• A vehicle must meet certain weight, design, and/or use criteria to be considered a CMV.
• When a motor carrier’s CMVs are involved in any accident, the company should investigate and must keep certain records.

Accident investigation and tracking is performed by motor carriers and their drivers who operate commercial motor vehicles (CMVs).

A commercial motor vehicle (CMV) is any self-propelled or towed vehicle used on a highway to transport property or passengers in interstate commerce, but only when the vehicle:

• Has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross combination weight rating (GCWR), or gross vehicle weight (GVW) or gross combination weight (GCW), of 10,001 pounds or more, whichever is greater; or
• Is designed or used to transport 9 or more passengers (including the driver) for compensation or 16 or more passengers (including the driver) not for compensation; or
• Is transporting hazardous materials of a type or quantity that requires placarding.

A highway is any road, street, or way (whether on public or private property) that is “open to public travel,” meaning that the road or way is available (except during scheduled periods, extreme weather, or emergency conditions) and passable by four-wheel standard passenger cars, and is open to the general public for use without restrictive gates, prohibitive signs, or regulation other than restrictions based on size, weight, or class of registration.

Intrastate operations

A key part of the CMV definition is interstate commerce, meaning commerce that crosses state or national borders. Motor carriers and drivers that are only involved in intrastate (in-state) commerce are subject to that state’s accident-related laws and regulations. Under those laws or regulations, the definition of CMV may differ.