Driving a Motorcoach Without a Licence

Do I really need to get a commercial driver’s licence to operate my Motorcoach? I came across the following post on iRV2:

So I will start here. And FYI, I reside in Ontario, Canada.

I just discovered that because of the weight of my MH I require a “D” endorsement on my driving licence. I have been driving for over a year with out this endorsement.

It was not mentioned when I purchased the MH, just that I needed a “Z” for air brakes. And it was not mentioned during the course for the “Z” endorsement.

I only discovered after a conversation with a fellow camper a few weeks ago.

So now I require a medical from my doctor and once that was submitted, because I am diabetic I require a further medical report aaaaaaannnnd because I had a quadruple heart bypass 10+ years ago, I require another medical from my doctor dealing with that situation……..GEESH!!!!!

The MOT is telling me it will be a minimum of 20 working days after they receive the forms before I can take the test. And depending on what the doctor says in each report, I could either be denied a licence or be required to submit more additional reports.

Our original plans were to leave to go south just after our Thanksgiving in October. Then when it was discovered about the licence requirement we decided that we would leave around the first week in November.

Now with all the time requirements with medical reports, it appears that it will be mid to late December before I will be able total the test…….YIKES!!!!! SNOW!

My concern now is the weather, because there is a good likelihood that there could be a foot of snow on the ground and I don’t cherish driving in the snow; I don’t think a MH is really the best vehicle to be driving around in the snow.

Therefore, I am giving consideration to not taking the test this fall but waiting for spring, but in the meantime follow our original travel plans and go south in the next week or so…..before the snow flies.

We already have a forecast for about 6″ of snow for this Sunday.

What are you people’s thoughts on heading out without the “D”?

Thanks for your comments.

And guess what? All sorts of people told him to drive his Motorcoach without a valid license. The Highway Traffic Act in Ontario is very clear on this question:

No person who is the owner or is in possession or control of a motor vehicle or combination of vehicles shall permit any person to drive the motor vehicle or combination of vehicles on a highway unless that person holds a driver’s licence for the class of motor vehicles or combination of vehicles to which the motor vehicle or combination of vehicles belongs.

If, and I suspect that it is a big if, you are caught operating without the appropriate class of licence, you will be guilty of an offence and fined and your Motorcoach will be impounded for seven days. You will have a conviction on your driving record for three years and your insurance rates will skyrocket.

Where it becomes really bad is if you are involved in an accident with an invalid licence. In Ontario, you cannot drive or operate any vehicle unless the insured is authorized by law to drive or operate it. Legal authorization to drive or operate is governed by section 32 of the Highway Traffic Act, which states that the person “shall” hold a valid driver’s licence for the class of vehicle they are operating. In the event of an accident, driving without a valid licence will result in denied coverage. The financial consequences could be devastating.

I have never been asked (yet) to produce my valid driver’s licence while operating our coach. I know that there are many people that drive their coaches with an invalid driver’s licence.

You might get away with it. You might not.

I’d rather not worry about the consequences of driving a coach without a valid licence. Aside from it being illegal, the risk is just not worth it.