Quote:
Originally Posted by mattebury
I found this at the California Department of Transportation: California Vehicle Code Section 260 defines "commercial vehicle" (bolding and underlining added):
260. (a) A "commercial vehicle" is a motor vehicle of a type required to be registered under this code used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit or designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.
(b) Passenger vehicles which are not used for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit and housecars are not commercial vehicles. ...
(c) Any vanpool vehicle is not a commercial vehicle.
(d) ... CalTrans |
The problem is that California deems all "pickup trucks" as commercial motor vehicles and a F-450 factory pickup will not even meet California's definition as a "pickup truck" due to both its unladed and gross vehicle weights. They have you by the balls at the word
designed in the definitions:
Motor Truck (VC §410)—A motor truck or motortruck is a motor vehicle designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.
Commercial Vehicle (VC §260)—A commercial vehicle is a vehicle required to be registered which is used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit or
designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.
The following vehicles may be registered as passenger or commercial:
•Multipurpose vehicles. Refer to Section 9.050.
•Passenger-type vehicles transporting persons for hire.
•Pickup trucks with a camper permanently attached. Refer to Section 9.065.
•Station wagons. Refer to Section 9.055.
Pickup Truck (VC §471)—A pickup truck is a motor truck with a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of less than 11,500 pounds, an unladen weight of less than 8,001 pounds, and which is equipped with an open box-type bed less than nine (9) feet in length. Pickup truck does not include a motor vehicle, otherwise meeting the above definition, that is equipped with a bed-mounted storage compartment commonly called a utility body.
The California Code of Regulations (Title 13) §150.04 further defines pickup trucks:
(a) Pursuant to Section 471 of the Vehicle Code, any motor vehicle, except a motorcycle, motorized bicycle, or motorized quadricycle, with an open box type bed not exceeding nine feet in length is by definition a pickup. Examples of this type of motor vehicle include the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Nissan Frontier, and other similarly designed vehicles.
(b) Pursuant to Section 471 of the Vehicle Code, any motor vehicle, except a motorcycle, motorized bicycle, or motorized quadricycle, that may be configured or reconfigured to provide an open box type bed not exceeding nine feet in length is by definition a pickup. Examples of this type of motor vehicle include the Chevrolet Avalanche and similarly designed vehicles.
Pickup Exclusions—The following trucks are not pickups:
•Trucks with an open box-type bed that weigh more than 8,001 pounds unladen or exceed the manufacturer’s GVWR of 11,500 pounds. (“Varied” body type)
•Trucks equipped with a bed-mounted storage compartment unit commonly called a utility body. (“Utility” body type)
•Trucks with a body type other than an open box bed (stake, flatbed, dump, etc.).
4-Door Pickup Trucks—These vehicles have a body constructed with an open box-type bed which requires them to be registered as pickups (commercial vehicles). Examples of such vehicles include, but are not limited to, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Nissan Frontier, Chevrolet Avalanche, and Lincoln Blackwood.
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/reg_hdbk_pdf/ch09.pdf
