brianreese
Member
Here in British Columbia, it is mandatory to get a class 51 endorsement for trailer weight over 10,200 lbs. We found the exam over whelming and really had to study to pass the exam.
Is It Time For An RV Operator License
- Thread starter JanAndBill
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Jim.Allison
Well-known member
I'm thinking reciprocity is mandatory. This is a good topic.
caissiel
Senior Member
Better need the same requirement for motorhome drivers. I am very satisfied with my province requirements and totally against the Manitoba, BC and Ontario vision of RV trailer operating that seam to be pushed by the Motorhome owners or dealers. After all I do not see any restrictions for MH operating licensing.
Jim.Allison
Well-known member
This really is a silly subject. There is no solution for a problem that does not exist in the first place. Certification is what people use to turn their occupation into a private club. Your viewpoint largely depends on whose ox is getting gored. Sorry our licensing laws in the USA are just fine. Leave them alone. No one is stopping you from applying for your class A non commercial. Go do it, lead by example.
Here is a place you can go to get up to speed on driving your rig. When the state starts requiring it, it won't be a $1000 worth of lessons, it will be $5000 and a 2 year course. And you can bet that these people are developing an association and will be lobbying to require such lessons. Careful what you wish for you will get it. The tax collectors are everywhere.
http://www.rvschool.com/driving-lessons/
Here is a place you can go to get up to speed on driving your rig. When the state starts requiring it, it won't be a $1000 worth of lessons, it will be $5000 and a 2 year course. And you can bet that these people are developing an association and will be lobbying to require such lessons. Careful what you wish for you will get it. The tax collectors are everywhere.
http://www.rvschool.com/driving-lessons/
Mizmary
Well-known member
Same with Nebraska.
JanAndBill
Well-known member
But this one is still going. I suspected it would be a sensitive issue. Like firearms it deals with regulations on freedom. However unlike firearms, my owning them, in most cases doesn't put others in danger. Again my OP had to do with the increases in weight capabilities of TV's and the point at which those increases should require additional certification or training.
Jim.Allison
Well-known member
The increased weight capacities are pushing drivers up to the class A and Class B licenses, the OP is getting his wish if that is his concern. I just looked at the Texas law concerning what you can operate with a Class C. What I found i that you cannot operate a vehicle that has a gvwr of over 10,000 lbs and at trailer with over 10,000 las GVW with less than a class A. So when you buy that 3500 dually and you are pulling a fiver you need a class A. So does this satisfy the desires of the OP? I would think that a Class A (non commercial) requirement would be enough.
TandT
Founding Utah Chapter Leaders-Retired
I guess one thing seems to make some sense here. It seems California and Texas have some of the most restrictive towing laws. They also have 40 million and 25 million people repectively competing for space on the same highways. I guess one could rationalize a higher level of training and awareness might be required under those circumstances.
Trace
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danemayer
Well-known member
Both California and Texas, and some other states have stricter licensing requirements. But since neither state enforces those requirements, what difference does it make.
Could you imagine the chaos if the current laws were suddenly enforced? How'd you like to drop your trailer on the side of the road until a properly licensed driver can pick it up?
Could you imagine the chaos if the current laws were suddenly enforced? How'd you like to drop your trailer on the side of the road until a properly licensed driver can pick it up?
Jim.Allison
Well-known member
I'm just pointing out to those that have safety concerns about others, and those that advocate for more restrictive licensing requirements for RV'rs, that laws already exist that address these concernes, whether enforced or not.
Personally, I don't care one way or another, I'm a live and let live kind of person. I just have a problem with advocates of tougher restrictions when they infact are probably on the roadway illegally themselves. The law has addressed the licensing issues the OP desires. But perhaps we should just enforce the laws we already have rather than change them.
