A 7,000-Pound Car Smashed Through a Guardrail. That’s Bad News for All of Us. - eviltoast
  • admiralteal@kbin.social
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    9 months ago

    Pretty much all of those vehicles require a CDL.

    Seems like vehicles over a certain weight requiring a special license classification is a pretty straightforward and reasonable requirement.

    But we can’t do it without simultaneously addressing mass transit, bikeped, and our general absolute psychological fixation around designing all of our society around cars first and people second.

    • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
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      9 months ago

      Actually, you only need a CDL if you’re driving it commercially. I could walk out and buy a semi right now and drive it home. This is why you can rent Uhaul trucks and buy bus-sized RVs without a special license.

      • frezik@midwest.social
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        9 months ago

        It varies somewhat by state, but that’s generally incorrect.

        Because the type of vehicle, and not the driver, defines who needs a CDL, the following characteristics have been set forth to define what a commercial motor vehicle is. A CDL is required of any driver of:

        1. Any vehicle designed to carry 16 or more persons including the driver, such as our campuses’ mini buses.
        2. Any vehicle that weighs over 26,000 pounds (defined as the greater of manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating, manufacturer’s gross combination weight rating, actual weight, or registered weight).
        3. Any vehicle that carries hazardous materials that require placarding as found in Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 397.

        These requirements include volunteers and temporary renters of such vehicles who are driving commercial motor vehicles on University business.

        Uhaul intentionally goes right below the cutoff. Their largest truck is 26’:

        https://www.uhaul.com/Truck-Rentals/26ft-Moving-Truck/

        Which has a GVWR of 25,999lbs. Very precise of them and totally real.

      • admiralteal@kbin.social
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        9 months ago

        I did not know that, but it unfortunately makes sense. You should always be absolutely terrified for your life when you see a uhaul for a reason.

        God, it truly is “for non-commercial use only”. I hear a chorus of sovcits cheering.

    • Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Actually pretty much none of them require a CDL unless you’re operating commercially.

      You can go buy a school bus right now and drive it around without a cdl. Only needed to carry passengers.

      You don’t need a CDL to be a delivery van driver either at all.

      The current GVWR limit before you need a CDL is 26,000lbs. No light duty vehicle on the road comes close to that. Even the biggest Ram 4500 caps out at 16,500lbs GVWR. The Hummer EV caps out at 10,550lbs.