----- Original Message -----
From: Glenn Shaw <dogstar918@mediaone.net>
To: DaveCole <davidcole@tk7.net>
Cc: (Military Vehicles Mailing List) <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2001 4:35 PM
Subject: Re: [MV] trailer laws - now MV Movers discussion
Hi Dave
I hear what you are saying and it is great to dream but when it comes down
to dealing with police, courts, judges, insurance companies, civil
plaitiffs
etc you will need to be on solid ground. You will need to make your
position
fly in court or it will ruin your day. If you want to try anything I
guess
you can but you will have to weigh all the risks. I will try to give some
more info with comments placed within your post:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: DaveCole <davidcole@tk7.net>
> To: Glenn Shaw <dogstar918@mediaone.net>
> Cc: (Military Vehicles Mailing List) <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
> Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2001 2:44 PM
> Subject: Re: [MV] trailer laws - now MV Movers discussion
>
> I disagree with the notion that it is not that hard to get a CDL.
>
> As has been pointed out on this list, in order to get a CDL, you have to
> be
> tested in the same type of vehicle that you want to get certified for.
> So
> You have to have access to such a vehicle.
> You have to have some skills in the same type of vehicle, but you can't
> legally
> drive this vehicle and obtain the skills unless you have a license and
> access to
> such a vehicle. You can go to a driving school $$$$$.
Negative. In order to test for a Class A which covers all Class A vehicles
you can get by with a dump truck and tagalong as long as the GVW of the
truck and the trailer require a Class A CDL. I wont get into all the
weights and details here. That can come later on when you get serious
about
doing it. You do not need a TT unit. Everyone knows someone who has
access
to a Class B or Class A rig that will help out and be your sponsor.
> On the other hand, I could go out and buy a tractor, put farm plates on
> it,
> drive it a few hundred miles down country roads and get the hang of it,
> drive
> the tractor to the CDL certification site and then get a CDL, if it is
> required.?? I agree that driving cross country with a semi rig plated
> as a farm vehicle would probably be asking for it however I wonder how
often it is done also.
> You do not have to own a farm to get a vehicle plated as a farm
>vehicle. A farm
> does not have to be incorporated, so there is really no definition for
> what a
>> farm is.
Again Negative. Court case law has clearly defined a "Farm" in many
cases. It has to be bonafide. It has to have X number of acres "devoted to
cultivating the standing products of the soil etc" If you want to believe
that this is not so, thats OK until you involved in an accident with phony
farm plates. Bye Bye insurance company.
>If it is manufactured as a tractor, and/or has a fifth wheel you need a
> Class A CDL.<
> Nope, not true. Farm vehicles and the operators of farm vehicles are
> expressly
> exempted from requiring CDLs. It's right in the Federal Code. Also, a
> lot of
> Pickup trucks have fifth wheels and they also are not required to have a
> CDL to
> operate.
Again it has to be an actual farm vehicle which can be verified in order to
bring in the Farm exemption. Pickup trucks are by definition not tractors
under MV codes even with their miniature 5th wheels. If it is a real
tractor---Class A.
>But you still must be qualified to
> drive what you are using even if it is just for your own personal use.<
> While I agree that everyone "should" be qualified to drive whatever
> vehicle they
> are in, even a 16 year old kid with a brand new license is fully legally
> qualified to drive a 1 ton pickup truck with a 40 foot fifth wheel
> camper behind
> it. What the law says, and what is common sense is often two different
> things.
True. Good luck with your MV project. I hope it works out OK.
Glenn
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Apr 04 2001 - 08:10:48 PDT