Many truck drivers know all the terms like ‘for hire’ or ‘not for hire’ related to oversized vehicles, but many people get confused by looking at the tags.
What Does Not For Hire Mean On A Truck? “Not For Hire” on a truck means that it is not available for any commercial purpose, and you cannot use it for hauling a heavy load. A truck with such a tag is a private carrier used only by the person or company who owns it. Many people add these labels to get rid of the expensive CDL licenses and reduce the registration time. Furthermore, it restricts drivers from using the vehicle for personal benefits like offering paid hauling services secretly. It should only be used for the company work that paid the registration fees.
Moreover, this tag is enough to clarify the reason, as it says Not for Hire, so you can consider it the same way it is not available for unauthorized use.
What does “For Hire” mean on a truck?
A truck with the label “For Hire” means that it is available for hire to haul heavy loads. It can be present on a personal vehicle or a semi-truck that belongs to a company.
You can use it for personal and commercial purposes when it fulfills all the specific rules and regulations designed by DOT for commercial vehicles.
Moreover, it means that a person can use this type of truck to haul another person’s goods or a company and get paid for this task.
However, he has the authority to hire but needs to register it to the DOT and get the specific number that will be displayed on its body.
Its licensing process can cost you more than a vehicle not available for commercial purposes, and you have to pay more fees, making it expensive.
Furthermore, this tag does not restrict you to a single carrier; you can use it to haul furniture or any other cargo for a person you want.
What does it mean when a truck says “Not for Hire”?
Different types of tags are visible on the vehicle body like ‘for hire,’ ‘not for hire,’ and ‘hire authority,’ as all of these offer different opportunities.
Not for personal use
Many people use this tag to distinguish private vehicles from the common carriers that drivers can use.
This label means that it is an asset owned by the company, and drivers cannot use it for personal benefit.
Likewise, some construction companies purchase trucks to haul the heavy load to the construction site to avoid hiring other automobiles.
They put a tag on their automobiles to differentiate them from others and mark them as private carriers to notify others that they cannot ask to use them.
Reduction in licensing fees
Commercial automobiles need a different license type called CDL or a commercial driver’s license.
You can get this type of license after proper training of almost 1 to 2 months by the driving schools and clearing a test.
Moreover, they are expensive as you have to pay almost $2500 to $10,000 to drive a commercial vehicle.
However, the presence of not-for-hire tags requires a non-commercial license that is not so expensive and costs you only $20 to $90.
The cost of a non-CDL license can vary in different states, but it is lesser than a CDL one.
It allows many people and companies to grab only CDL when they do not want to use it for commercial purposes.
Restrict sharing with friends
The drivers are not allowed to share their pickups with friends or close ones when there is a tag of not for Hire on their vehicles.
Many friends ask for help from someone possessing a private automobile when they want to shift their furniture to a new house.
They are not allowed to help them as this vehicle is not their property and belongs to the company where they are serving.
This tag restricts drivers from facilitating closed ones with such opportunities as a paid or free task. However, it becomes difficult to say no to the annoying public who asks for a favor.
Furthermore, this tag helps clarify that this automobile is bound to a private company and works only as a private carrier.
Not allowed to be hired for paid hauling
Hauling heavy loads like furniture can cost you around $100 to $200, which allows people to benefit from their closed one having a truck.
The private carriers cannot be hired for paid tasks as some drivers use it to earn some more money in addition to their jobs,
They use these vehicles on the weekends and load goods for the sake of more money. However, they are not allowed to do so as it belongs to the company and is meant to be used only for their work.
So, they have to be answerable to the company if using such types of trucks without their permission for temporary benefits.
Protection from damage
There are many chances of accidents when the semi-trucks are moving on the roads and hauling a heavy load. For example, they can roll over when turning from a narrow road.
Moreover, it can collide with other vehicles or be involved in severe accidents. The truck drivers have to use the private carrier for the company tasks as the company is responsible for all the losses.
However, the drivers have to be answerable to the trucking company when an accident occurs due to unauthorized hauling, as it can lead to their termination when they do not follow the rules.
What is CMV?
CMV stands for a Commercial Motor Vehicle, a truck with the authority to be used for commercial purposes legally.
These automobiles are used to transport passengers from one place to another or to transport materials like those used by the industries when they import them from different countries.
In addition, these are used for profit by running an individual business or a company based by using the semi-trucks as a means of transportation.
Such commercial automobiles include pickups that are usually owned by individuals and semi-trucks or trailers owned by companies.
Do I need a DOT number for using “Not For Hire” truck?
The Department of Transportation has specified rules for the trucks to have a DOT number or MC number when they do not meet specific criteria.
It is essential to register a vehicle and get a DOT number when dealing with hazardous material and transporting it within different states of the country.
Moreover, the trucks should have a DOT number when dealing with a load exceeding the weight limit of almost 10,000 pounds and hauling heavy weight.
Furthermore, there is a restriction on the number of passengers on the automobile, and you need to ask for a number from DOT if you are transporting 8 to 10 people.
There is no restriction on registering for a DOT number when you own a vehicle to use it only for private purposes. You do not need a CDL when using it for a non-business purpose.
However, it becomes essential for an owner to register their vehicle when they have changed their plan and want to use it for paid hauling.
Who can use the Not For Hire tag on their vehicles?
Many people and companies can put a tag of ‘not for hire’ on their vehicles to avoid unnecessary hauling when annoying neighbors force them to haul heavy loads.
Moreover, the private car holders add tags on the sides of their automobiles to inform the public about the unavailability of these for commercial purposes.
Most commonly, the construction companies purchase their own trucks and get them registered as a not-for-hire to avoid hiring other commercial automobiles to fulfill their needs.
It helps them get some concession in the amount paid for the license and the registration process.
In the same way, the welding companies benefit from the label as they want to use it as a private carrier. You do not have to go through a lengthy registration process when it is used for personal use.
The registration process of a commercial truck by DOT takes time as you have to provide related information about the owner, the owner’s identity, address, and related documents.
Then, the Department of Transportation assigns a number to display on the vehicle that will be used in a business.
Are there any exemptions for Not For Hire trucks at weigh station?
There are weight stations on the highways where vehicles must stop to check the weight they are carrying.
Trucks should stop at weigh stations that carry more than 10,000 pounds of weight, whether a private carrier or commercial.
Likewise, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) offers an exemption for vehicles that weigh less than 10,000 pounds.
There is an exception for the non-business-related vehicles that are working as a single carrier and carrying personal items that are not used for business purposes like hauling.
FMCSA allows trucks with not-for-hire tags to move without any CDL, but they have to stop at a weigh station when the weight is more than the recommended weight to ensure safety.
Furthermore, they can check compliance with all the state laws and deal with overweight trucks to make them safe to move on the roads without any inconvenient circumstances.
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