# What combination of forklift, truck and trailer???



## Durandal (Sep 5, 2007)

What about roll-on roll-off rig?

We just purchased a small one (A Chevy 3500 HD rigged to take 12 foot beds and dumps).

They make 'em larger. Our neighbor has a pole barn business and he has a 24 foot bed roll-on roll-off.

I have a picture of it somewhere. He drops off a bed with some logs on it and he comes back a couple days later with cut lumber ini place of the logs. No one lifts anything and with the bed on the ground its stable and easy to load.

I am wondering if you could not do something similar with bees. Especially if you are working more local than cross country.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I have an F-450 Superduty Ford Diesel w/ a bed long enough to carry 5 rows of 4 way bee pallets two high. The truck is registered for 15,000 lbs. I also have a flatbed trailer, w/ beaver tail and ramps, that I haul my Bobcat Skidsteer Loader around on. The trailer is registered for 9,900 lbs. Combined weight keeps me from having to have a CDL.

I run between 400 and 800 colonies w/ this set up. Moving 400 colonies to and from the orchards 100 miles away. When I need to move really long distances, such as SC which is 1,000 miles away, I pay a trucking company to haul them for me.

I really think that you'd be dissatisfied w/ a rolback. Unless you want to unload your hives w/ out the loader. Ha, ha.


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

If you are going to buy a bee truck ,buy one for the bees. If you buy a multipurpose truck ,It wont be enough truck for the bees and to much truck for the family. If you plan on pulling a loader you are going to need a minimum 12 foot flat bed to make it worth your while. You figure a loader is around 10 to 12 foot from the forks to the back so you will need a minimum 24 foot trailer to equal a 12 foot flatbed . Then you are going to have to pull that minimum 24 foot trailer thru the orchards and out yards and then what you are going to work off the trailer when you super or make increases. 
Do your self a favor and pick up a good used 4wheel drive flatbed , If you need to ,look for a supercab or 4 door. If you buy anything less and try to use it for the bees you wont be happy. 
As far as a loader bobcats are popular down here in Fl. Look for a good tilt bed trailer that is easy to pull. I use one made by Rolls Rite kind of expensive but well worth the money.


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## swarm_trapper (Jun 19, 2003)

hey sqkcrk with the CDL laws. i was under the impression like you that the trailer and truck togather had to weigh under 26,000. but i did some calling yesterday and the stat of MI said that the truck had to be under 26,000 and the trailer had to be under 10,001 lbs. the ldy told me that it didnt matter of the combined weight of truck andtrailer im going to call again some time next week to be sure about this before i buy a bigger truck.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I think you aught to find a DOT inspector sitting by the highway and ask him or her. Their the folks who are going to issue you your ticket for noncompliance.


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

If the trailer is " rated " over 10,000 lbs then you need a cdl to pull it. The combined weight (GVW) of the truck and trailer must be under 26,000 lbs . But I can go down and buy a 50,000lb RV and drive it with a regular DL.


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## swarm_trapper (Jun 19, 2003)

so lets just say a beekeeper has a F-550 (GVW 19500)+ a trailer (gvw9900)=29400LBS does he need a CDL?


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

I have a F-550 with a 26000lb tag. Wich means I can have a combined weight up to 26000 lbs ,The bobcat weighs 4500lb ,the trailer weighs 2000lb and the truck weighs 11500. wich will leave me about 8000lbs worth of cargo when pulling the bobcat. 


If the trailer is rated to carry over 10,000lb then you need a Class A combination.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

swarm_trapper said:


> so lets just say a beekeeper has a F-550 (GVW 19500)+ a trailer (gvw9900)=29400LBS does he need a CDL?


Yes, I believe so. 26,000 lbs is the deciding criteria, from what I've been told.


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## Allen Martens (Jan 13, 2007)

happybees:

A number of the beeks in southern Manitoba, including myself, use 3/4 ton trucks with 20 foot gooseneck trailers. I use a small John Deere 375 skid steer which I park across the front of the trailer. This is a small skid steer with a tipping weight of about 750 lbs and an 17 hp diesel engine.

My pallets have only two hives on them, but I load 2 pallets at once, so I'm still lifting 4 hives at once. I run singles, but often move the hives with a deep super on them that may be full of honey. If I need to move hives with more supers on, I'll use special shorter forks and just load one pallet at a time. Here the smaller skid steer slows things down. I can stack the hive two high on the trailer so I move 60 hives at a time.

This little skid steer can load honey barrels on to a semi very nicely as well. A pro for using a trailer is the lower deck height for loading supers.

I move 600 producing hives 4-5 times a year with this setup as well as about 250 nucs twice a year. I know of beeks that are running 1000 hives with this setup. Some use a 1-ton with no deck and park the skid steer behind the cab and attach the gooseneck trailer farther back on the truck to free more trailer room for loading hives.

Don't know what combinations are allowed in CA but this is definitely an efficient, multipurpose setup.


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## happybees (Oct 30, 2007)

Allen Martens wrote: "I know of beeks that are running 1000 hives with this setup. Some use a 1-ton with no deck and park the skid steer behind the cab and attach the gooseneck trailer farther back on the truck to free more trailer room for loading hives."

