You may have seen it before. You pull up next to a work truck, pulling a large trailer, and see the “Not For Hire” sticker on the side! Why do they have that there? Is it just so people don’t bother them, or is it something they are made to have there?
The “Not For Hire” tag really comes down to cost benefits. These private transport vehicles still require heavy-duty regulations by the government. However, the fees are considerably less than for heavy-duty vehicles that work for the common public.
Let’s look at this and dig deeper into why “Not For Hire” stickers appear on these private trucks.
Jump to:
1. They are working for a private company.
Vehicles that have the “Not For Hire” designation on the side are working for private companies! These private companies likely have heavy items or many items requiring a larger, heavy-duty truck. These larger trucks must be registered in their state as commercial vehicles. However, they are used less often, or at least for as many people, so they are not required to pay as much in fees.
Because they are only used for private business, they can pay less than someone who does! This is mainly because they use the roads less, put less strain on the transportation system, and keep to themselves a bit more.
2. This truck can’t haul for other people.
The main thing, and why the “Not For Hire” is that even though they are a commercial vehicle, they are not allowed to hire out the truck to anyone outside the company that registered it. This means no odd jobs for people on the weekend and no making extra money on the side.
These vehicles will only be used for the single individual or private business that own the car. Having the Not For Hire on the side is a reminder for other people looking at the truck and the driver that they will get in trouble with the government if they attempt to hire out the vehicle for pay.
3. Lower cost licensing fees
As we discussed earlier, the primary benefit to allowing this tag on the side of the truck and not allowing it to be rented out is that they get lower licensing fees!
Licensing a commercial vehicle can be expensive, as they strain the system, and this designation is an excellent way to lower that cost. This designation puts the cost somewhere between the standard commercial licensing and private vehicle fees.
4. So people don’t bother them.
The unintended benefit to all of this is that these drivers won’t be bothered by the common public to do work for them! Everyone knows that if you have a pickup, people want to help you move.
Imagine now that you have a truck with a massive trailer that can haul about anything; you probably would get a few phone calls asking for help for little pay.
This additional sticker showing they aren’t for hire will cut down on those calls, as it is a “keep back” kind of thing.
Who would commonly use the “Not For Hire”?
Now, you might be wondering what kinds of people or companies would have vehicles they wouldn’t want to hire out to move things; that is what they are there for, right? Well, not so fast.
Some common companies or people that may have these vehicles that wouldn’t need to be hired out would be the following:
- Private car carriers
- Hotshots for drilling companies
- Construction companies
- Large recreational vehicles
- Welding companies
Conclusion
So there you have it! “Not For Hire” is an excellent way for private companies to save money on vehicle licensing. However, they will need more time to rent their car for extra weekend cash.
Ultimately, this is a smart way to save cash while maintaining your business with heavy-duty, commercial-style vehicles.
