yellobronc
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Not Me!!!The only problem with everyones research is you still need a CDL.
Floyd
He He!
Actually I have done a ton of research and never found what has been stated above. Interesting.
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Not Me!!!The only problem with everyones research is you still need a CDL.
Floyd
Non CDL Class A or B will not work with 3 Axles, sorry.I was pretty sure I checked into this at one time and a CDL is not required but CA has non-CDL class A and B driver's licenses.
Non-commercial Class A or B will not suffice., I do.nt remember why, but it was ruled out quickly at the DMV. If you stay with commercial plates, a motor carrier permit, CA numbers, BIT enrollment, Medical etc. will be required. Historical, they still say 3 axle will require commercial Class B.Argh, not this dead horse again!
Either a Class B or Class A license is required to legally drive an unmodified M35A2C in California, no matter what your intended use is. A Class C license (the kind that regular car-drivers have) is not sufficient. This is different (and more stringent) than federal regulations and most other states' laws. I've researched this myself, and have consulted the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement guys at the CA Highway Patrol to verify.
From the original post, with the key phrase boldfaced and underlined:
Because of this, even a pickup truck is considered a "commercial vehicle" in California, simply because it is designed primarily for hauling cargo. If you keep your eyes open as you drive around, you'll notice that cars and passenger-carrying SUVs have the non-commercial license number format (1ABC234), while pickup trucks and semis both have the commercial license number format (1A23456). THe pickup trucks are light enough to be driven on a Class C license, and it can be a non-commercial license if the truck isn't used for commercial purposes (if the truck is being used for commercial purposes, then you need a commercial Class C license).
Ok, so an M35A2 is considered a commercial vehicle in CA because it is designed primarily for hauling cargo, just like a pickup truck is. Now, we get into the area of required license class. This is another thing that commonly confuses people who aren't familiar with the CA vehicle code, in particular because it differs from federal regulations (and is more stringent). All of the usual features which put a non-tractor truck into the "B" class apply in California, such as "GVWR over 26,000 pounds". To folks who don't know CA law but do know federal requirements and/or their own state's laws, the M35A2 doesn't look like a Class B truck, since its GVWR is around 24,000 pounds. However, CA has one extra rule for putting trucks into the "B" class, and this is the one that catches the M35A2:
It's that danged third axle, along with weighing over 6,000 pounds (an unladen deuce weighs at least 12,000 pounds), that makes a deuce drop into the "B" class in California.
One thing that I will admit to being unsure about is whether a noncommercial Class B or Class A license is OK. I haven't read up on those lately, and I don't recall whether they only apply to motor homes, or also apply to any other vehicles in the A/B classes that aren't being used commercially. However, one thing I can be absolutely sure of is this:
An ordinary Class C driver's license is not sufficient for legally driving an M35A2 in California, no matter what you use the truck for.
I looked at the Vehicle Code, including the definitions section. I have not looked at case law or case cites (and I admit to not knowing how to do so). To my non-lawyerly eyes, the Vehicle Code appears to unambiguously state that a Class B license (or a Class A license, which encompasses all Class B vehicles) is necessary to legally drive "a single vehicle with three or more axles, except any three-axle vehicle weighing less than 6,000 pounds", no matter what the intended use is.You are just wrong. Did you really look at case law, case cites, the definitions section of the Veh Code and the legislative (intent) notes?
Question: If I were to drive a deuce into California, and I got pulled over for whatever reason, would they dock me for not having a CDL?
That is not what the definition in the California Vehicle Code says, though. It says:A commercial motor vehicle is a motor vehicle or combination of vehicles designed or used for either the transportation of persons for compensation or property and:
This states that a vehicle is considered a "commercial vehicle" under CA law if it is used for commercial purposes or if it is designed primarily to haul cargo. Even a personally-owned, not-used-for-hire pickup truck is considered a commercial vehicle by the state of California.California Vehicle Code Section 260 said:260. (a) A "commercial vehicle" is a motor vehicle of a type required to be registered under this code used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit or designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.
So I am to accept your word without supporting information because you are a lawyer (and lawyers are never wrong), and I'm not smart enough to understand any supporting information that you might provide anyway? You should not be surprised that your opinion on this matter fails to sway me, then.I am not insulted by you not believing me for not providing you citations, but to be frank, I am not sure if you are going to understand their significance if I did, and it would be a lot fo work, just to mke you happy.
If you ever do that lawyer/case law thing, please share the info here! I would really enjoy being proven wrong on this matter. I'm just acting and advising based on the information available to me, and I'll be happy to admit I was wrong if anybody manages to change my mind... I just won't change it on a "trust me" without seeing the evidence myself. Danged engineers... it's no wonder people don't like us!Having said that, if I had paid a lawyer to look through case law and could present an argument differently, I'd do it with confidence. But I haven't, and I think I'm just going to have to get a "bigger" license.
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