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Pennsylvania has adopted Part 396 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs).
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) adoption of Part 396 applies to a vehicle or combination of vehicles used on a highway in intrastate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating, or gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight of 17,001 pounds or more (whichever is greater), or transporting hazardous materials which are required to be placarded.
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regulates motor carriers that transport property or household goods between points in Pennsylvania for compensation. The PUC adoption of Part 396 applies to vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating or registered gross weight in excess of 10,000 pounds, or a vehicle that is being used to transport hazardous materials of a type or quantity that requires the vehicle to be marked or placarded.
| Annual Inspections - Motor Carrier | An official mandatory periodic vehicle inspection program is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Motor carrier vehicles with a registered gross weight > 17,000 lbs. (in Pennsylvania) must be inspected once a year at an officially designated inspection station. Upon inspection and approval, an inspection certificate will be issued. This mandatory inspection program is considered equivalent to the Federal annual inspection requirement in Part 396. |