Significance of Weight

• Minnesota begins categorizing vehicles like trucks as commercial when they reach specific weights. The general marker is 10,000 lbs., but this weight limit can also include vehicle combinations, such as a truck and landscaping trailer for example. At this point, the driver of the truck comes under extensive regulations. If the truck exceeds, 26,000 lbs., federal regulations are applicable and a commercial driver's license is required.
  
  

Considering Driver Credentials

• Truck drivers must have reached the age of 18 years (21 for hazardous material transport) and demonstrate abilities in English, physical requirements and knowledge of the truck's safety and cargo features. Operators must abide by hours-of-service laws -- meaning they must not go over maximum shift limits -- and must also compile or have compiled their driver qualification file. This contains their medical, state, employer and other records along with clear copies of their certification and licensing.
  
  

Marking Features

• Every truck used commercially in Minnesota has to have a U.S. Department of Transportation-approved marking on the "power unit." The marking has to provide information as to the registered carrier (driver). If there is another name on the sticker, such as a company, you have to have the phrase "operated by" before the name. The colors of the marking should not blend in with the paint job on the truck. The minimum distance for marking visibility is 50 feet.