CDL needed?

[smokeonthewater]

Re: CDL needed?

Nationwide, I believe you need a medical card for anything over 17000lb GVW.

You need a medical card to drive ANYTHING that you need a CDL for.... When my card expires I get a letter from the state informing me that my CDL status is suspended until I file a current medical card..... My license reverts to a normal NON CDL status and I am not legal to operate ANY CDL rig at that time.

You ALSO need a medical card to operate commercial with some vehicles under CDL .... probably where the weight thing comes in

 

[Thalasso]

Re: CDL needed?

The key is if you get stopped, and they ask you if you are being compensated, reply NO. Even if you are being compensated by, say a friend who wants to buy you dinner, even though its not cash money, you still are being compensated so you are considered to be driving commercial. .04 BAC is the limit if you have a CDL, no matter if you are in a commercial vehicle, or your personal vehicle. With a CDL, you are held to a higher standard, because you are considered a professional driver.

Part of the statement is not so.

 

[BlueLightSpecial]

Re: CDL needed?

Part of the statement is not so.

After googling, you are absolutely right. My apologies for the incorrect information. It is .04 if you are in a commercial vehicle. All these years I truly thought if you had a CDL, it was .04 know matter what vehicle you were operating. But in pa if you get a dui in your pov, it affects your CDL too.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: CDL needed?

......if you get a dui in your pov, it affects your CDL too.

well of course it does... and it absolutely should..... Bad judgement is bad judgement.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: CDL needed?

After googling, you are absolutely right. My apologies for the incorrect information. It is .04 if you are in a commercial vehicle. All these years I truly thought if you had a CDL, it was .04 know matter what vehicle you were operating. But in pa if you get a dui in your pov, it affects your CDL too.

When the new regs went into effect. Forget what terminology for them is (CSA 2010-2011) Everything on your drivers license record in all states effect it ( CDL). Not just here. It even effects the companies DOT rating. I retired just before it went into effect.
Just curious, did they pass the sleep apnea part?

 

[tinkerguy70]

Re: CDL needed?

When the new regs went into effect. Forget what terminology for them is (CSA 2010-2011) Everything on your drivers license record in all states effect it ( CDL). Not just here. It even effects the companies DOT rating. I retired just before it went into effect.
Just curious, did they pass the sleep apnea part?

That's right. That was one of the main purposes for the CDL program. It was to eliminate all of the Commercial drivers holding more than one state's license (most where called a chauffeur's license prior to CDL), and to basically standardized everything from state to state.

In the old days, many drivers would hold several different licenses from several states. If they where issued a citation in a given state, they would simply hand the police officer another state's license to avoid the points on his home state's license.
Back then, most states didn't reciprocate and it was a pretty common practice, just like running 2 or 3 log books.

 

[dwco5051]

Re: CDL needed?

In the old days, many drivers would hold several different licenses from several states. If they where issued a citation in a given state, they would simply hand the police officer another state's license to avoid the points on his home state's license. Back then, most states didn't reciprocate and it was a pretty common practice, just like running 2 or 3 log books.

How true!

I drove over the road in the early 60's for a couple of years in the days before the states were all computerized. If you were suspended in one state you just had to remember to produce the right license.

 

[klawton55]

Re: CDL needed?

Not sure what state you are from put in PA if the combination of truck and trailer are over 17,000 lbs and you are for hire you need a cdl. But if the two are over 17,000 lbs and not for hire you still need a class A license just not the cdl. In both cases the vehicle needs semi annual inspection.