[mtlakejim]

Originally Posted by Theunz

As one who drove semi's for nearly 40 years I'll be the first to say yes to an enhanced drivers license. For years I've said the scariest thing on the road was a just retired man driving a brand new large RV. But a CDL for RV'rs...No WAY! That comes with way to many unnecessary restrictions and expenses for a RV driver. For instance, a DOT physical every two years unless you have high blood pressure which requires once a year. Not to mention if you have a stent it's once a year, and then every two years you need a stress test. After five years it goes to a stress test every year, and if you, like Me and many others are on certain maintenance meds, a simple treadmill test is not possible, so you need a nuclear stress test which costs over $6,000! I'm not sure about weather an electronic log is required for just one truck yet, but if so than there goes a lot more of your money. Add in drug and alcohol testing, and the fact that just 2 or 3 traffic tickets can get your CDL suspended and you have eliminated a large portion of drivers. The freight company I drove for said that out of every 25 or 30 job applicants only two or three were qualified to drive. So, while no to a CDL, I would be in favor of at least a four hour or so of classroom training followed by a short driving test in the type of vechicle being licensed for which would include backing into a parking spot perpendicular to your direction of travel. As mtncrash1 said, these vechicles are every bit as dangerous as a semi.

I think you and I are on the same page. We need a way to encourage folks with no experience to get some training!! Way to many people retire and buy a monster RV and with ZERO experience head out on the highway. Its like the cartoon where gray haired grandma driving at 20mph on the interstate never gets hit while a dozen other folks crash trying to avoid her. And then she goes off and says "those young whipper snappers ought not be driving so crazy".......At the very least we need a way to keep those that don't know what they are doing off the road!