Vehicle designed to transport persons or goods for compensation
Trucks and vans, two types of vehicles common as commercial vehicles, operated by DRinCopenhagen, Denmark
Acommercial vehicle is any type of motor vehicle used for transporting goods or paying passengers. Depending on laws and designations, a commercial vehicle can be any broad type of motor vehicle used commercially or for business purposes.
In the United States, a vehicle is designated "commercial" when it is titled or registered to a company. This is a broad definition, as commercial vehicles may be fleet vehicles, company cars, or other vehicles used for business. Vehicles that are designed to carry more than 15 passengers are considered a commercial vehicle. Variations may exist from state-to-state on which "commercial vehicles" are prohibited on certain routes and lanes and between homeowner associations, which may employ broader definitions than their municipalities with regard to their own parking restrictions.[1]
Broadly defined, a vehicle may be considered a commercial vehicle if it:
Belongs to a company or corporation
Is used for business, but is in an individual's name, such as a sole proprietor
Is a leased vehicle and in the name of the financial institution that owns it
Exceeds a certain weight or class and therefore, is "classified" as commercial even though it may not be commercially used or commercially owned; a weight rating of 26,001 pounds or more is always considered commercial[2]
The federal definition, though followed closely, is meant to accommodate and remain flexible to each state's definitions.
The European Union defines a "commercial motor vehicle" as any motorized road vehicle, that by its type of construction and equipment is designed for, and capable of transporting, whether for payment or not:[4]
More than nine persons, including the driver;
Goods and "standard fuel tanks". This means the tanks permanently fixed by the manufacturer to all motor vehicles of the same type as the vehicle in question and whose permanent fitting lets fuel be used directly, both for propulsion and, where appropriate, to power a refrigeration system. Gas tanks fitted to motor vehicles for the direct use of diesel as a fuel are considered standard fuel tanks.
Commercial vehicle accidents and injuries are often more complex than regular car accidents, often involving additional concerns, background checks on operator driving records, and corporate maintenance records.[6]
