Super Truckers Take Heed - f350 towing a supposedly 710JD Backhoe Fatality

[joefromga]

The reason you need a cdl is hopefully if your smart enough to get a cdl you will not do stupid deadly crap like this.

I understand why a cdl is required but the process is very difficult to go through unless you get hired on a company that is in the trucking business and you can be an apprentice.

There should be a simple testing process just like getting a DL. Cars are much more dangerous simply because of the number of them on the road but we let teenagers drive with no experience at all.

The test doesn't have to be easy but it should be more accessible to people who need heavy equipment but aren't necessarily in the transportation business.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I understand why a cdl is required but the process is very difficult to go through unless you get hired on a company that is in the trucking business and you can be an apprentice.

There should be a simple testing process just like getting a DL. Cars are much more dangerous simply because of the number of them on the road but we let teenagers drive with no experience at all.

The test doesn't have to be easy but it should be more accessible to people who need heavy equipment but aren't necessarily in the transportation business.

I never worked for a trucking company or got paid to drive a truck but I got my class a cdl. It took some persistence on my part since I didn't use one of those over priced schools. I did have to put a bit of time in for the requirements though.

 

[ultrarunner]

How much time does it take to maintain and did it affect you insurance having a CDL?

I think what sticks with some of us is a neighbor can head down the road with a monster motorhome or a boat on a 3 axle trailer... no problem.

If I want to take my backhoe to the folks house to help with a project I'm an outlaw...

 

[bdog]

Getting a CDL isn't hard. Quite frankly I think it is too easy. They should make it harder to get to make sure people are qualified to drive an 80,000lb missile down the highway.

I have never worked anywhere as a driver. After I got my CDL I bought a couple trucks primarily to haul my own things but I do a little for hire hauling on the side.

When I decided I wanted my CDL I went down to the DPS office and picked up the commercial driver handbook. I read about 70% of the book that night and finished reading it the next morning. As soon as I finished reading it I went back to the DPS and took the tests. I think there are 5 of them. I passed all of them easily. It was over 200 questions total if I remember correctly and the fee was around $60 for a 5 year license. You also need a medical card. Those cost $75 and are good for 2 years. You just go to a doctor and they check you out and make sure you can see good and are not likely to have a seizure or something while driving. Once that is done you need to schedule and do a road test in the class of vehicle you getting the license for. Class B would be a vehicle over 26k with no trailer over 10k and class A is a combo over 26k with the trailer over 10k. You could get a class A in a pickup with a tandem dual gooseneck but you would have an air brake restriction placed on your license and not be able to drive anything with air brakes.

I wanted the full unrestricted class A and I didn't have access to any class A vehicles so I paid an outfit in Dallas $500 to rent their truck to use for the driving test. The driving test wasn't hard. I think I got a 92 out of 100 on it I only lost points on the parallel parking. You have to blind side parallel park a semi. Who the heck does that in the real world? I have never seen a semi do it. The test is about 30 minutes of driving around with the DPS guy getting on and off freeway, making turns, etc. You have to back straight up for 500' I believe and then the parallel park.

No effects on my insurance so far. The only bad thing of having a CDL is you can no longer take defensive driving for tickets even if you get them in your personal car. I have had probably a half dozen speeding tickets over my life but none of them are on my record because I always took defensive driving.

Having a CDL itself doesn't take time to maintain really it is the other stuff that goes with it that does if you want to have your own DOT number, etc. That is what takes the time.

 

[ultrarunner]

Appreciate you providing such a detailed response...

I've passed up a few real sweet deals... one was a 2002 single owner/operator 7 yard dump that was showroom... he was retired and said it was mine for 5K... think the Alcoa Rims and 6 new Michelin Tires would have covered a lot of the price... thing is at 32,000 it was 6k over my license.

My reason for asking is I would like to be able to tow my properly equipped 12k loaded trailer behind the 2016 f250 diesel for personal use.

Everyday I see CDL holders come into the Occupational Medicine office next door... they need physicals, random drug tests... sometimes a lot of drug tests plus drug tests after any law enforcement action...

Thankfully in 40+ years of driving... never had a ticket... still would like the option of traffic school should I get one...

Interstate 580 is real strict about no commercial vehicles over 9,000 lbs... pickup trucks with standard boxes seem to be OK... a friend with an empty F350 with flat bed was cited for being commercial with a GVW over 9000

The highway patrol is always parked on this stretch of freeway... yesterday I saw a Dodge 1 ton pulling a trailer move to 3rd from the slow lane to pass and get nailed... enforcement has really stepped up for revenue...

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I'll echo what bdog said. I think it should be harder to get a cdl but I would agree with all the details he posted. I had to parallel park, park at a "dock" and back 500 feet. Also did the pretrip, airbrake test, and road course. I don't have any endorsements since I never needed them but I think only the hazmat is a big deal to keep. I also don't do interstate commerce so I don't need all the extra stuff. I mostly move my own equipment around. My insurance didn't move at all. The registration on my mdt however is based on licensed weight and that bill is never fun to pay but it's alot of peace of mind when I'm not at the max of the truck.

 

[Sprinklerman]

I got my class B to help a friend out and drive a heating oil truck . Took the written test with out reading the book , failed , read the book that evening and passed every endorsement . Scheduled driving test a month out , 2 days before the test I did a walk around for the pre trip , and drove the truck for an hour . Passed the driving test at 10 am , had my new license in hand by noon , I was making oil deliveries 2 hours later . It my cdl , 3 or 4 times a year driving for friends that need help . I regret not getting my cdl A , but a class B was all I needed . It is easy . Like Bdog said , its too easy .

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I still do not understand why when moving over loaded like that people do not get geared down before they start down so the brakes as only used as a secondary way of stopping. The trailer brakes may not have been able to do their share either. It is a very sad case that keeps repeating. Growing up our farm trucks where often grossly overloaded so we had to break over some hills already geared down.

We have a 310B and it weights about 12,500 pounds I think.

 

[Soundguy]

I have been pondering the result of a new diesel pickup losing electrical power. Would engine continue to run? Transmission downshift? Does hydroboost brake system have some type of reserve hydraulic accumulator to give you one final stop? The parking brake on these trucks wouldn't do much to slow down a 40,000K rig going down a grade.

Dunno.

I guess if an electrical failure, then he lost trailer brakes. Truck brakes, if nothing else should have STARTED slowing him down, not speed him up.

Wonder if he had one of those hyd brakes controllers that Taos your truck brakes and then it had a catastrophic failure?

I just had the rears off my 99 f450... It has some pretty massive brakes. I've stopped my 14 k gooseneck fully (over)loaded no problem with truck brakes. Wasn't as easy as having another couple axles, but it worked. Mind you its a smaller load than the one mentions.. But still. I hope brake tech has gone up a bit in 17 ys too


Would like to hear some more details of this accident.

 

[Soundguy]

How much time does it take to maintain and did it affect you insurance having a CDL?

I think what sticks with some of us is a neighbor can head down the road with a monster motorhome or a boat on a 3 axle trailer... no problem.

If I want to take my backhoe to the folks house to help with a project I'm an outlaw...

Some states dropped their class d or farm licenses. Tho pushed many to getting a c or dropping to e.

I think that inbetween, medium duty non commercial class was beneficial.. Cut out son of the med card bs, etc.. And get some more drivers better trained, weekend warriors, etc.