Commercial Motor Vehicle requirements?

[gsganzer]

Can anyone shed some light on a vehicle requiring to be a CMV or not?

Here's my scenario. I have a LLC and the company bought (titled and insured by company) a 2016 Chevy 3500 with a GVWR of 13,200lbs. It only hauls me and my tools for jobs that are typically within my state. I do not haul for profit, only my tools. However, with the CV-19 stuff, I find myself driving to more jobs at longer distances, crossing state lines. But I got digging deeper and now I'm wondering if the truck should be a CMV (because it's greater than 10,001lbs), and also because it's crossing state lines. If it needs to be, is it that big of a hassle and what are the added costs and drawbacks to a CMV designation? Another option is I turn the truck into a personal vehicle and the company pays me a vehicle allowance (but then I lose some business tax benefits).

Part of what's driving this is I'm considering buying a 3/4 ton truck that gets better mileage and has more comfort. However, if you buy a GM 2500, the weight rating exceeds the 10,001 lbs, if it's a Ford F250, it has a rating at 9,900/10,000. It seems that Ford actually has a fleet designated line of trucks that purposely stays below the 10,001lb weight limit.

Can anyone shed some light down this rabbit hole?

 

[Rock Crawler]

Can anyone shed some light on a vehicle requiring to be a CMV or not?

Here's my scenario. I have a LLC and the company bought (titled and insured by company) a 2016 Chevy 3500 with a GVWR of 13,200lbs. It only hauls me and my tools for jobs that are typically within my state. I do not haul for profit, only my tools. However, with the CV-19 stuff, I find myself driving to more jobs at longer distances, crossing state lines. But I got digging deeper and now I'm wondering if the truck should be a CMV (because it's greater than 10,001lbs), and also because it's crossing state lines. If it needs to be, is it that big of a hassle and what are the added costs and drawbacks to a CMV designation? Another option is I turn the truck into a personal vehicle and the company pays me a vehicle allowance (but then I lose some business tax benefits).

Part of what's driving this is I'm considering buying a 3/4 ton truck that gets better mileage and has more comfort. However, if you buy a GM 2500, the weight rating exceeds the 10,001 lbs, if it's a Ford F250, it has a rating at 9,900/10,000. It seems that Ford actually has a fleet designated line of trucks that purposely stays below the 10,001lb weight limit.

Can anyone shed some light down this rabbit hole?

Your hauling your tools for money, your in a truck over 9,999 gvw.... Your commercial in every legal sense. Here in Pa if you added a trailer you would also need combination plated truck... The truck registration would require the trailer gross and truck gross to be added and you'd pay registration at that combined weight.

 

[RickB]

Your hauling your tools for money, your in a truck over 9,999 gvw.... Your commercial in every legal sense.

Absolutely.

 

[George2615]

Isn't the truck already registered with commercial plates or am I missing something. Are you talking about getting a commercial DOT number or a CDL. Here in NY all you can get are commercial plates on a pickup. My 3/4T has commercial plates even though I don't use it commercially. I do haul trailers but as long as combined weight is under 26,000 no special license is required. I do have my CDL so I'm covered if I go over 26,001.

 

[gsganzer]

Absolutely.

Yep, that's what I'm reading. Sounds like I'm either looking for a truck under 10,000 lbs or turn it into a personal vehicle if I want to avoid the CMV.. But it leaves me wondering, why do I see so many obviously business 3500 (1 ton) trucks without any DOT numbers on them? Or is the CMV designation and DOT numbering two different things?

 

[RandyT]

DOT numbers are required for state to state business vehicles. Some states classify any vehicle over 10,000# a CMV by regulation no matter how used. Those states also have a state DOT numbering system for businesses operating within a single state.

 

[Morning Wood]

I’m in Mass but may be different than you in TX. I have a f350 srw registered at 12k. I have a commercial vehicle license plate, DOT#, dot medical card, and am set up interstate with the dot#, but only for private use. I do not haul goods, but only my own tools and building materials. I have a 3 trailers, but am not over 26k combined GCWR.
DOT numbers and commercial vehicle plates are totally different things.

 

[Peter 315]

If you get DOT numbers you will open up a can of worms.....

 

[gsganzer]

OK,
I think I'm getting a better understanding (I hope). If I'm INTRASTATE, then a CMV is required, which is what I have as my state registration says commercial motor vehicle (the plate is the same as all my other vehicles). When I leave the state, now I'm subject to DOT for INTERSTATE commerce which must open up a whole other can of worms.

Sounds like I might be looking for a 9,999# company vehicle which meets all my needs for a company vehicle anyway. I do love the 3500 flatbed, so I might buy that from the company for myself and put farm plates on it.

It is amazing how the OEM's keep increasing the GVWR of their vehicles. a 3/4 ton used to have a 8600# rating, now they're pushing over 10K. Kind of like a biggest d!ck contest to pump their advertising claims. Seems like they would be cutting their own throat for fleet sales though.

 

[Peter 315]

Just put signs on the side that say private not for hire and if you get pulled over play stupid........:2cents: