Skoolie's and CDL license

OhioBusBoi · 10-25-2013, 02:56 PM

I've been pretty entertained reading the site, and since im a newer owner of a skoolie i couldnt help but join the fun.

The topic im bringing up is buses and more along the lines of obtaining my cdl rather than whether i need one or not.. Since my bus is titled as an RV it is to my understanding that it doesnt require a cdl.

What i would like to do is use my bus as a means for obtaining my cdl. Even though the titling has changed, Im wondering if it is possible to go and get my permit, and then take my bus to a testing site and try to pass the test.

Has anyone ever done this or know if it is possible? I know school bus drivers require a CDL here in Ohio and i would really just like to get mine.

crazycal · 10-28-2013, 10:00 AM

In California you must use a vehicle in the class you are trying to obtain.

bansil · 10-28-2013, 02:03 PM

I have kinda been thinking along the same line here in TN

OhioBusBoi · 10-29-2013, 12:26 PM

I haven't dug into it yet but I'm guessing it will be like you've said, vehicle has to be in the same class, even though it would have been at one time.

lifeintheslowlane · 10-29-2013, 03:15 PM

RVs do NOT REQUIRE A CDL. No matter what the weight no matter what state. Just make sure your registration indicates RV!!!

bansil · 10-29-2013, 03:27 PM

When ever we are in the bus going through towns that have buses, I always think "if I had a CDL and needed a job, I could be a bus driver"

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that's my reason for it...

crazycal · 11-09-2013, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lifeintheslowlane

RVs do NOT REQUIRE A CDL. No matter what the weight no matter what state. Just make sure your registration indicates RV!!!

Why the yelling, we know that.

crazycal · 11-09-2013, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bansil

When ever we are in the bus going through towns that have buses, I always think "if I had a CDL and needed a job, I could be a bus driver"

.
.
that's my reason for it...

No way, not me. A large percentage of the youth today make me ill. A 16 year old just lit another on fire because he had a skirt on. On the radio, his family said he wasn't a bad kid and was a jokester. My ass. Punk kid is being tried as an adult.

inkblots84 · 11-10-2013, 02:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazycal

Quote:

Originally Posted by bansil

When ever we are in the bus going through towns that have buses, I always think "if I had a CDL and needed a job, I could be a bus driver"

.
.
that's my reason for it...

No way, not me. A large percentage of the youth today make me ill. A 16 year old just lit another on fire because he had a skirt on. On the radio, his family said he wasn't a bad kid and was a jokester. My ass. Punk kid is being tried as an adult.

That's really sad. He should be tried and punished as an adult, and put in therapy. Hopefully the other kid is okay.

To the OP: Best bet would be to use a same class vehicle (a bus titled as an rv would not be) and call your local DMV to make sure.

family wagon · 11-10-2013, 08:22 PM

While probably technically true that you need a vehicle registered in the class that you're testing for, I bet there's a good chance the examiner won't actually check. In my own case, for example, I upgrade from class B CDL to class A two years ago (to lose the 10,000 pound trailer limit) by borrowing a friend's Peterbilt tractor and horse trailer for my road test. It was clearly marked "RV NOT FOR HIRE" on the side where the DOT/MC numbers would have been, but this didn't bother the examiner any. Looked and smelled like a semi and that was good enough for her.

An alternate many people don't realize is that you could get a class A CDL with a pick-up truck. You have to find a truck and trailer with combined weight rating over 26,000; that's class B unless the trailer is over 10,000 which pushes it into class A. Guys around here get busted for that regularly when hauling trailers of concrete forms (for example).

Anyway, my bet would be that you probably could use the bus for a class B road test even if it is titled as an RV.

Seroflorus · 10-21-2015, 06:34 PM

If you bus doesn't have seats, it cannot be used for the CDL inspection/driving test as the test requires a "complete bus"...without all the seats and finished interior it isn't complete (ask my how I know this <eye roll>)

Your local school system, however, has many many complete buses and likely offers a class and machine for practice driving and testing if you are willing/able to pass the medical exam (your dime) and drive the crumb snatchers to and from school for at least a little while...some systems even seem to have drivers who exclusively drive activity buses.

If you just want a standard (non-cdl) class B to drive a behemoth of a conversion (like mine) then your converted rig will be perfect provided that its title does not say "bus"!

bubb, the real one · 10-21-2015, 06:52 PM

In texas I tried to take a class b non cdl test in a bus that was currently registered as a school bus and they would not let me test, as was said before it needs to be the same class or cdl type,

just to reiterate,
the class of a vehicle is all about the weight, specifically the gvwr listed on the vin plate.
the cdl issue is about what you do with the vehicle according to how it is titled,
and both these vary state by state

RHOMBUS · 10-22-2015, 09:32 AM

RV Driver's License Requirements

The short version is that you're pretty much in the clear with a regular driver's license if your rig is NOT:

> 40 feet long
> 26,000 GVWR

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