There are quite a number of us that own a pick-up truck for personal use only because we like them and/or because we occasionally pull a trailer.
In 2006, I bought my ¾ ton diesel pick-up because I needed something strong to pull a 27’ enclosed car trailer to the track. One of my challenges was to try and get a clear understanding of the many “new to me” requirements related to owning a truck and pulling a big trailer.
Needless to say, there were many different opinions about the need for an annual safety inspection, daily safety checks and logs, Commercial Vehicle Owner’s Registration (CVOR) and even the weight registered on the truck’s license plate registration.
I even went to our local Oakville “commercial vehicle inspection station” on the QEW to get clarity – but even they seemed confused.
Playing safe, I got my annual safety inspections on both truck and trailer, obtained a CVOR, purchased a safety log book that I dutifully filled in on a daily basis, and registered (at considerable annual cost) my truck for the combined weight of the truck and trailer. But did I really need all of that?
Halton Police Commercial Vehicle Team Information Meeting
Recently, the Halton Regional Police Commercial Vehicle Inspection team hosted an information meeting for commercial truck drivers interested in learning more about these sorts of requirements.
Surprisingly, there were several of us at that meeting that only used our trucks for personal (non-commercial) use – and wanted to get true clarity on what was really needed to stay on the good side of the law.
Pat Martin and his two fellow police officers did an excellent job at clarifying things for us, as well as informing us of the more common safety inspection failures that they see during their work. So here is what I learned.
Do I need a Commercial Vehicle Operator's Registration if I have a personal use pick up truck?
Although the Highway Traffic Act considers all pickup trucks to be commercial motor vehicles, a pickup truck used for commercial purposes (not personal use) only needs a Commercial Vehicle Operator's Registration (CVOR) certificate if it has an actual or registered gross weight (RGW) of more than 4,500 kg.
Effective July 1, 2019, the Highway Traffic Act exempts personal use pick up trucks from requiring a CVOR if:
- 1”The pick-up truck has a 2GVWR of 6,500kg or less; and
- The pick-up truck is fitted with the original, unmodified box that was installed by the manufacturer or an unmodified replacement box that duplicates the one originally installed by the manufacturer; and
- The pick-up truck and trailer are being used for personal use without compensation; and,
- Neither the pick-up truck nor the trailer is carrying commercial tools or cargo, or equipment of a type normally used for commercial purposes.”
Simply put, I don't need a CVOR because my personal use truck's RGW is less than 6,500kg and so it qualifies for the CVOR exemption.
How should the personal use pick-up truck be registered?
The registered gross weight (RGW) determines the fee paid for the black and white licence plates. What is often overlooked is that the truck's RGW is based on and must be at least equal to the actual weight of the truck, or the truck, trailer(s) and load(s).
For many of us that only tow a trailer once in a while, it may seem overkill to have to register our pick-up truck for a much higher weight and thus cost. But that’s the law!
Because a trailer permit does not have a RGW, you really need to weigh both the truck and the fully loaded trailer (including driver and passengers) to get an idea of the true RGW. The only exception to this is if your fully loaded trailer weighs less than 2,800 kilograms. If so, only the trailer tongue weight, not the weight of the trailer transmitted to the ground, needs to be added to the RGW of the truck.
So in my case, the truck registration needs to include my truck’s actual weight, and, the actual weight of the trailer and contents as my loaded car trailer exceeds 2,800kg.
Does my personal use pick-up truck need an annual safety inspection and the “yellow sticker” on the windshield?
Effective July 1, 2019, this requirement has changed. 1“A personal use pick-up truck and any trailer drawn by the pick up truck are exempt if the following conditions are met:
- The pick-up truck has a 2GVWR of 6,500kg or less; and
- The pick-up truck is fitted with the original, unmodified box that was installed by the manufacturer or an unmodified replacement box that duplicates the one originally installed by the manufacturer; and
- The pick-up truck and trailer are being used for personal use without compensation; and,
- Neither the pick-up truck nor the trailer is carrying commercial tools or cargo, or equipment of a type normally used for commercial purposes.”
Personally, I’m going to continue to do an annual safety inspection on both my truck and trailer. I’m not a mechanic and I need to have some peace of mind that the wheels, suspension and brakes on both my truck and trailer are in proper working condition.
Summary for personal use pick-up truck operators
- Determine the higher of
- Manufacturer's GVWR (check driver door plate)
- Registered RGW (on your license registration)
- Actual weight
- Determine the higher of - for the heaviest trailer you will be pulling (if even only once in the year)
- Manufacturer's GVWR (check trailer plate)
- Actual weight
- If 1(a) above is no greater than 6,500 kg, and your truck qualifies as a personal use vehicle, you do not need a CVOR or an annual safety inspection and yellow sticker for both your truck and pulled the trailer
- Finally, your RGW of the annual license plate registration must be at least as great as any combination of 1 and 2 above if 2 is greater than 2800 kg.
The Halton Regional Police Service has certified commercial vehicle inspectors, they are an excellent and local resource to contact if you need further clarification or have a special circumstance to deal with. Their contact information is as follows: [email protected]. My thanks to Constable Scott Oldfield for taking the time to confirm the changes that came into effect on July 1, 2019.
A final note for those pick-up truck owners that qualify for the CVOR Personal Use Exemption and wish to increase the RGW on their truck registration above 6,500 kg to accommodate the weight of their trailer. My experience with a local Service Ontario office suggests that some of their staff may say that you need a CVOR to register your truck’s RGW above 6,500 kg. They may need to be reminded of the Personal Use Exception detailed on the Ontario Ministry of Transportation website.
In order to save money, some of us don’t increase the weight on our truck’s registration until we get the trailer out of winter storage and reduce the weight on the registration once the trailer is put into storage at the end of the season.
- http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/trucks/commercial-vehicle-faq.shtml#a4
- NOTE: GVWR is the maximum operating weight as specified by the manufacturer (indicated on the compliance label inside the driver's door).
Original Article: Oakville Drives: Are you confused about the requirements related to your personal use pick-up truck? published Dec.18, 2016.
