• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Farmer may have to get CDL's

apdst

apdst

Banned
DP Veteran
Joined
Jun 23, 2009
Messages
133,631
Reaction score
30,937
Location
Bagdad, La.
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Very Conservative
Farmers may have to get CDL's

Oh, no, there's nothing wrong with an out of control, over-regulating government that is looking to hit people with any kind of new regulation--in this case a new application of an old regulation--so that they can take more money out of the pockets of the citizens and put more money into the coffers of the government.

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.

Proposed rule on farms called
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Way to regulate everyone out of business.
 
Idiots. You have a room full of bureaucrats who only suck from the economy with nothing to do sitting around coming up with ideas to try and justify their existance.
 
The company I'm working for is going through something similar. We are being made to follow very literal interpretations of regulations. In the past, we only had to show our FAA POI (basically an assigned supervisor of sorts) a checklist and he'd give us the ok to use it. This last week, our new FAA POI told us all checklists had to be approved by him through a formal letter, a process can take 30 days or more. And the guy that is approving the checklist is not qualified to fly the aircraft he's approving. That's just one of probably 20 new paperwork processes that have slowed our progress. It doesn't improve safety. It actually slows us down and prevents us from implementing necessary changes quickly.
 
StillBallin75 said:
did the DOT come up with a rationale for this?
Click to expand...

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sought public comment on three issues related to the applicability of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) to operators of farm vehicles: first, the interpretation of interstate commerce as it applies to movement of farm products; second, whether farmers operating under share-cropping agreements are common or contract carriers; and third, whether FMCSA should issue new guidance on implements of husbandary. After considering comments from the public, FMCSA has determined that no further guidance is needed on interpreting interstate commerce and implements of husbandary. FMCSA is issuing guidance that farmers operating under share-cropping or similar agreements are not common or contract carriers and, therefore, are eligible for the CDL exemption if a State elects to adopt the exemption.
Click to expand...

General Notice: Regulatory Guidance: Applicability of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to Operators of Certain Farm Vehicles and Off-Road Agricultural Equipment - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Reading the summary, it appear Apdst is wrong. As usual.

And I expect a commercial carrier who's hauling tons of agricultural products around in huge trucks to have CDLs.
 
Last edited:
wants to adopt standards that would reclassify all farm vehicles and implements as Commercial Motor Vehicles,

All vehicles. Not just large commercial trucks. And it says it allows the states certain exemptions. More paperwork and regulations for the states to have to deal with.
 
1Perry said:
wants to adopt standards that would reclassify all farm vehicles and implements as Commercial Motor Vehicles,

All vehicles. Not just large commercial trucks. And it says it allows the states certain exemptions. More paperwork and regulations for the states to have to deal with.
Click to expand...

Basically if you're not a common or contract carrier, you have nothing to fear. Reading. It helps!

And I expect large contract carriers with huge trucks to have CDLs. The same way I expect someone moving a large back hoe down the freeway to have a CDL even if he works for a small construction company. The same way I expect the guys driving the massive trailers delivering mountains of beer to bars to have a CDLs. Have you SEEN the size of some of the trucks hauling grain?

The problem with you anti-regulation people is that you haven't got burned by lack of regulation. And you people automatically assume the worst about all laws.
 
Last edited:
obvious Child said:
The problem with you anti-regulation people is that you haven't got burned by lack of regulation. And you people automatically assume the worst about all laws.
Click to expand...

People should be able to drive any vehicle they want to, regardless of their ability to do so safely. They should be able to do so drinking or smoking whatever they want to. If you get killed, that's a risk you take by driving on public roads. Speed limits, red lights, driving on the right, it's all just big government telling us what to do!

Now in seriousness, it seems like the idea is that big farms with employees hire people who can operate the vehicles. Is that bad? Is it bad for a business to have competent employees?
 
obvious Child said:
General Notice: Regulatory Guidance: Applicability of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to Operators of Certain Farm Vehicles and Off-Road Agricultural Equipment - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Reading the summary, it appear Apdst is wrong. As usual.

And I expect a commercial carrier who's hauling tons of agricultural products around in huge trucks to have CDLs.
Click to expand...

Commercial carriers already do have CDL's.

Apples and oranges, as usual.
 
obvious Child said:
Basically if you're not a common or contract carrier, you have nothing to fear. Reading. It helps!

And I expect large contract carriers with huge trucks to have CDLs. The same way I expect someone moving a large back hoe down the freeway to have a CDL even if he works for a small construction company. The same way I expect the guys driving the massive trailers delivering mountains of beer to bars to have a CDLs. Have you SEEN the size of some of the trucks hauling grain?

The problem with you anti-regulation people is that you haven't got burned by lack of regulation. And you people automatically assume the worst about all laws.
Click to expand...

No one here is anti-regulation. We are pro-common-sense regulation. Forcing a farmer to get a CDL, to drive a tractor doesn't qualify as common sense regulation.
 
rocket88 said:
People should be able to drive any vehicle they want to, regardless of their ability to do so safely. They should be able to do so drinking or smoking whatever they want to. If you get killed, that's a risk you take by driving on public roads. Speed limits, red lights, driving on the right, it's all just big government telling us what to do!

Now in seriousness, it seems like the idea is that big farms with employees hire people who can operate the vehicles. Is that bad? Is it bad for a business to have competent employees?
Click to expand...

