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CDL's for driving larger engines? *update 10-19-08*
Our new engine is a sterling cab, wieghs well over 26000 pounds I'm not sure of the excact wieght and has air brakes. At my day job I have to have CDLs to drive an f-750 that wieghs 28000 pounds and has air brakes. Tn law states any vehicle with air brakes or excedes the wieght limit of 26000 pounds you have to have a class b cdl to drive it. But there is an excemption for emergency vehicles that just doesnt make sense to me. does anyone elses dept. require cdls or anyone think they should. I think you should have to have cdls and have evoc tought by a state instructor before you can drive. Just my opinion.
10-19-08 I contacted The Tennessee DMV and they told me that a non cdl driver could drive an engine to an emergency under the excemtion law but would be breaking the law if they drove back to the station to get fuel or was just out driving. The dmv also if a non cdl driver was involved in an accident driving a large truck they would be driving a commercial vehicle without a license and could lose their license or have to do jail time. They also told me all that was needed was a class be cdl in Tn thats only 2 written test and a short on road driving test.
10-19-08 I contacted The Tennessee DMV and they told me that a non cdl driver could drive an engine to an emergency under the excemtion law but would be breaking the law if they drove back to the station to get fuel or was just out driving. The dmv also if a non cdl driver was involved in an accident driving a large truck they would be driving a commercial vehicle without a license and could lose their license or have to do jail time. They also told me all that was needed was a class be cdl in Tn thats only 2 written test and a short on road driving test.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ed Laugesen on
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I for one think that in this day and time, when Rescues are exceeding 27,000# and Engines and Ladders are exceeding 40 to 50,000# it should be required. I beleive that it takes a large ammount of liability away form the Departments side of the table when a MVC occurs. This is to say that the Department would be slightly releived from have to prove that their training was the same as is required to obtain a CDL.
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Permalink Reply by anne potter on
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Fire trucks have been around for how long????... If the federal goverment or the state you live in wants to pay for each memeber to get the CDL endorsement on your licence then so be it... But I don't see it happening.. Hell NY state is soooo in debt and barely giving money to any one... I think within the dept own restriction's should limit who drives the truck . There is EVOC classes given and one must have to take it to drive a truck.
This has become such a hot topic why????? Fire trucks have been around for a long time .. Yes accidents happen. Even the guys with the CDL licences that drive the really big trucks have accidents. Leave up to the dept. and the bylaws that are in place it my opinion. If the the Gov or the state whats to shell out the money for it then thats different.... Until the people in power who are making a big deal out of this can get up in the middle of the night and spend 8 hours at the next structure fire. Maybe they can drive my truck back for me
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I agree ,but even the guys who get the CDL does not mean that they are safer driver than the person who has driven these trucks since they were 18... I believe it goes back to being a safe and responsible driver... If they want me to get a CDL then pay for it ..ESp now when alot of people have no jobs no money.. If this happen the VOL depts will take a huge hit.. Who has the money for this.. Paid depts great.. You make how much and what does your dept pay for each piece of equipment.. Or the Vol Dept who budget is $18,000 a year with 20-25 members.. Farmer and low paying job Voly's... Yep I can see this helping and most of these guys can out drive alot of people.. I have drove tanker and engine since I was 18. Probally can out drive half of the guys.. Just because I don't have a CDL does not mean I am not safe or know what water feels like shifting.. Please...
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Permalink Reply by firenut on
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Virginia also has this type of exemption because most rural volunteer company's don't have the means to required CDL.
But since lawsuits over vehicle accidents has increased so has the hours of behind the wheel training and all must be EVOC class 3 certified.
Recently in Va and engine responding to a structure fire lost control and the guardrail stop the vehicle but the officer and the driver where thrown threw the windshield obviously they weren't wearing seatbelts which is state law both were charged with failing to follow laws and regulation of virginia. a simple fine and the driver was a CDL A certified.
So I guess my point is CDL won't make you a safer driver even if it require by law. Drivers will still make mistakes ownly human after all.
