The Whittier code states unladen weight of 14,000lbs or greater is considered commercial (Ordinance 318 Section 10.40.020 D). It does also reference the CA vehicle code for commercial vehicles, so if you are over 14,000lbs, you need to meet the definition of the pickup.
CVC §260.a. Definition Commercial Vehicle
A “commercial vehicle” is a motor vehicle of a type required to be registered under this code used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit or designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.
CVC §471. Definition Pickup Truck
A “pickup truck” is a motor truck with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of less than 11,500 pounds, an unladen weight of less than 8,001 pounds, and which is equipped with an open box-type bed not exceeding 9 feet in length. “Pickup truck” does not include a motor vehicle otherwise meeting the above definition, that is equipped with a bed-mounted storage compartment unit commonly called a “utility body.”
CCR §150.04. Pickup Trucks.
(a) Pursuant to Section 471 of the Vehicle Code, any motor vehicle, except a motorcycle, motorized bicycle, or motorized quadricycle, with an open box type bed not exceeding 9 feet in length is by definition a pickup. Examples of this type of motor vehicle include the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Nissan Frontier and other similarly designed vehicles.
(b) Pursuant to Section 471 of the Vehicle Code, any motor vehicle, except a motorcycle, motorized bicycle, or motorized quadricycle, that may be configured or reconfigured to provide an open box type bed not exceeding 9 feet in length is by definition a pickup. Examples of this type of motor vehicle include the Chevrolet Avalanche and similarly designed vehicles.
What is this vehicle designed for?
Is it designed for the transportation of property? Yes, then it is a commercial vehicle and cannot be parked in the residential areas of Whittier, unless the bed is less than 9' or the unladen weight is less than 14,000lbs.
CVC 471 Is a section I reference often as I see come up often when people remove their bed and put a flat bed or utility bed on their truck (1/2-3/4-1 ton pickups). I work for a construction company and we have to have DOT stickers (due to our utility beds) and stop at scales because we do not have a pickup bed on the truck and that changes the classification to a commercial truck. GVWR is 15,0000lbs for the trucks.
During my searches for the vehicle codes, I came across this tidbit of information, which I found quite interesting:
24008.5. (a) No person shall operate any motor vehicle with a frame height or body floor height greater than specified in subdivisions (b) and (c). (b) The maximum frame height is as follows: Vehicle Type Frame Height
(1) Passenger vehicles, except housecars ...........................23 inches
(2) All other motor vehicles, including housecars, as follows:
Up to 4,500 pounds GVWR ............. 27 inches
4,501 to 7,500 pounds GVWR .......... 30 inches
7,501 to 10,000 pounds GVWR ......... 31 inches
(c) The lowest portion of the body floor shall not be more than five inches above the top of the frame.
(d) The following definitions govern the construction of this section:
(1) "Frame" means the main longitudinal structural members of the chassis of the vehicle or, for vehicles with unitized body construction, the lowest main longitudinal structural members of the body of the vehicle.
(2) "Frame height" means the vertical distance between the ground and the lowest point on the frame, measured when the vehicle is unladen on a level surface at the lowest point on the frame midway between the front axle and the second axle on the vehicle.
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Agreed