The question is: will the benefits of the regulations outway the disqualification of fram workers from working on a farm? How much more money will be spent on enforcement?
 
Re: Farmers may have to get CDL's

apdst said:
Oh, no, there's nothing wrong with an out of control, over-regulating government that is looking to hit people with any kind of new regulation--in this case a new application of an old regulation--so that they can take more money out of the pockets of the citizens and put more money into the coffers of the government.
Click to expand...

Ya mean kinda like requiring someone to have a picture ID to vote?...:2razz:
 
Re: Farmers may have to get CDL's

BWG said:
Ya mean kinda like requiring someone to have a picture ID to vote?...:2razz:
Click to expand...

How's your apple taste, compared to my orange?
 
apdst said:
Commercial carriers already do have CDL's.

Apples and oranges, as usual.
Click to expand...

Glad you recognize your failure.

Forcing a farmer to get a CDL, to drive a tractor doesn't qualify as common sense regulation.
Click to expand...

Except that the actual notice makes it clear it won't apply to them.

The question is: will the benefits of the regulations outway the disqualification of fram workers from working on a farm? How much more money will be spent on enforcement?
Click to expand...

Care to explain based on the actual notice how that will occur? The actual notice makes it clear who will be exempted.
 
obvious Child said:
Did you read the actual posting? Or just adpst's article?
Click to expand...

Yes I did. As already noted, commercial drivers are already required to have CDL's. So this is either covering something else or a massive redundancy.

Except that the actual notice makes it clear it won't apply to them.
Click to expand...

The notice is a small blurb that really doesn't cover much of anything but it clearly states whatever this is does cover them unless their state wants to write an exclusion for them.
 
Last edited:
Re: Farmers may have to get CDL's

apdst said:
Oh, no, there's nothing wrong with an out of control, over-regulating government that is looking to hit people with any kind of new regulation--in this case a new application of an old regulation--so that they can take more money out of the pockets of the citizens and put more money into the coffers of the government.
Click to expand...

This should only be required if the farm equipment is driven on public roads.
 
apdst said:
How's your apple taste, compared to my orange?
Click to expand...
About the same as an out of control, over-regulating government implementing regulations you don't like compared to an out of control, over-regulating government implementing regulations I don't like...;)
 
BWG said:
About the same as an out of control, over-regulating government implementing regulations you don't like compared to an out of control, over-regulating government implementing regulations I don't like...;)
Click to expand...

So, you think it's a good idea to force a farm hand to buy a CDL, to be able to drive a tractor in a bean field?
 
BWG said:
About the same as an out of control, over-regulating government implementing regulations you don't like compared to an out of control, over-regulating government implementing regulations I don't like...;)
Click to expand...

You need a photo ID to do pretty much anything in this country from getting a Blockbuster Card to Renting a car, but suggest you should show one to vote and suddenly it's an unseemly burden...

Back to the OP:

What class of CDL? A B isn't really that big a deal. You see those 15 man passenger vans driving around for various organizations? That requires a Class B CDL. I;ll oppose it on the grounds it's foolhardy, but in terms of big deal, that it is not. If they demand a Class A CDL... well that's a horse of a different color.
 
As far as the OP, I don't think farmers should have to have a CDL even if they have to drive on public roads to access another section of land.

Besides it looks as though this agency was looking for clarification of a regulation and reaffirming the exemption for farmers. It looks as though someone overreacted. Surprise, Surprise.
AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice; request for public comment.
[...]
It has come to FMCSA's attention that States may be taking varied approaches in interpreting the meaning of ``common or contract motor carrier'' as it relates to farm vehicle drivers operating under a crop share agreement and, as a result, may be applying the CDL exception inconsistently.



Regulations.gov
Click to expand...




MrVicchio said:
You need a photo ID to do pretty much anything in this country from getting a Blockbuster Card to Renting a car, but suggest you should show one to vote and suddenly it's an unseemly burden...
Click to expand...
My point on this thread was that, for some, requiring a CDL for a farmer was unfair (even saying it would regulate them out of business), but requiring someone to buy a photo ID to vote, for a trumped up reason, wasn't a big deal.


Apparently 21 million voting-age American citizens don't need a Blockbuster card or need to rent a car.
As many as 11 percent of United States citizens – more than 21 million individuals – do not have government-issued photo identification.

http://www.brennancenter.org/page/-/d/download_file_39242.pdf
Click to expand...
 
BWG said:
As far as the OP, I don't think farmers should have to have a CDL even if they have to drive on public roads to access another section of land.

Besides it looks as though this agency was looking for clarification of a regulation and reaffirming the exemption for farmers. It looks as though someone overreacted. Surprise, Surprise.






My point on this thread was that, for some, requiring a CDL for a farmer was unfair (even saying it would regulate them out of business), but requiring someone to buy a photo ID to vote, for a trumped up reason, wasn't a big deal.


Apparently 21 million voting-age American citizens don't need a Blockbuster card or need to rent a car.
Click to expand...

A CDL requires formal instruction, at a school the has the course, costing a couple thousand dollars.
Now if this is the same CDL for semi trucks, then it will serve 0 purpose because semi's are not the same as tractors.

The course can take anywhere from 6 weeks to 3-6 months depending on the school and schedule.

Voter Id's cost about $10 or so and just require basic identifying paperwork, like your birth cert, etc.
Usually takes less than a hour to get.

How are they the same again?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom