Trucking: CA class C license good for 26000+10000 out of state?, class c license, penske truck

Question
I plan to drive a 26' Penske truck loaded with household goods from CA to MA.  It will pull my Honda Accord on a dolly.  In CA my Class C (i.e. ordinary) driver's license allows me to drive a 26,000 lb GVW truck pulling a 10,000 lb trailer.  As I drive from state to state (southern route), will my license continue to be sufficient for this combination?  Or must I load the truck to only 22,000 lb GVW in order to leave room under 26,000 lb for the 4,000 lb towed car/dolly?

Answer
Hi Mark
Thank you for the question.

My assumption is that you're doing a "self move" and you are not transporting other people's property for compensation.  Since you are not operating a Commercial Motor Vehicle in interstate commerce, the basic rule is that if you're legally approved to operate the vehicle in your state of residence, each state will honor the license issued by your home state.  For none commercial license, almost every state cooperates in reciprocity honoring another state's license.

The 26,000 + 10,000 lbs rule is based on GVWR/CGVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating), not actual weight.  GVWR is the manufacturer's recommended maximum weight rating for the vehicle and all contents including fuel, driver, etc.  That rating can generally be found on a decal on the truck's door jamb and on the VIN decal of the trailer.  When transporting normal mixture of household goods, it is extremely unlikely you will approach the maximum weight rating of the 26' Penske truck.  Basically you should not exceed the GVWR of the truck and the trailer should not exceed the manufacturer's towing capacity rating of the truck.

Thanks again for the question and I hope this helped a little.
...Don