Feds to require CDL for farm tractors

[biggerten]

Proposed rule on farms called absurd

"A new rule being proposed by the federal Department of Transportation would require farmers to get commercial drivers licenses.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is a part of DOT, wants to adopt standards that would reclassify all farm vehicles and implements as Commercial Motor Vehicles, officials said. Likewise, the proposal, if adopted, would require all farmers and everyone on the farm who operates any of the equipment to obtain a CDL, they added.

The proposed rule change would mean that anyone who drives a tractor or operates any piece of motorized farming equipment would be required to pass the same tests and complete the same detailed forms and logs required of semi-tractor trailer drivers.

Drivers would keep logs of information including hours worked and miles traveled. Vehicles would be required to display DOT numbers. A CDL in Virginia costs $64 for eight years, or $8 per year, not including the cost of an instructional class and the written test."



Proposed rule on farms called ?absurd?

 

[oldnslo]

Years ago Minnesota wanted to impose the rules that you had to have a valid drivers license to operate farm machiney on public roads. From memory this idea was killed off pretty quick. Don't remember the reason this was even being considere back then.

 

[John47]

I for one won't bother, I rarely go on the highways with a tractor. Seems absurd that a machine incapable of going over 20mph will be required to have a driver with a Semi license.
If everyone ignored the law, "IF", it gets implemented, will they throw all of us behind bars??? I doubt it, ignore them and they will go away.
Government just wants to intrude in every aspect of our lives, they will soon bring in regulations to make us employ someone to wipe our asses for us!!!!

 

[bigbull338]

thatll go over bout like a lead ballon.

 

[RickB]

The original post is somewhat behind the curve, here is an Illinois Farm Bureau press release:

FMCSA announces changes to trucking regulations
Wednesday, August 10, 2011


Crop-share tenant farmers will no longer be considered for-hire and implements of husbandry will not be regulated as trucks under the terms of the announcement issued this morning by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA.)

IFB's Kevin Rund says today's decision wipes away mountains of uncertainty for farmers faced with serious decisions about motor carrier safety regulations (MCSR) and how their operations could function legally.

Illinois Farm Bureau will be hosting FMCSA administrator Anne Ferro and her staff over the next two days visiting farms and agribusinesses. We will use our time with the group to demonstrate and reinforce that they have made the correct decision. We will also turn our attention to working with the agency to address the non-compliance issues faced by 81 Illinois farmers who failed safety audits in February and early March before members called the problem to our attention and a moratorium was imposed on asking the crop-share question.

We consider the decisions on crop-share and implements of husbandry to in-line with what we had requested.

 

[biggerten]

Thanks for pointing that reversal out.

I'm amazed that something so idiotic was considered in the first place, it's makes me nervous.

 

[ModMech]

I am sure this will not apply to TRACTORS, as in Ag type tractors, but as far as trucks, semis and other equipment that would require a CDL if used in any other industry, I am ALL FOR IT.

There are way too many people working on farms that cannot pass a CDL test and really should not be operating this type of equipment on public roads. They only get by with it because "farm" trucks are exempt from the rules.

I can see some exemptions to the "on road" rules, like for specialty trailers and equipment transport to and from a service or sales location and obviously field to field or the like.

 

[RickB]

I am sure this will not apply to TRACTORS, as in Ag type tractors, but as far as trucks, semis and other equipment that would require a CDL if used in any other industry, I am ALL FOR IT.

There are way too many people working on farms that cannot pass a CDL test and really should not be operating this type of equipment on public roads. They only get by with it because "farm" trucks are exempt from the rules.

I can see some exemptions to the "on road" rules, like for specialty trailers and equipment transport to and from a service or sales location and obviously field to field or the like.

As proposed, it certainly would have applied to farm tractors.

 

[scott_vt]

Good Mornin Biggerten,
I think that you would find that most farmers have CDL liscences allready...

As far as the migrant workers that work on the farm, that may be something completely different !

A large part of obtaining a CDL, deals with air brake systems and the associated checks that go with it to have a truck safetly on the road. That being said, farm tractors dont need to deal with that issue. I dont have a problem with safety inspections, but having to have a CDL to operate one seems strange at best to me JMO !

Just another example of our government going in the wrong direction !

 

[Farmwithjunk]

As proposed, it certainly would have applied to farm tractors.

As it was explained to me (by Ky State Trooper in Commercial Vehicle Enforcment division) it certainly would have applied to tractors, combines, ect, as well as farm trucks. In fact, it was targeting tractors/combines as a primary focus of the proposed laws.

As mentioned, DOT has decided to drop the proposed changes.