Vehicle marking/Identification - Massachusetts

Federal regulations

Massachusetts has adopted Sec. 390.21 of the Federal Regulations.

Applicability

Section 390.21 applies to vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds, and vehicles transporting a placardable amout of hazardous materials.

Requirements

Effective until August 31, 2018 — Owners of motor trucks used for the transportation of goods, wares or merchandise for hire, gain or reward, must display the owner’s name on the vehicles. The marking must be plainly visible from each side, or from the front and rear of the vehicle.

Motor trucks operated under a lease of more than 30 days must display either the name of the owner or the lessee, and may display both names.

Effective September 1, 2018 — Owners of motor trucks used for the transportation of goods, wares or merchandise for hire, gain or reward, must have the owner's name marked on the truck, to be plainly visible from each side, in permanent letters that contrast sharply in color with the background on which the letters are placed. This marking must be readily legible during daylight hours from a distance of 50 feet while the motor truck is stationary.

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 these marking rules, motor truck means any motor vehicle specially designed or equipped to transport personal property over the highways of the Commonwealth and which has a maximum load carrying capacity of between 2,000 pounds and 10,000 pounds and which is not a private passenger motor vehicle under 540 CMR 2.05.

Motor vehicles based in Massachusetts with a total height exceeding ten feet (excluding the height of the load) must display the total height in letters and numerals at least four inches high in a conspicuous place on the side or front of the vehicle.

In the event of any conflict between Massachusetts law and any federal regulation pertaining to markings on commercial motor vehicles, the federal regulation shall control.

Interstate

All commercial motor carriers (for-hire and private) operating interstate are subject to the marking requirements of 49 CFR 390.21 which requires all CMVs to display, on both sides of the power unit, the US DOT number and the legal name of the business entity that owns or controls the motor carrier operation, or the “doing business as” (DBA) name, as it appears on the Form MCS-150.

Any new or used commercial vehicles added to a motor carrier’s fleet must be identified with the US DOT number and single trade name before being put into service.

The regulations do not require the MC number or city/state to be displayed on the vehicle.