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Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on
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DT I kind of regret starting this post since some people get really mad over it, but that's life. Here is what I noticed going over all the post
Here's my rough analysis of this discussion, opinions are divided into 3 trains of thought:
a) CDL for everyone - the more you know the better off you are
b) modified CDL-type - something more than a basic DL, to include some kind of EVOC
c) dept. trained (no CDL, with or without EVOC) - just let us drive the damn truck
The A people understand changing times and make valid points
The B people Same as A but make more more sense, after some thought I think a class B CDL(the same needed for a dump truck in TN) with a STATE CERTIFIED EVOC endorsement and tanker endorsment would be great.
The C people are really stubborn and can't come up with a good defense other than "We've always done it" or " we are broke" I apologize to all the people that fit in the C category.
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Permalink Reply by Rom919 on
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Wow... this discussion has made it over here.... I find it is so easy for the career members to tell us how much more training we volunteers need. Well... it is just not going to happen.. We get as much as our family life will allow and time will give us. We don't have the luxury having a paid day in the station or a dedicated career training officer. So we learn our driving skills from the senior firefighters above us, most with more time than career firefighters. We take EVOC to help supplement it, but we can't afford CDL's, the reason for the exemption. Now I know it is a career firefighters dream to place a volunteer station out of service, so that the union can breath a new life into it as a career station, but you know also that local taxes will not or cannot support this everywhere. So let's get along together and stop this bickering over CDL's.
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Wow... this discussion has made it over here.... I find it is so easy for the career members to tell us how much more training we volunteers need. Well... it is just not going to happen.. We get as much as our family life will allow and time will give us. We don't have the luxury having a paid day in the station or a dedicated career training officer. So we learn our driving skills from the senior firefighters above us, most with more time than career firefighters. We take EVOC to help supplement it, but we can't afford CDL's, the reason for the exemption. Now I know it is a career firefighters dream to place a volunteer station out of service, so that the union can breath a new life into it as a career station, but you know also that local taxes will not or cannot support this everywhere. So let's get along together and stop this bickering over CDL's. As for the volunteers who want to make one more requirements than their is already, well "Safety" is important, no doubt, so take every volunteer station in the country and add in their total apparatus, plus their calls every year, tell me, is their really a major safety issue in comparison to many everyday events.
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. As for the volunteers who want to make one more requirements than their is already, well "Safety" is important, no doubt, so take every volunteer station in the country and add in their total apparatus, plus their calls every year, tell me, is their really a major safety issue in comparison to many everyday events. YES when you have people that are untrained (some departments have great in house training but a lot don't) performing a job that needs specialized training then yes there is a safety issue. Would you want an unfortified untrained person starting an IV in you? On a side note could you try an not make this harmless PROFFESSIONAL discussion personal.
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Yea us dumb country girls ..Thanks.. But I am pretty sure that some of those rolled over trucks probally had a fancy CDL driver behind the wheel , because that special licence is going to keep that from damnthing from happening happening... all that edumakation that you get.... Silly boy tricks are for kids....... Oh yea I 43 so 43-18 makes what yea no experience here,,,
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Now remember that slife getting mad over it ,but in return you have gotten mad over people not agreeing with you so tis for tat.. You in that special A catergory..
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Why then such A quick answer hummmmmm personnel hummmmmm..... Most Iv starters when they start well probally have never started, one probally won't get it the first time and guess what maybe not the sec one .. Since this dumb unexperieced EMT have only only started you know a few in her time,, Missed alot too,but you being a profeesional as you are and being educated got it in the first time....
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Permalink Reply by Bill Claus on
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As a voluteer FF who makes a living driving 18-wheelers (13 years) I hope you will allow me to add my thoughts. If you have not picked up on it yet, my occupation requires that I have a class A CDL. The CDL did not magically make me a better or safer driver, experience and training did. So do I think it should be required that all responders have a CDL? No, but I do advocate more and better driver training, I think that is the real issue.
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