This is interesting. I would guess, the truck must be at least 14’ flatbed in order to fit a skidsteer loader behind the cab and the gooseneck trailer hookup. Thanks.
This is my first year as commercial beekeeper and by the way I have a CDL. My setup is four hives on a pallet, 10 deep frames, or/not supers. What skidsteer model would be efficient for beekeeping looking at the characteristics like dimensions, horsepower and weight? 
I found a lot of helpful tips in your answers. Thank you all that considered my question.


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## peggjam (Mar 4, 2005)

Trevor Mansell said:


> If you are going to buy a bee truck ,buy one for the bees. If you buy a multipurpose truck ,It wont be enough truck for the bees and to much truck for the family. If you plan on pulling a loader you are going to need a minimum 12 foot flat bed to make it worth your while. You figure a loader is around 10 to 12 foot from the forks to the back so you will need a minimum 24 foot trailer to equal a 12 foot flatbed . Then you are going to have to pull that minimum 24 foot trailer thru the orchards and out yards and then what you are going to work off the trailer when you super or make increases.
> Do your self a favor and pick up a good used 4wheel drive flatbed , If you need to ,look for a supercab or 4 door. If you buy anything less and try to use it for the bees you wont be happy.
> As far as a loader bobcats are popular down here in Fl. Look for a good tilt bed trailer that is easy to pull. I use one made by Rolls Rite kind of expensive but well worth the money.


One thing to think about when loading trailers, you want most of the weight in front of or on top of the trailer axles. So you should plan ahead when loading, to make sure the weight is properly placed on the trailer. Don't ask me how I know this.....we'll just say that I completed proper trailer loading techiqunes 101......


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## swarm_trapper (Jun 19, 2003)

hey guys did lots of calling today to state police, DOT, federal motor carrier department. and all said that i could have a truck under 26,000lbs GVW and as long as the trailer is under 10,001lbsGVW i did not need a cdl. the state cops gave me this web site to back it up. what to you guys think? am i interpreting his right?





Part 383: Commercial Driver's License Standards; Requirements and Penalties 
Esta pagina en español Print 

Search All Regulations Driver Regulations Vehicle Regulations Company Regulations FMCSA Hazmat Regulations Regulatory Guidance for 
Examples: Medical Form, 391.53, 391 

All Regulations
Part 383 


< 383.77 383.93 > 

Subpart F — Vehicle Groups and Endorsements

§383.91 Commercial motor vehicle groups. 


(a) Vehicle group descriptions. Each driver applicant must possess and be tested on his/her knowledge and skills, described in subpart G of this part, for the commercial motor vehicle group(s) for which he/she desires a CDL. The commercial motor vehicle groups are as follows:

(a)(1) Combination vehicle (Group A) — Any combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more) provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds).

(a)(2) Heavy Straight Vehicle (Group B) — Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more), or any such vehicle towing a vehicle not in excess of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) GVWR.

(a)(3) Small Vehicle (Group C) — Any single vehicle, or combination of vehicles, that meets neither the definition of Group A nor that of Group B as contained in this section, but that either is designed to transport 16 or more passengers including the driver, or is used in the transportation of materials found to be hazardous for the purposes of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act and which require the motor vehicle to be placarded under the Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR part 172, subpart F).


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## greenbeekeeping (Feb 13, 2003)

That is what I have got from looking at our cdl laws as well. 

Matt


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## Allen Martens (Jan 13, 2007)

happybees said:


> This is interesting. I would guess, the truck must be at least 14’ flatbed in order to fit a skidsteer loader behind the cab and the gooseneck trailer hookup.


I think the beeks using this configuration only use 12' flatbeds. They remove the flatbed and build a platform for the skid steer to park on. I imagine if one put a smaller removable deck behind the skid steer it would be a nice setup for feeding, nucing, etc.

My guess is the John Deere 375 probably handle a solid 4 hive pallet just as well as two 2-hive pallets. That said, it is a small skid steer--about 40 inches wide and less than 6 feet long.


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## Durandal (Sep 5, 2007)

sqkcrk said:


> I really think that you'd be dissatisfied w/ a rolback. Unless you want to unload your hives w/ out the loader. Ha, ha.


Actually, its a roll "off".

Like this one but smaller:

Pics of Roll Off Beds and Rigs 12ft and 24ft with and without trailer

Its for our main farm operation but I saw some value in using it to haul bees if I ever went that route (locally).


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

*Rolloff Beekeeping*

I use a rolloff truck for my landscape business, and have a flatbed dedicated to 16 hives for my guerrilla beekeeping hobby. When the zoning officer calls, away go the rolloff hives.

The truck:









The bed:









The truck is also good for bringing in a honey crop and moving single hives by hand. No lifting up onto the bed, just tie things down well and lift up the bed. We put the piles of full supers on pallets and just had truck them off the lowered bed into the honey room. Again, no lifting.

Four foot tall stake sides hide the hives from the zoning officer until they stack up like this in May and June.


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