| Author |
Message |
Bob Wood (206.141.211.25)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 07, 2001 - 3:15 pm: | |
Hello to all,
Is a commercial drivers license required for operating a conversion bus? I live in Michigan and it appears that any vehicle weighing over 26,901lbs requires a commercial license. Could someone clear up my confusion please. Thank you in advance. |
madbrit (216.67.207.162)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 07, 2001 - 3:48 pm: | |
Bob,
this subject has been well covered in the past and can be found on many of the bulletin boards in their archives. In a nutshell, you will have to search your own State's Statutes to find out what is required. Do NOT believe what your MVD tells you unless they can show you the written Statute.
Here in Arizona, as long as it is registered as a motorhome you need nothing more than an ordinary operators license. Other States vary and often require an endorsement for a vehicle over 26,001 lbs, sometimes called a "B" license if I remember correctly. This "B" endorsement is not a CDL.
Get on the internet and research your home State's requirements, print them out, including any reference pages, and carry it with you in case of an over zealous policeman thinks differently to what you tell him.
Peter. |
Jim Stacy (12.87.108.206)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2001 - 10:21 pm: | |
Bob,
I also live in MI and have spent a little time in a cruiser here. While I do have a CDL because I think anyone driving a large rig should have one, the State of MI does not require a Federal CDL for a non-commercial vehicle.
MI does not have their own A, B or C licenses as TX, AZ and others do.
The other side of the coin is the license is not that hard to get or maintain. You do not have to keep a log book or do drug testing and the info - such as the proper pretrip test for air leaks - will do you no harm. Then you could quit worrying about whether you needed one or not. The bottom line is, if you aren't using your coach commercially you don't need a CDL in MI and if you are legal here, then you are legal where ever you drive with a MI plate.
Where in MI are you located? Email me if I can help.
Jim Stacy |
Geoff (64.1.8.251)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2001 - 11:45 pm: | |
"The bottom line is, if you aren't using your
coach commercially you don't need a CDL in MI and if you are legal here, then you
are legal where ever you drive with a MI plate."
Unless you drive a 45'er into California. |
madbrit (216.67.207.87)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 12, 2001 - 11:58 pm: | |
Jim,
just to set the record straight, in Arizona, they don't require anything other than an ordinary car driver's license to drive a motorhome, no matter how big or heavy it is.
Ofcourse, knowledge of what you are driving is a great help, especially safety checks.
Peter. |
John (192.9.25.11)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 8:24 pm: | |
More info please!
Madbrit - which bulletin board archives?
Does anyone know the laws in California? Tips on where to find them online?
Thanks! |
madbrit (216.67.211.29)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, August 14, 2001 - 9:06 pm: | |
Try this one for a start, go to Keyword Search and type CDL and leave it searching in all forms. Should bring you a bunch of info, I just tried it and there is plenty for you to read.
MAK's board should have a ton too, if there is an archive? Also, Jerry's BB should have some discussion too.
As for the info online, you will have to get into the California Statutes and search them. Your MVD may be able to give you Statute numbers to get you into the correct area, and may even give you all you need, but I would still check the actual Statute itself and read it to make sure the MVD has it right.
Peter. |
Steve Fessenden (63.27.88.98)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001 - 6:56 pm: | |
Just because they are not ticketing us for not having a class B license does not mean we don't need one. Look how long California allowed 45 footers before they started ticketing them.
On another board there was a post that claimed that it is a FEDERAL REQUIREMENT to have a class B license for a vehicle over 26,000 lbs or with air brakes. A class B is not a CDL.
If we need it, talking about it won't make it go away.
Can someone with a CDL and good connections check this out for us. You already have the license you need so they can't make any trouble for you.
If a class B is required then the problem is not getting one but getting one for the wife, so she can drive on the highway occasionally. Maybe we can arrange for an examiner who is on our side at some bus rallies.
Steve Fessenden |
madbrit (216.67.211.199)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, August 17, 2001 - 8:30 pm: | |
Once again I will state that each State has its own licensing requirements and the only way to know is to ask your local MVD and then check what they tell you with your Home State's statutes. Print them out including all the sub-paragraphs and you should be fine where ever you should roam.
This is the first I have heard about a class "B" being a Federal requirement for vehicles over 26,000lbs, and I would love to see the law stating that.
Peter. |
Geoff (64.1.3.113)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, August 18, 2001 - 9:44 am: | |
Steve said something about a Class B not being a commercial driver's license?-- it is commercial. What some states have done is create a "non-commercial" Class B for RV owners. In California you need a non-commercial Class B if you are going to tow a trailer heavier than 10,000 pounds, while buses registered as motorhomes don't require any more than a Class C, regular license. In Texas I understand you need a non-commercial Class B to operate a motorhome over 26,001 lbs. Peter has it right-- you have to see what your particular state requires, and licensing is done by the states, not the feds. |