| Author |
Message |
Randy Schlotthauer (Up8009) (192.77.116.20)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 6:32 pm: | |
The school that I teach at wants me to get a Class B license so that I can drive the school's bus on field trips and such. Is there a downside to this that will limit the way I'm able to use my MC9 Conversion? |
TWO DOGS (63.185.72.241)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 6:36 pm: | |
nope |
Derek (24.85.245.203)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 7:01 pm: | |
As far as I understand, and mind you, this is the Canadian system, but if you've got a higher class license it just means that you can drive more types of vehicles. You don't give up your ability to drive lower classes. |
darisb (209.67.181.129)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 7:34 pm: | |
I'm not sure where you live, but in California it means you rack up points at a rate of 1 1/2 time what you would with a class C. If you are listed as a driver for the school, the school will receive a notice for every ticket receive or accident you have. You also have to get a CDL physical from your doctor every two years. And, depending on the number of drivers listed at the school you may have to participate in random drug testing.
None of the above mentioned things prevent me from enjoying my 4106 in any way. If anything, having a class B helped me to operate it more safely.
Regards,
Daris |
DonTX/KS (66.82.9.18)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 28, 2004 - 9:37 pm: | |
I never saw any downside, but my drinking buddies complain that the blood alcohol level for drunk driving is LOWER for a CDL than for a regular license. |
Phil Dumpster (24.16.243.37)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 3:16 am: | |
Yes, it is. .04 instead of .08 in the state of Washington.
Things get more strict for CDL holders. Such is the price we pay for this career choice. |
Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.120.139)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 7:39 am: | |
The allowable alcohol level in your blood is lower with a CDL, but only if you are operating a Class A or B vehicle, not if you are driving a car or motorhome. Just a wiff of beer on your breath with put you through testing hell (so they say). |
TWO DOGS (63.185.72.59)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 10:06 am: | |
I disagre w/geoff...if you have a cdl & are driveing a car...lower percentage is used...BUT...if you have been drinking AT ALL....I WILL TURN YOU IN >>>IN A NEW YORK MINUTE |
mel 4104 (208.181.100.8)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 10:28 am: | |
in our school district if you ahve the smell of drinking on your breath they will have you tested on the spot by the local cop and then to the station for more testing,meanwhile some one else is now driving the bus and if the test proves positiveyou may as well go home as you have NO job . it sure cleared out the people that liked to drink at nite and come to work partly loaded as this counts on the test results too. same thing goes for drugs, fail the test --- go home and try and find a job. a real good system. |
Randy Schlotthauer (Up8009) (198.81.26.45)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 12:31 pm: | |
Thanks for the answers so far. Being a non-drinker whose idea of drugs is Advil, I'm not as concerned with that angle as I am with what I've heard as far as being restricted on driving hours, or what you can carry on board (freon for instance). I can't seem to find anything on the DMV website one way or the other. |
bruceknee (12.76.100.52)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 3:44 pm: | |
CDL rule like hours driving or on duty only apply to commercial vehicles. Alcohol lower limits DO apply to whatever you are driving if you hold a CDL |
Geoff (Geoff) (66.238.120.174)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 4:03 pm: | |
CDL lower blood alcohol levels only apply when you are driving a commercial vehicle, at least in California.
I looked it up California Vehicle Code 23152:
(d) It is unlawful for any person who has 0.04 percent or more, by
weight, of alcohol in his or her blood to drive a commercial motor
vehicle, as defined in Section 15210. |
Phil Dumpster (24.16.243.37)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 5:28 am: | |
In the State of Washington, a CDL holder is guilty of driving under the influence (DUI) in their personal car if they have more than .04% alcohol in their blood.
In a commercial vehicle, the limit is zero. Any detectable alcohol in the blood is considered a DUI.
RCW 46.25.110
Driving with alcohol in system.
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of Title 46 RCW, a person may not drive, operate, or be in physical control of a commercial motor vehicle while having alcohol in his or her system.
(2) Law enforcement or appropriate officials shall issue an out-of-service order valid for twenty-four hours against a person who drives, operates, or is in physical control of a commercial motor vehicle while having alcohol in his or her system or who refuses to take a test to determine his or her alcohol content as provided by RCW 46.25.120. |
DonTX/KS (66.82.9.60)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 8:29 am: | |
Most interesting. I guess I had just assumed that all states were the same on this part of CDL. |
TWO DOGS (63.185.80.218)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 8:46 am: | |
it's just like the chicken coops Don...every state is a little weirder...remember..when you go to Colo. they want to know when you enter,when you are leaveing ...& Wyo. ..got to get out & go in & show all your permits...then ..Ky. got a digital speed indicator...10 mph...if you go 12...they send ya' around back & ya' spend an hour with them...Ky. also freeked out when I went across the scales with a blownout tire...sent me around back...till I called my dispatcher & told her they were delaying a government load..(3 tomahawk missles)...wish they could get organized |
DonTX/KS (66.82.9.60)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 9:11 am: | |
This is a Bus Related Post. Yeah, but sometimes you can win. I fondly recall one stormy night about 3AM just S of Minneapolis, going up to pick up a load of cluster bombs at Twin Cities Arsenal. My darned electric wiper motor in the Kenworth had shot craps about Des Moines, and nobody had one in stock. The ever ingenious type that I am, I simply tied a rope to each wiper arm, ran them thru the door vent windows, and had the wife do a rope pulling trick to work the wipers.
The chicken coop people was SURE there must be something wrong with such a crude trick, but after an hour or so digging in the books, realized to their surprise, there was NOTHING written about wives making the wipers work, and I was allowed to proceed.
What has this got to do with buses? Plenty, NEVER take the air wipers off and replace them with some elec unit like the cheapest cars use. |
Johnny (4.174.112.8)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 30, 2004 - 10:41 pm: | |
We lost both air wipers on the GMC at work last week (on the highway,...in a monsoon)--they just stopped working, & turning on the driver's wiper results in a truly alarming rate of air loss.
My last count was about 25 electric-wiper vehicles, at least 30 motors (several buses, including my usual Freightliner, have separate motors for each side), and zero failures. |