bales; provided, Farmers operating a vehicle or vehicle combination with
♦ Used within 150 air miles of the farmer’s farm. that the width, including any part of the load, shall not
♦ Not in the for-hire business. You are carrying your a GVWR of 10,001 lbs. or more and traveling over 100
exceed 10’, and is performed during daylight hours air miles from home must keep a duty status record
own agricultural products, farm machinery, or farm within a 50 mile radius of the point of origin, and not
Farm Vehicle Exemption: supplies, either to or from the farm. upon an interstate highway system. (TCA 55-7-202)
(driver’s log).
(TCA 55-50-102) ♦ Not transporting hazardous material.
You are exempt if you meet ALL of the following No one is permitted to drive a motor vehicle after
criteria: (A person driving a vehicle which is involved in a cus- Safety Chain Requirements having worked 60 hours in any 7 consecutive days or
tom harvesting operation is exempt from the health Any trailer, semi trailer, utility trailer, or pole trailer after having worked 70 hours in any period of 8 con-
♦ Controlled and operated by the farmer or card requirements.) operated on the highways of Tennessee is required to secutive days.
farmer’s employee and used exclusively for farm have a safety chain of sufficient strength.
use; Driver is exempt from the log requirements if:
♦ Used to transport agricultural products, farm
Requirements for Hauling Loose * However, gooseneck trailers, trailers attached
machinery, or farm supplies, both to and from Material in an Open Truck Bed by fifth wheels, field seeding, tillage, and harvest- ♦ Travel is within a 100 air mile radius of the farm;
the farm; Any truck with an open bed operated on any highway, ing equipment are exempt. (TCA 55-7-114) ♦ The farmer, except as a salesperson, returns to the
♦ Not used in operations of common or contract road, and street open for public use in this state, shall Safety chains are required on these items: farm and is off work within 12 consecutive hours;
for-hire motor carriers; be loaded so that any material remains at least 4” be- ♦ At least 8 consecutive hours off duty separate each
♦ If such implements were equipped with safety chains 12 hours on duty;
♦ Not carrying hazardous materials of a type or low the sides of such bed, measured at the front, back,
at the time of manufacture, or
quantity that would require the vehicle to be and sides (but such load may be piled higher in the ♦ Does not exceed 10 hours maximum driving time
♦ If they are being towed on state or local roads at a following 8 hours off duty;
placarded; center). * This does not apply to farm produce
speed greater than 25 mph. ♦ Has a work schedule record for the past 6 months.
♦ Used within 150 air miles of the farmer’s farm. going to market. (TCA 55-7-109)

Any motor vehicle hauling loose materials shall be Trailer Brake Requirements Title and Registration for Farm
(For Example: A farmer owns a backhoe he has pre- required to have such material either in an enclosed Every trailer or semi trailer of gross weight of 3,000
lbs. or more operating on a highway shall be equipped
Vehicles
viously used for his own personal use on his farm or space or fully covered by a tarpaulin, unless the loose
with brakes on all axles and a breakaway device so that Motor vehicles used exclusively for the movement
property. Someone asks the farmer to do some back- material is secured in such a way as to reasonably en-
in case of an accidental breakaway, the brakes shall be of farm products for the grower from the point of pro-
hoe work. The first time the farmer transports the sure it will not fall or be blown off the vehicle.
automatically applied. Trailers between 1,500 and 3,000 duction to the first market, or operated as farm trucks,
backhoe to the other person’s property he has crossed or as a logging and lumbering truck are eligible for a
the line from being a farmer to a private/for-hire mo- Motor vehicles hauling crushed stone, fill dirt and rock, lbs. shall have brakes on one axle. Trailers under 1,500
lbs. need not be equipped with brakes. These require- joint tag for combined farm trucks. However, motor
tor carrier and must comply with ALL applicable fed- soil, bulk sand, coal, phosphate muck, asphalt, concrete,
ments shall not apply to trailers that are not required vehicles operated commercially as part of a business
eral regulations.) other building materials, forest products, unfinished
to be registered and licensed and which are used by or venture or for delivery service to customers by dair-
lumber, agricultural lime and agricultural products which
on behalf of farmers. (TCA 55-9-204) ies, hatcheries, and the like are not eligible for a joint
are loaded in compliance with the 4” requirement, are
Health Card Requirements allowed to haul such material uncovered without a
tag. (TCA 55-4-113)
You will need a health card signed by your doctor, which tarpaulin. ♦ Transporting farm products or livestock from farm
verifies that you are physically fit to drive, if any one of to market; ♦ “Logging and lumbering trucks” are those trucks used
the following applies to the vehicle you are driving: ♦ Transporting agricultural products, equipment, ma- for hauling logs, pulpwood, bark, wood chips, and
* However, this exemption will not apply if a law
terials or supplies from market to farm or from farm wood dust from the woods to the mill or for hauling
enforcement officer sees any part of the mate-
♦ A vehicle or combination vehicle with a GVWR of to farm; lumber, bark, wood chips, and wood dust from the
rial blowing off the vehicle. (TCA 39-14-503)
10,001 lbs. or more. ♦ Delivering such trailer to any farm. mill to a loading or storage place.