Feds Want to Require License to Drive Farm Vehicles

It wont make any difference in the proverbial SHTF situation, but in the meantime I found this article

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.

I know there is a mixed response to AJ here on ATS but for what it's worth the above came from this link

www.infowars.com...

Some of peoples comments make interesting reading too.
I'm in the UK, so I don't suppose I will be chipping in much more on this, a bit like my FBI posting here about reporting people who are buying survival equipment.

Rainbows
Jane

The reason behind this is simple. A lot of farmers drive their equipment on roads and highways. I have to have a license to drive on roads so why shouldn't they? Anyway getting a cdl isn't hard in my state you just have to take a written test and a easy one at that.

Yeah this is pretty messed up, I made a thread on this 2 weeks ago, didnt pick up alot of steam...

Its pretty sad that they are pushing out family farms... These kids drive these tractors at 10 years of age, and the farmers NEED their kids help with the machines...

MAKE WAY FOR CORPORATIONS!!! No room for the little guy anymore

Here is my THREAD with a video included in it

reply to post by buster2010


The thing is though, there is age requirements on the CDL... Most family farms use their children to help out...

Also they are requiring they log their time on the actual machinery as well... total BS and control

I don't think this law would apply to using the equipment on private land (that would be near impossible to enforce without trespassing on the farmer's land). This likely is for the farmer that takes their tractor out on the farm to market roads. Have you ever gotten behind one of those farmers on a one-lane back road? It's so annoying, they never pull over and let you go around and they drive soooo slow. Perhaps licensing them and requiring them to get some education about the rules of the road would be a good thing.

Originally posted by buster2010
The reason behind this is simple. A lot of farmers drive their equipment on roads and highways. I have to have a license to drive on roads so why shouldn't they? Anyway getting a cdl isn't hard in my state you just have to take a written test and a easy one at that.

This isn't about safety. This is about revenue.

I remember driving tractors on my Uncles farm when I was 12 years old, driving up to the combines and unloading them of their rice. Worked all summer and got a ton of school clothes for the next school year and a crisp $100 Bill! Great times!

Leave farmers alone. This is the problem with our government....always thinking of way to take money away from its citizens.

Originally posted by morder1
These kids drive these tractors at 10 years of age, and the farmers NEED their kids help with the machines...

Maybe the requirement to prove you are capable of driving a tractor has something to do with this...

Nationally, an estimated 300 boys and girls under 20 years of age die each year in farming accidents nationally. In fact, children under 16 years old account for 20% of farm fatalities in the U.S.

According to the national statistics the greatest risks to young people in agriculture are:

Tractors

Farm Machinery

pdf

But on the other hand, you could say damn the government. We insist that 300 children be allowed to be killed each year!! Its the American way.

In the end you will need a license to mow your yard. You will need a license for every thing some day.
A riding mower license.
A string trimmer license.
A push mower license.
A chain saw license.
A cordless drill license.
A ladder license.
I could go on all day but I feel I made my point. A license is all about money. If TPTB can make money of of something by attaching a license to it they will.

reply to post by morder1


I'm sorry, I did look and didn't find anything so I posted. Apologies.

Rainbows
Jane

Its the same question every time they try to mess with small farmers. Who is going out there to enforce it?

reply to post by Aggie Man


In the UK if a line of traffic exceeds 6, then the farmer has to pull in to let the traffic past. This applies to JCB drivers too.
Rainbows
Jane

Originally posted by alfa1
But on the other hand, you could say damn the government. We insist that 300 children be allowed to be killed each year!! Its the American way.

And how many of them were operating the machinery at the time?

Many of them are instances like children sitting on the wheel guards of tractors and falling in front of the wheels etc.

The FMCSA publishes all proposed new rules as part of its requirements. I just searched, both for "agriculture" and "49 CFR 390" (the section of the regs that specifies who must obtain a CDL) and got nothing that indicated a change requiring farmers to obtain CDLs.

As it stands now, farmers are specifically disqualified from the requirement to obtain a CDL by §383.3(d) of the FMCSA regulations:

(d) Exception for farmers, firefighters, emergency response vehicle drivers, and drivers removing snow and ice.

A State may, at its discretion, exempt individuals identified in paragraphs (d)(1), (d)(2), and (d)(3) of this section from the requirements of this part. The use of this waiver is limited to the driver's home State unless there is a reciprocity agreement with adjoining States.

(1) Operators of a farm vehicle which is:
(i) Controlled and operated by a farmer, including operation by employees or family members;
(ii) Used to transport either agricultural products, farm machinery, farm supplies, or both to or from a farm;
(iii) Not used in the operations of a common or contract motor carrier; and
(iv) Used within 241 kilometers (150 miles) of the farmer's farm.

I have to admit this is not an isolated concern; I have found plenty of sites across the web worried about this... I just can't find the proposal. If someone has the proposed rule instead of a lot of speculation, could you please post it?

TheRedneck

Redneck hit button too hard.

this thread is a example of govt run wild

Not to rain on your parade but the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says it is NOT going to regulate the use of CDL's on farm equipment.

www.fmcsa.dot.gov...

IMO it's just a little piece of the puzzle. Small farms are slowly being killed. Sure, a quick money grab for licenses for the Govt. doesn't hurt but we all know big businesses run everything. Buh bye independent farmers..pretty soon we'll all be shoving GMO's down our throats while staring at the wallpaper.....

grassfedonthehill.com...

reply to post by buster2010


its my understanding that if you possess a cdl you have to submit to random tests for drugs least my frends dad does its why he quit smoking pot and switched to coke not a healthy choice but not every one would want to submit to this kinda thing especialy teenagers so that might be another angle....

Originally posted by buster2010
The reason behind this is simple. A lot of farmers drive their equipment on roads and highways. I have to have a license to drive on roads so why shouldn't they? Anyway getting a cdl isn't hard in my state you just have to take a written test and a easy one at that.

I can understand a license for driving on road, but they should be able to at least drive on their own property without a license.

Sounds like more greed to me
next you'll have to have a license to take a crap, they'll put a meter on ur crapper to see how far you went