Announcement To SOS Associates: Ayatollah To Return

[Ayatollahgondola]

Originally Posted by ilbegone

I'm glad to see you back.

Do you have a class 1 license? Otherwise, how did the DMV get wind of your illness?.

Yes. Class A, with endorsements. I'm required to have a DOT physical every two years, however thanks to Meniere's, it's going to be every 1 year now. They had me either way. Take the physical to renew, or downgrade the license and have to fill out a new application where they ask the same question, which would have brought the same result, except take even longer(DMV is not dumb.Why is he downgrading his license? ). I was fortunate to have passed.
Plus, without the commercial class A, I would be out of class to tow the mobile billboard

[ilbegone]

Originally Posted by Ayatollahgondola

Yes. Class A, with endorsements ..

...Plus, without the commercial class A, I would be out of class to tow the mobile billboard

I have a CDL Class A as well, I've had it since 1978.

I'm not a "truck driver" in the full sense of the term, there are some trucks I may have to drive in the course of my employment, but that is incidental to the occupation. I used to like doing it, but I'd just as soon have the apprentice drive anymore.

And, actually, its all a pain in the ass now. The DMV is all wrapped up in weight instead of whether a person can safely drive the vehicle or combination thereof. I knew a guy who branched out into teaching and qualifying drivers for the DMV test. He had a trailer which was long but didn't have the weight requirement, so he bought a trailer which had a higher unladen weight, but was shorter. Which doesn't make sense to me, because both trailers are unloaded and the longer one requires wider turns and is a little more difficult to make safe lane changes with heavy traffic. I suppose it's better than what it was, 40 some years ago I heard stories about people getting a "chauffeur's license" with a pickup truck and a horse trailer - in the days of the narrow power band, brownie box and pyrometer no less.

Besides, the DMV burdens class A license holders with unequal treatment under the law, and everyone who sees my license - for whatever reason - thinks I'm some sort of 60k, long haul, professional truck driver - an occupation it's difficult to make a living in anymore.

And, it's not just the driving. Everything has changed, there's loads of chickenshit corporate crap you only heard about from people in other occupations in the past. It would be really nice if I could just find someone to pay me to stay away.

Enough grousing,,,

Is that pickup / little trailer combination you have really heavy enough to require a CDL?

[Ayatollahgondola]

Originally Posted by ilbegone

Is that pickup / little trailer combination you have really heavy enough to require a CDL?

commercial vehicle is a motor vehicle or combination used for hire to transport passengers or property or which:

Has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more
Is designed, used, or maintained for carrying more than 10 passengers, including the driver
Tows a vehicle or trailer, which has a GVWR of 10,001 pounds or more
Transports hazardous materials, which requires placards
Tows any combination of two trailers or vehicle and trailer

The Billboard trailer has a GVWR of over 10,000 lbs, although its' unladen weight is only about 4,000. It's the rating that matters to them, not the actual weight.
The first is arguable because there is no compensation involved in many instances, however if they challenge me I'd have to provide proof I wasn't compensated. And argue all you like about innocent until proven guilty; this is an infraction and a licensing issue, not a criminal charge, so the judge/commissioners etc would base their decisions on my co-operation and willingness to provide evidence. (welcome to the quasi constitutional state)
And lastly, I am compensated sometimes; not lately though

The last one is something I could live without, if I had to, but it does provide flexibility and convenience. I can tow two billboards, or one billboard and one other trailer, and the other trailer hasn't been disclosed yet, as it is in the design and hopeful funding stage (sorry, classified ). And we have an RV trailer, and a boat trailer that can be hooked in combination to go for fishing trips. Otherwise, you have to make two trips each way.

[Ayatollahgondola]

And, actually, its all a pain in the ass now. The DMV is all wrapped up in weight instead of whether a person can safely drive the vehicle or combination thereof. I knew a guy who branched out into teaching and qualifying drivers for the DMV test. He had a trailer which was long but didn't have the weight requirement, so he bought a trailer which had a higher unladen weight, but was shorter. Which doesn't make sense to me, because both trailers are unloaded and the longer one requires wider turns and is a little more difficult to make safe lane changes with heavy traffic. I suppose it's better than what it was, 40 some years ago I heard stories about people getting a "chauffeur's license" with a pickup truck and a horse trailer - in the days of the narrow power band, brownie box and pyrometer no less.

There is a length limit to trailers you can tow with a class C non-commercial license. It's pretty complicated to understand, because one section of the code deals with licensing class, and the other with definitions of motor carriers, ie "A commercial carrier is a vehicle weighing over x, but less than x, and is over 45 feet when coupled together". Once again, you can claim exemptions because the two portions of the code seem to be at odds, but if you get cited, you'll have to go in each time with your proof, and sit through countless idiots trying to plead stupidity, ignorance, pauperdom, or denial before they get to your case, and still with no certainty that the commissioner won't just uphold it simply because they have also sat through the previously mentioned other cases, and are just tired of people trying to escape the system's grasp.

I suppose it's better than what it was, 40 some years ago I heard stories about people getting a "chauffeur's license" with a pickup truck and a horse trailer - in the days of the narrow power band, brownie box and pyrometer no less.

Back then, it was easier with less classes to choose from. All you had to do get the all encompassing chauffer's license was to bring the minimum vehicle to take the test. A 1 ton pick-up truck with two small trailers in combination would do it. Now there are so many that it's confusing even to me. Class A, class B commercial; Class A, class B commercial without Air brake endorsement. Class A, B, C, non commercial, with air, without air etc. So many endorsements too. P for passengers, T for triples, Haz Mat, and more. Gawd...A guy7 can get cited for driving out of class for picking up a load that he didn't know contained a couple crates of bottled gasses or chemical substances he wasn't made aware of on the BOL