Code of Massachusetts Regulations
540 CMR - REGISTRY OF MOTOR VEHICLES
Title 540 CMR 2.00 - Motor Vehicle Regulations
Section 2.22 - Markings on Commercial Vehicles
Universal Citation: 540 MA Code of Regs 540.2
Current through Register 1531, September 27, 2024
(1) Marking.
(a)
Effective until August 31, 2018. The owner of every
motor truck used for the transportation of goods, wares or merchandise for
hire, gain or reward, shall have the owner's name marked on the truck, to be
plainly visible from each side or from the front and rear of the vehicle,
provided that motor trucks operated under a lease of more than 30 days shall
display either the name of the owner or the lessee, and may display both. For
the purpose of
540
CMR 2.22(1), motor truck
shall mean any motor vehicle specially designed or equipped to transport
personal property over the ways of the Commonwealth and which has a maximum
load carrying capacity of over 2,000 lbs., and which is not a Private Passenger
Motor Vehicle under
540
CMR 2.05. To the extent there is any conflict
between
540
CMR 2.22 and any federal regulation
pertaining to markings on commercial motor vehicles, the federal regulation
shall control.
(b)
Effective September 1, 2018. The owner of every motor
truck used for the transportation of goods, wares or merchandise for hire, gain
or reward, shall have the owner's name marked on the truck, to be plainly
visible from each side, be in permanent letters that contrast sharply in color
with the background on which the letters are placed; be readily legible during
daylight hours from a distance of 50 feet while the motor truck is stationary;
and be kept and maintained in a manner that retains the legibility required by
540
CMR 2.22(1)(b), provided
that motor trucks owned or controlled by a farmer and used to transport
agricultural products, farm machinery, and/or farm supplies to or from the
farmer's farm; not used in the operation of a common or contract carrier, and
used within 150 air miles of the farmer's farm need not be so marked; and motor
trucks operated under a lease of more than 30 days shall display either the
name of the owner or the lessee, and may display both. For the purpose of
540
CMR 2.22(1), Motor Truck
shall mean any motor vehicle specially designed or equipped to transport
personal property over the ways of the Commonwealth and which has a maximum
load carrying capacity of between 2,000 lbs. and 10,000 lbs. and which is not a
Private Passenger Motor Vehicle under
540
CMR 2.05. To the extent there is any conflict
between
540
CMR 2.22 and any federal regulation
pertaining to markings on commercial motor vehicles, the federal regulation
shall control.
(2) U.S. DOT Number Assignment for Intrastate Carriers.
(a) Effective September 1, 2018, every motor
vehicle engaged in intrastate commerce in Massachusetts having a gross vehicle
weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 or more lbs.; and
every motor vehicle, regardless of weight, engaged in intrastate commerce in
Massachusetts and used in the transportation of hazardous materials in a
quantity requiring placarding; and every motor vehicle designed to transport
more than 15 passengers, including the driver, used in intrastate commerce in
Massachusetts must be permanently marked with a USDOT number assigned in a
manner conforming to the provisions of
49 CFR
390.21.
(b) For purposes of
540
CMR 2.22(2), the following
vehicles with a gross combination vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more lbs.,
or designed to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver, which
are operated solely within Massachusetts are exempted from the vehicle marking
and DOT number requirements of
540
CMR 2.22(a):
1. vehicles owned and operated by the
Commonwealth or a political subdivision thereof;
2. vehicles carrying 'hazardous materials'
that are owned and operated by a city, town or agency of the Commonwealth, but
this exemption shall not apply to a private contractor transporting hazardous
materials on behalf of a city, town or an agency of the Commonwealth;
3. Transit-type buses operated by cities or
towns that are used to transport persons locally and which are marked with the
name of the municipal bus company or its logo; 4. Buses operated by the
Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA), including the vehicles operated
under the name 'The Ride', or buses operated by Regional Transit Authorities
(RTAs) that are used to transport persons locally and which are already marked
with the name of the bus authority or bus company or its logo;
5. School buses and school pupil transport
vehicles that transport students and or pupils locally; and
6. Vehicles of professional driving schools
that are used to provide driving skills training for Class A, B, or C
commercial driver licenses.
(3) Penalty. The penalty for a violation of 540 CMR 2.22 is set forth in M.G.L. c. 90, § 20.
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