Does My Pressure Washing Business Rig Need a USDOT Number?

When I first came to the stress washing enterprise, I turned into leaving over twenty years as a industrial motive force. I turned into wondering how pleasant it'd be to be freed from all the ones motor provider guidelines that had been this type of grinding part of my profession.

I could not have been more wrong. Not long after starting, I turned into doing a residential cleansing for a regulation enforcement officer. As I changed into rolling hose after finishing, he requested me how an awful lot my truck and trailer weighed.

"I do not know, I licensed for added tonnage so I could not be overweight," become my clean answer. I changed into absurdly proud of getting taken the time and made the effort no longer to cheat on my licensing and expected weight limits.

"Where is your DOT wide variety?" changed into his subsequent clean question.

I, like such a lot of different stress washing provider companies in my area, had no longer even given a idea to this simple requirement for operating commercial vehicles. After a $100 best, I made positive to rectify the scenario. I were given my DOT variety.

Trying to determine whether or now not you require a DOT variety can be a hard query, and there are some kingdom particular requirements of which to be aware, but my customer said it's miles quite simple, "If you have got a truck or trailer with business enterprise symptoms, and/or a trailer with a couple of axle, I might be writing you a price ticket if you do no longer have a USDOT range."

The actual requirements may be observed at the United States Department of Transportation website. There is a massive body of records there, and sources to assist recognize all of it. There is even an online questionnaire to help you as you try to determine whether or now not you're required to have the DOT quantity inside the first vicinity.

The necessities are pretty primary, and are as follows. You need a USDOT range if you:

o Operate motors which can be over 10,000 lbs,

o Transport between 9 and 15 passengers (including the driver) for compensation,

o Transport 16 or greater passengers, or

o Haul risky materials in interstate commerce.

You need to be conscious that once you've got a USDOT quantity, there are a few report-preserving necessities that go along with it. For instance, in case you carry hazmat, such as sodium hypochlorite in massive quantities, or flammable liquids like your gadget's fuel and a spare gas tank or , you will want to observe that. You can even ought to register as a HAZMAT provider and preserve information of materials and amounts carried. You will have to enforce a safety program and a driving force qualification document, in addition to information of your motive force's hours of carrier records.

This sounds like a splendid deal of red tape, however it's miles what's required to be a valid pressure washing business that operates equipment that falls below the Department of Transportation's regulated recommendations. It is a cost of doing enterprise, and desires to be a part of your business plan. It is beneficial to remember that these data are quite simple, and may be based on information you already hold.

In my revel in, motor provider safety regulations are open to various interpretations, so it is probably a very good concept to check along with your nation DOT as well as with the local Carrier Enforcement branch to your kingdom. They are imagined to have the contemporary statistics vital to assist you in last compliant. The USDOT website online has links to all the nation DOT websites.

Again, the facts can be contradictory, so locate the maximum informed human beings you can, the fines ramp up steeply from my paltry hundred dollars. Don't guess the business enterprise on the phrase of some functionary, ask the questions you need to, with a view to get the clearest solutions feasible.