Vehicles: farm pickup trucks.

(1) Existing law defines a pickup truck as 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. This bill would define a farm pickup truck as a motor truck used exclusively by a farmer or rancher in a not-for-hire capacity that is operated solely in California and not in interstate commerce, that has a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of less than 14,000 pounds, and that is equipped with a bed, including, but not limited to, a flat bed, not exceeding 9 feet in length. Existing law requires a commercial motor vehicle, singly or in combination, that operates with a declared gross or combined gross vehicle weight that exceeds 10,000 pounds to be registered as specified. This bill would, for purposes of registration, designate a farm pickup truck with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of more than 11,500 pounds or a farm pickup truck weighing more than 10,000 pounds that is not equipped with an open-box type bed as a commercial motor vehicle for registration purposes. (2) Existing law requires every driver of a commercial vehicle to stop and submit the vehicle to an inspection of the size, weight, equipment, and smoke emissions of the vehicle at any location where members of the California Highway Patrol are conducting tests and inspections of commercial vehicles and when signs are displayed requiring the stop. Existing law provides that every driver who fails or refuses to stop and submit the vehicle to an inspection when signs are displayed requiring that stop is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would create an exception from that requirement for pickup trucks and farm pickup trucks, as defined. (3) Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to regulate the safe operation of specified vehicles, including, but not limited to, truck tractors and specified motor trucks, but only for matters relating to hours of service and logbooks of drivers. This bill would create an exception from that regulation for farm pickup trucks, as defined. (4) Existing law, the Motor Carriers of Property Permit Act generally prohibits a motor carrier of property from operating a commercial motor vehicle on any public highway in this state, unless it is compliant as specified and has registered with the department its carrier identification number authorized or assigned thereunder, and holds a valid motor carrier permit issued to that motor carrier by the department. This bill would exempt from that act a farm pickup truck, as defined.