Trucking: DOT requirements for private truck trailer combo, commercial motor vehicles, god bless israel

Question
I have a Dodge duallie truck and a 16ft featherlite trailer I use to haul racing motorcycles to the track.  A friend told me that I had to follow all DOT regs and keep logs and such since my GCVW for the truck/trailer was over 10K lbs.  Can this be true?  I am not for hire, this is not a business, it is my personal truck and we are going to the track to race for fun.  The DOT sites are impossible to make sense of for a private party, please help!

Answer
Hi Paul,

You can get by with out the DOT paperwork. It's all about how you answer questions IF you ever get stopped by an officer. Always tell them that it's a personal vehicle used for recreation only, and if you win any money keep it to yourself. Tell them you win trophies. Most all motor carrier officers leave race haulers alone, especially Nascar. So I wouldn't be concerned too much, but there are screwball officers out there that don't know what they're doing. Keep in mind, DOT Regs. only apply to Commercial Motor Vehicles making money.


I hope this answers your question, if not shoot me another one.
God Bless, Israel