Like I said be very careful what you wish for, lest you become a victim of regulation. BTW, most states are very similar to Texas, some are not and to me that is a good thing, but I don't see what is strict about a state that allows most rigs to operate with a class C license. I can see how a person that has a TV with a GVWR of over 10,000 lbs and a trailer with a GVWR of more than 10,000 lbs, would think that the laws are strict. But when one is advocating tougher restrictions, they must first follow the law that already exist.
Like I said where else can a college gal rent a 26 foot uHaul and a car hauler and drive from LA to Miami legally. "America, been very very good to me."
Personally, I don't care one way or another, I'm a live and let live kind of person. I just have a problem with advocates of tougher restrictions when they infact are probably on the roadway illegally themselves. The law has addressed the licensing issues the OP desires. But perhaps we should just enforce the laws we already have rather than change them.
Like I said be very careful what you wish for, lest you become a victim of regulation. BTW, most states are very similar to Texas, some are not and to me that is a good thing, but I don't see what is strict about a state that allows most rigs to operate with a class C license. I can see how a person that has a TV with a GVWR of over 10,000 lbs and a trailer with a GVWR of more than 10,000 lbs, would think that the laws are strict. But when one is advocating tougher restrictions, they must first follow the law that already exist.
Like I said where else can a college gal rent a 26 foot uHaul and a car hauler and drive from LA to Miami legally. "America, been very very good to me."
A high percentage of those people live in the cities. Texas for example is pretty empty outside the cities. Maybe have some sort of restrictions if you live or want to bring your rig into Dallas - Ft Worth, Houston, LA, or San Francisco. Personally, I would never even think about towing into those cities other than the beltways, but even those I would avoid, since I like to stay off the highways.
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JanAndBill
Well-known member
Thank you. Admittedly there are laws on the books in some states, but the lack of any common national standard makes it extremely confusing and virtually unenforceable. This was one of the problems with the commercial license, the advent of the CDL normalized regulations across the country. For those reading lest you misread my post, I didn't advocate the establishment of "any" additional license requirements. There is a push by truck manufacturer's in general to increase towing capability, and trailer manufacturer's will quickly move to utilize those weight increases. My OP title "Is it time for an RV operator license?" , was meant to open a dialog to discuss if the time has come. By and large the majority of posters that have responded I think would favor some type of "uniform" regulation across the country.
Personally, I don't care one way or another, I'm a live and let live kind of person. I just have a problem with advocates of tougher restrictions when they infact are probably on the roadway illegally themselves. The law has addressed the licensing issues the OP desires. But perhaps we should just enforce the laws we already have rather than change them.
Jim, FYI - I hold a Commercial Class A with multiple endorsements, as well as endorsements for vessel and motorcycle. As Volunteer Fire and First Responder for years, I've had a lot of "on scene" experience at various types of motor vehicle accidents including RV's. As the founder of a successful trucking company for 25 years I am intimately aware of the safe operation of heavy vehicles. Part of the confusion comes from the term RV itself which could include a 50,000# plus MH to a pop up tent trailer. I had a saying when we owned the trucking company, "it wasn't if we would have an accident, it was when and how bad". We had an excellent safety rating, but when you run the kind of miles we did, even a small percentage of accidents/million miles added up over the years. I've seen undocumented data for the years 2000 to 2007 indicating MH fatalities of .44/100 million miles versus 1.43/100 million miles for all vehicles. When it comes to trucks towing trailers the data gets murky and I suspect it is reported under the light truck category or others. Census Data for 2009 indicated 10.9 fatalities for light trucks vs 13.9 for passenger car, but I couldn't find much about vehicles towing a trailers. Again, these are numbers representing fatalities and not total accidents, so it's difficult to establish if any type of dangerous situation actually exists or not. The other thing to consider is that most RV operators avoid driving during peak traffic hours, and don't spend long periods behind the wheel which could make them safer as a class of drivers.
Obviously the standards for operating the 50,000# MH are higher than those for towing the pop up. Do any of the RV operators need a class A? I'm not sure that is the answer, but a common standard across the country that would guide states to establish endorsement requirements based on weight or length might.
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