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Legalized
Got “legalized” today by getting my Class B non-commercial drivers license, which is the minimum required to drive a motorhome over 40 feet in California. The interesting thing is that apparently no one ever bothers to get this license. I took the written test and the driving test at two different DMV offices, and no one in either office had ever administered the test before. They had to call headquarters in Sacramento to figure out what to do. I ended up taking the same driving test as the Class A commercial semi drivers, including backing to a simulated loading dock down a narrow alley after a 90 degree turn. Not easy for a vehicle that does not bend in the middle, but we made it.
I see lots of 45 foot motorhomes in SoCal and I guess most of those pilots are not licensed. I’m not really critical of that, but for me getting the license makes me feel more secure. I pay a lot for insurance and I don’t want my insurance company quesioning or denying coverage for a claim because I did not have the proper license.
I am curious. Without revealing your personal situation, I wonder if you know whether your “friends” have obtained any additional license if required in your state.
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17 Replies
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I have a Class A and when the CDL was first mandated there was a mass of confusion relating to what was required to legally drive our coach. I lived in NY at the time and I went up the food chain trying to find out if it worked because the Prevost was rare as a motorhome at the time and it was deemed a bus which also required a commercial NYS inspection.
I was finally told I needed to take a driving test in the bus because it was a “bus”. So as idiotic as it sounds I got a learner’s permit and scheduled a road test and written test. I passed the written test and even though I had only a learner’s permit for the bus I did not need to be accompanied by a legal driver because I was getting the “new” CDL prior to the time it was required. The examiner started with the pre-trip inspection and he was completely screwed up because there was no way to visually inspect stuff beneath the coach. When he stepped into the bus he balked because he expected 50 seats, but after a discussion of what I have gone through to figure out if I needed the license he agreed but said he would not give me a “P” endorsement.
The rest of the test was an exercise. Parallel parking, backing up, taking the coach down narrow residential streets, etc. but in the end I got my license. I got my Class A (which at one time was a chauffer’s license that I had and gave up for the Class B) when I got to TN because I was pulling a trailer with my dump truck doing development work. They saw I had the Class B for the bus and the examiner said here’s you “P” endorsement. It was a freebie.
Shortly after the CDL became the law of the land the NYS troopers would pull over large class A motorhomes such as Monaco Signature types and if the drivers did not have the class B they were ticketed and the RV had to sit until a licensed driver could be found to move the coach from NY. They stopped doing that after much bad publicity because it was actually not required so it turned out I did not need to go through the BS. All NY actually requires is a Class R endorsement and you get that by stating you have motorhome driving experience.
Today different states have different requirements.
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Bryan,
I have a CDL with all the endorsements from my trucking days, used
to be a Chauffeurs license like Jon said and there is a discount
with the insurance company for CDL.The down side, if you’re ever in an accident where fault is in question, especially involving
injury or death, they will hold you more accountable and/or negligent
because you are a licensed professional driver and the lawyers will
have a field day with that. -
Hi Bryan I have had class A CDL for 33 years I got it when Iived in CAL I think it’s a good Idea to have it
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My opinion doesn’t count but I think if you are going to drive a Prevost you should at least possess a class B license.
They have non-commercial class B licenses so to avoid the scrutiny you would get if you had the commercial one as Tom suggests just make sure it is non commercial.
You not only have to prove some basic driving skills such as parking and backing up, the knowledge test is an excellent way to develop a basic understanding of the air and brake systems. At the very least you will have to know how to do the pre-trip DOT brake inspection. Maybe I am being too harsh but after watching thousands of drivers of all kinds of RVs trying to get into their site I am convinced a high percentage who have their wives running around behind their rig with a walkie talkie, or those who see-saw back and forth 5 or 10 times shouldn’t even be on the road.
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Texas requires a NON-CDL class B license for anything over 25,000lbs. I suspect most drivers do not have one in Texas. I did get mine, very simple written test and then a driving test. Just left turn, right turn, stopping. No backing up or highway speeds!
Now I will tell you, if you get a speeding ticket with a NON-CDL class B, you have to explain what a non-CDL is so that you can take the driver safety to remove the ticket from your record! Don’t ask why I know! If you have a full CDL, you cannot take the safety course. I was not speeding in the coach, it was in the Jeep!
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California class A, M1= cars, trucks and motorcycles. Hardest one to pass is the motorcycle test, the rocket scientist that wrote the test has never riden a motorcycle!!!
