Get the Bus Facts

Tue October 31 2006
Posted Oct 31, 2006
7,941

[This posted to educate others as a results of some recent fines being handed out. This information is thought to be true, but is not guaranteed. Use at your own risk.] This applies to anyone who owns a vehicle that carries more than 9 people. The DMV performed an education program on buses and rv conversions in Cedar Rapids the weekend of Oct 22nd and the main purpose was to educate the owners and drivers of the newly enforced (but not new) laws regarding motor vehicles and buses alike. In the past we have gotten away with registering a bus under the classification of RV and that would affect the insurance and CDL required accordingly. What we are finding out is that any vehicle able to carry 9-15 passengers requires a Class C CDL to drive the bus. Any vehicle designed to carry more than 15 passengers requires a class B CDL with a passenger endorsement. Which I believe also requires the driver to have an annual physical and carry the medical card with them. Not to bad so far - here is the troubling part especially for those of us who like to use the bus on party rides and even worse for those who accept any sort of compensation. Any bus designed to carry more than 15 passengers including the driver must register as a Motor Truck and not a Motor Vehicle. The main difference besides registration is that open container is not allowed on Motor Trucks unless you operate as a for hire business. If you operate for hire you have to carry the $5,000,000 insurance policy, file it at the DMV, register to be a Transport Authority, etc. I hope to post more information to follow up on this but I gave my paperwork I got from the DMV to our bus owner who is checking on insurance rates. Anyway here are a couple websites and phone numbers for you to reference. Please feel free to post clarification, etc, as this all happened pretty quickly. (Basically we got pulled over with a bachelorette party, said we only accepted money for gas - which is considered compensation and immediately puts you in a for hire category - they took our info, contact me to meet on 10/31 - issued a improper insurance fine and an improper license to drive the bus fine - we had a driver with a class A CDL but no passenger endorsement. Other teams were hit harder and I know at least 13 buses got hit in Cedar Rapids on that night. By the way Officer Rhinehart I believe is from Des Moines. Here is a website www.dot.state.ia.us/mvd/omve Click on the Iowa truck information guide to get you started. Any lawyers on I would love to hear from you. Here is the DMV 800 # - 1-800-925-6469. Basically he not so much came out and said - for RAGBRAI we may be OK but if you have the bus out at night and a Limo company or a legally registered bus sees us and reports us to the DMV then we will be pulled over -also in so many words indicated that tailgating at Iowa Games would be ok - but mainly because they do not get complaints from the limo companies and that if they did get a complaint for Iowa or RAGBRAI - that could change. ~ G. Joseph Follow the forum If you or anyone else knows these laws better, please email Biker@bikeiowa.com.