When Is a Vehicle Considered a Commercial Truck?

Alabama law considers a truck operated to transport passengers or property a “commercial” vehicle if it has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross combination weight of over 10,000 pounds. A vehicle may also be a commercial truck if it is transporting hazardous materials or is designed to transport more than 15 passengers.

Vehicles meeting these criteria must follow federal trucking regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). However, a commercial truck does not have to meet federal trucking regulations if it:

• Is operated solely within Alabama,
• Has a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 26,000 pounds,
• Is not transporting hazardous materials, and
• Is not designed or used to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver

Is a Vehicle Considered Commercial If It Transports Passengers?

On a state level, a commercial vehicle carries more than 15 passengers. Under federal commercial motor vehicle regulations, any vehicle on interstate highways qualifies as a commercial vehicle if it is designed or used to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver. The vehicle would qualify under this regulation regardless of its weight and whether or not it transports passengers for compensation. A passenger vehicle may also qualify as a commercial vehicle if it is designed or used to carry more than eight people, including the driver, for compensation in interstate commerce.

A vehicle’s operator can obtain commercial license plates when it transports passengers for compensation, such as taxis or limousines.

What Are the Different Types of Commercial Trucks?

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) classifies commercial trucks by gross vehicle weight. The different types of commercial trucks include:

• Class 1 – 6,000 pounds or less, including mini-pickups and smaller full-size pickups
• Class 2 – 6,001 pounds to 10,000 pounds, including full-size pickups, crew-cab pickups, and step vans
• Class 3 – 10,001 pounds to 14,000 pounds, including walk-in and city delivery trucks
• Class 4 – 14,001 pounds to 16,000 pounds, including larger delivery trucks or landscaping trucks
• Class 5 – 16,001 pounds to 19,500 pounds, including bucket trucks and the largest city delivery trucks
• Class 6 – 19,501 pounds to 26,000 pounds, including single-axle trucks, rack trucks, stake-body trucks, and beverage trucks
• Class 7 – 26,001 pounds to 33,000 pounds, including furniture trucks, medium semi-tractors, garbage trucks, tow trucks, and home fuel delivery trucks
• Class 8 – 33,001 pounds or more, including cement mixers, dump trucks, fire trucks, fuel trucks, heavy tractors, semi-sleepers, and refrigerated trucks

The FHWA also classifies trucks as light, medium, and heavy-duty. Light-duty trucks include Class 1 and 2 vehicles, medium-duty trucks include Class 3 through 6 vehicles, and heavy-duty trucks include Class 7 and 8 vehicles.

Do Commercial Trucks Fall Under a Different Set of Regulations than Standard Vehicles?

Commercial trucks are subject to a different set of safety and operational regulations than personal passenger vehicles under state and federal law. First, commercial truck drivers must obtain commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Alabama issues three classes of CDLs:

• Class A – Allows operation of a truck with a GVWR of over 26,000 pounds that tows a trailer or other vehicles with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds
• Class B – Allows operation of a single vehicle with a GVWR of over 26,000 pounds or a vehicle towing trailers or vehicles that don’t weigh more than 10,000 pounds
• Class C – Allows operation of any vehicle that transports 16 or more people or vehicles transporting hazardous material

Commercial truck drivers may need endorsements to their CDL that authorize them to operate certain types of trucks, such as tanker trucks, double or triple trailers, or vehicles hauling hazardous materials.

Commercial truck drivers must follow various safety regulations while operating their vehicles, such as conducting pre- and post-trip safety inspections and cargo inspections and following hour of service regulations that limit how long truck drivers can spend behind the wheel. Motor carriers must also follow regulations regarding the maintenance of their fleet vehicles, including regular inspections and keeping repair and maintenance records.

What Is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation responsible for overseeing the interstate operation of large trucks and buses. The FMCSA regulates and provides safety oversight for commercial motor vehicles to reduce the rates of crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. The administration works with various federal, state, and local enforcement agencies, the motor carrier industry, and safety interest groups.

The FMCSA’s activities include:

• Developing standards for states to test and license commercial motor vehicle drivers
• Collecting and publishing motor carrier safety data
• Enforcing regulatory compliance, including suspending high-risk carriers
• Conducting research and development into improvements in commercial motor vehicle safety
• Providing financial assistance to states to facilitate roadside inspection and commercial motor vehicle safety programs
• Developing unified motor carrier safety requirements and procedures
• Regulating transportation of hazardous materials
• Operating task forces to investigate high-risk carriers

The FMCSA primarily regulates motor carriers engaged in interstate commerce. Motor carriers who operate solely within Alabama typically fall under the jurisdiction of state transportation regulatory authorities.

Is Insurance for Commercial Vehicles Different Than for Private Vehicles?

Commercial vehicles have different liability insurance requirements than owners of personal vehicles. Personal vehicles require $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident of bodily injury liability coverage and $25,000 property damage liability coverage per accident. Motor carriers have substantially higher insurance requirements, including:

• $750,000 to $5 million of combined public liability insurance for freight carriers, depending on the cargo transported
• $300,000 public liability insurance for freight carriers who transport non-hazardous cargo in vehicles weighing less than 10,001 pounds
• $5 million public liability insurance for passenger carriers or $1.5 million for carriers only operating vehicles with seating capacities of 15 or less
• $5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 per occurrence of cargo insurance for household goods carriers

Contact an Alabama Truck Accident Lawyer

If you have been injured in an accident with a commercial truck in Alabama, Gartlan Injury Law is standing by to help you pursue the full compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free initial case evaluation with an Alabama truck accident lawyer to discuss your legal options in detail.

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Aaron Gartlan

Aaron Gartlan is a graduate of Troy University and the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law who focuses his practice exclusively on representing those injured by the wrongdoing of others. He is member of the National Trial Lawyers Association’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers, Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In addition to his legal practice, Aaron teaches Business Law as an adjunct instructor at Troy University’s Sorrell College of Business and serves as a field artillery sergeant in the Alabama National Guard.