Commercial Vehicle Classifications

Most trailers, as well as commercial motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) or combined gross vehicle weight (CGW) of 10,001 lbs. or more, must be registered. Commercial motor vehicles can include the following, depending on their intended use:

When buses are used to transport passengers for hire, remuneration, or profit, they are referred to as buses.

A motor truck is a vehicle that is primarily designed, utilized, or maintained for the movement of property.

Pickups: A commercially utilized motor truck having a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of less than 11,500 pounds, an unladen weight of less than 8,001 pounds, and an open box-type bed that is less than nine feet long.

Commercial Vehicle Classifications

Tow trucks are vehicles that are built and mostly used to carry vehicles using a crane, hoist, tow bars, tow line, or dolly.

A truck tractor is a motor vehicle that is designed and used largely to tow other vehicles and is not built to carry a load that is not part of the vehicle’s weight and load.

Agricultural and large water-well drilling rigs are exempt from registration, while all other types must be registered as commercial vehicles.

Yard trucks are vehicles intended primarily to transport trailers within or around freight operation yards in preparation for storage or loading.

Depending on their intended usage, multipurpose vehicles, passenger vehicles, pickup trucks, and station wagons can be registered as passenger or commercial vehicles.

Learn more about the types of vehicles that need to be registered as commercial vehicles.