Wow, that is interesting. Thank you for the information. I guess that means I have no good excuse not to help with driving. other than the thought of driving a 40' coach scares the heck out of me.
You are bound by the rules of your license in Alberta. This is where reciprocity comes in. In Alberta, and most other provinces, air brakes are a privilege requiring an endorsement. You cannot use your Alberta license AND go by, for example, South Dakota DMV rules. In this case, if you want to drive in South Dakota get an Alberta air brake endorsement or a South Dakota drivers license.
Insurance is another thing. Alberta says you are not qualified to drive with air brakes. If you get insurance through your Alberta broker they will deny any claims based on the fact that you are not qualified to drive that vehicle.
Here is where I use a different example. I have a Canadian private pilot license. In the US, they have a private pilot license too. I can fly in the US because of reciprocity. What I can't do is fly at night because a Canadian license doesn't allow it without an endorsement. A US license includes the ability to fly at night and is valid for flight at night in Canada. I cannot use a privilege of a US license just because I'm in the US.
Your license says WHAT you can drive and takes precedence over local license laws.
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tyndall wrote: You are bound by the rules of your license in Alberta. This is where reciprocity comes in. In Alberta, and most other provinces, air brakes are a privilege requiring an endorsement. You cannot use your Alberta license AND go by, for example, South Dakota DMV rules. In this case, if you want to drive in South Dakota get an Alberta air brake endorsement or a South Dakota drivers license.
Insurance is another thing. Alberta says you are not qualified to drive with air brakes. If you get insurance through your Alberta broker they will deny any claims based on the fact that you are not qualified to drive that vehicle.
Here is where I use a different example. I have a Canadian private pilot license. In the US, they have a private pilot license too. I can fly in the US because of reciprocity. What I can't do is fly at night because a Canadian license doesn't allow it without an endorsement. A US license includes the ability to fly at night and is valid for flight at night in Canada. I cannot use a privilege of a US license just because I'm in the US.
Your license says WHAT you can drive and takes precedence over local license laws.
You may be correct, legally, but I guantee, that no one in South Dakota is even going to look for the endorsement, as it's not required there.
2007 Forester 2941DS
2005 KIA Spectra
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B&P wrote: Wow, interesting information! We assumed it would be a requirement in the US the same as it is here. Now I guess I don't have an excuse not to help DH with the driving, other than driving a 40' coach scares the heck out of me!
Now if I could resolve the issue of a trip permit solved we'd be good to go! (separate post )
Down size to one that doesn't have air brakes & you won't need an endorsement
Trip permit????? Wow, sounds like owning an RV in Canada is almost more problem than it's worth.
bukhrn wrote: You may be correct, legally, but I guantee, that no one in South Dakota is even going to look for the endorsement, as it's not required there.
Very true, the odds of getting stopped and having a cop notice is very slim. However, how comfortable are you with driving uninsured? Insurance companies look for any and every way out of paying a claim. I guarantee they won't miss it. Over 60 feet and 30k pounds of uninsured vehicle being driven by someone that admits it "scares the heck out of" her, let's just say I'm glad I won't be on those roads at that time.
Bottom line, it's illegal for her to drive that vehicle.
B&P wrote: Wow, interesting information! We assumed it would be a requirement in the US the same as it is here. Now I guess I don't have an excuse not to help DH with the driving, other than driving a 40' coach scares the heck out of me!
Now if I could resolve the issue of a trip permit solved we'd be good to go! (separate post )
Down size to one that doesn't have air brakes & you won't need an endorsement
Trip permit????? Wow, sounds like owning an RV in Canada is almost more problem than it's worth.
The trip permit she is referring to is the Point A to Point B permit she needs till she gets it registered and plated in Alberta.
To the original poster, you'll be happy you took the course. We took our Air Brake Course in Alberta. The content was excellent and we felt it was highly worthwhile. Don't worry about driving a 40 foot rig. Get the front end through, the back will follow.
John & Angela,
Thanks for the encouragement. I think I would be more worried if I wasn't scared driving a 40' rig for the first time. I would worry about someone being that confident that it wasn't an issue for them. At least I have DH beside me who drove a city bus for 34 yrs (and is patient - or at least was when he taught me to drive over 40 yrs ago ) I will take the course and get my endorsement, but don't have the time before we go.
I have to arrange the insurance for the trip home with the MH today, so will ask about the endorsement. Obviously I am concerned or I would not have posted my questions - I would have just gone ahead and driven without it.
B&P wrote: Bukhrn,
That is interesting. We were under that understanding that an air brake endorsement was required everywhere.
Can anyone elaborate the requirements in your state? We are especially interested in Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Montana as these are the states we will be traveling through on our route home. It would be nice to be able to relieve DH on the long, long road to home.
Some states have the air-brake endorsement for any air-brake equipped vehicle, some only for commercial vehicles. In California, Motorhomes are exempt from the air-brake endorsement requirement, since there isn't one for "Housecars" (After getting our new rig, below, I checked the DMV website). However, any motorhome 40' or longer (max. 45') single or with tag rears will require a Non-commercial Class B drivers' license, which requires a 2-year medical certificate. Motorhomes weighing 6,000 lbs or more may tow a trailer or vehicle up to 10,000 lbs (depends mostly on their own towing capacity), without a Non-commercial Class B drivers' license (tow up to 15,000 lbs.), to a maximum combined length of 65' and only 1 towed vehicle (some cities and counties limit this to 60' or less MCL). Brakes are required on the towed vehicle if the towed vehicle wieghs 1,500 lbs. or more, including its tow dolly, if used. Also, a Class B non-commercial drivers' license is required if you are pulling a 5th wheel trailer weighing over 15,000 lbs. with any vehicle.
Air-brakes work similarly to regular power- or power-assisted brakes on automobiles, in reverse-however. Power brakes on a car rely on vacuum to assist the brake pedal in applying the brakes (when you apply the brakes, you're breaking the vacuum), air-brakes don't rely on vacuum so much as lack of air-pressure. Air pressure holds the brakes open, which is why an air leak can cause your brakes to lock up (a dangerous situation). Admittedly, the technology is old nowadays, and should be waivered for certain vehicle situations (it's been proven reliable for decades), but the wheels of bureaucracy move slower than molasses during a blizzard...
* This post was
edited 04/09/08 02:34am by kjames90755 *
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I hope you found another school to do the training at, as the one who gave you the incorrect information to begin with would be highly questionable now in my mind.
The airbrake course is typically a one day thing. When I got mine it was 8 hours - several hours of classroom time, an hour of hands-on with a demonstration setup, an hour for lunch, and an hour for the written test and marking it afterwards. Upon completion we were issued a temporary endorsement card right there and then and the "Z" airbrake endorsement was added to our licence shortly afterwards.
It's a very worthwhile endorsement for *anyone* driving an airbrake vehicle since it gives you a much better understanding of how airbrakes work and some of the characteristics and positives/negatives of them.
I agree, don't risk running without it as your insurance will care, even if some states your driving through don't.
Have you also looked at the weight issues so far as your license class goes? Here in Ontario many RV'ers are surprised to discover that a regular "G" class (car) license isn't good to drive their motorhome/TT combo as it exceeds the weight limits imposed for that license. In many situations they need to upgrade to a "D" (straight-truck) license, and in extreme cases, an "A" license. (Tractor trailer).
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other than the thought of driving a 40' coach scares the heck out of me.
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