Does this guy, who has been driving a tractor since he was seven, need 36-160 hours of professional driver's training, a third party skills test, a log book recording his hours on the tractor, a professional medical exam, and to pay expensive licensing fees to run this tractor?
This is an editorial and contains my opinions, not just facts.
The Department of Transportation was considering requiring a Commercial Driver's License to operate farm equipment. This means you would have to undergo the same extensive training and use the same log books to drive a tractor on the farm, as you would a tractor trailer on the freeway.
There are countless reasons why this is a terrible idea. (Farmers do not endanger the lives of others when driving, only the lives of themselves. Farmers do not drive on commercial roads. Commercial Driver's Licenses would be cost prohibitive for many farmers.) This is a rule aimed at revenue generation, not public safety.
Luckily, I think this proposed rule has died, because of strong public opposition. It is important we all know what is coming down the pipeline. These rules created solely for revenue generation can, and should, be opposed by the public. When we stand together, our voice will be heard and we can prevent our country from being stripped of the liberties it was founded on.
See this site for an article on the rule.