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Does it make sense to require a special license so someone can drive a motorcyle where the public risk is relatively small, but in most jurisdictions to not require any special license to drive a 50,000 pound bus and a 25 foot 10,000 pound stacker trailer that would be capable of great public harm?
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I could care less if someone has passed a Class A or B test. I only care that they have the knowledge and skills to safely operate whatever is attached to the steering wheel in their hands. With that said, I’m surprised that states that don’t require a class B haven’t created a an air brake endorsement for a standard license.
I would not get a CDL, just to prove to myself I could pass the test. If I really wanted to fully understand the CDL requirements I’d just take a CDL course and not opt for getting the license in the end. As Tom said, a CDL licensed operator will be held to a higher standard, even when operating their own personal vehicle. The same can be said about a Captain’s license. I have a lot of hours operating a boats well off shore and fully understand the rules of the road, but opted to forego licensing as it isn’t required.
Whether you hold the paper or not, you need to have both knowledge and skills.
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Jon, you make an excellent point about the potential risks of driving a large motorhome vs. a motorcycle. My first coach was a Prevost 40 footer, so in California I did not need anything other than my regular class C car license to drive it. With my car in tow I was 60 feet long and weighed nearly 50,000 lbs. Although I had a lot of experience with big vehicles before getting that rig and felt pretty competent, it is a bit crazy that nobody questioned or tested my competence.
Tom, I have heard the viewpoint that the holder of a commercial license would be treated more harshly in court in the event of an accident, but I don’t think that would be the case. It certainly would be far worse to be in court as an at-fault driver who did not possess the legally required license for the rig being driven. In any event, the conscientious folks on this board are not likely to have an at-fault accident, and if we do, we have plenty of insurance, right? I think anyone who has a CDL should be proud of having a license that exceeds what is necessary to drive their coach and should not worry much about the other stuff. However, I did not know that commerical license holders can’t erase traffic infractions by attending safety school. Having used that procedure myself (for an infraction while driving my car) I think that might be the only drawback of the commercial license.
Kevin, I agree that the CA motorcycle test is pretty stooopid.
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Gil,
You don’t get to many campgrounds do you? Or if you do you only go to campgrounds where expert drivers park their rigs.
Since I have to share the road with other drivers I have a great deal of comfort knowing I am sharing it with capable drivers. Just because you or any other driver says they are competent does not make it so. Using your thoughts we might just as well let anyone that thinks that they are good competent semi drivers to just hop in and head down the road.
I personally don’t think you are a good driver. You haven’t shown me any proof. Therefore I would appreciate it if you refrained from using my highway when I am on it. And I can understand completely how you don’t want anyone to know you cannot pass the test (by not taking it) so don’t move to CA or TX for example.
Obviously I am kidding and being absurd but I am sure you understand as a society we license everyone in every profession from dog groomers to accountants, neither of which will ever become a risk to public safety, but we allow people to drive 3 feet away from other drivers at 75 MPH speeds in 50,000 pound weapons and they cannot even do a brake test or back into a campsite.
I’ll stick with my opinion.
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Jon,
On the road, or water for that matter, I assume the operator is incompetent as I can’t ask for his/her license and experience in advance of our encounter. Driving defensively is how I’ve always approached driving. Yes, I’ve seen plenty of inexperienced RV operations and unsafe licensed CDL operators. On the flip side I’ve seen plenty of well experienced and safe operators.
My beef with some licensing is that it has become more of a revenue source than a means of judging education and experience.
I’ll try to let ypu know when we might be sharing the road so you can steer clear 😉
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The crux of your argument is at its very core wrong.
Even if every driver on the road has passed stringent testing we always need to be defensive and vigilant. But if you have no need for demonstrated skills testing the risk to you and me and others has skyrocketed.
I will however stand shoulder to shoulder with you to fight “revenue enhancements” such as red light or speed cameras. But if a guy on a 100CC motorbike needs to take a test to drive it on the street then it is just insanity to allow the driver of a Prevost coach or similar RV to not prove his skill levels.
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North Carolina requires the Class B for anything over 26,000 pounds as well. I got mine to protect myself in case of an accident.
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I believe in wy u can get a class A non commercial I just think more than I car license is needed all of the truck drivers have a CDL and some of them still can’t drive Bryan I wasn’t saying u needed CDL just that its a good idea to have the right license
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Bryan,
I have a CDL here in Illinois.
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