Define "truck"

[71charger_fan]

There are plenty of signs around saying "No Trucks." What, for the purposes of these signs, constitutes a truck? I've seen dually, crew cab pickups in "no truck" zones. Is there a hard and fast rule as to what constitutes a truck as far as the highway department(s) are concerned. Just idle curiosity.

[REDNECK]

when they mean truck it is the big rigs

[Lowprofile]

They hate us. 

They don't want us on the road, in their way, in their towns etc........ But the second Wal-Mart or Starbucks or Applebee's or CVS or Foot Locker dosen't have something they wanted or ordered or needed, again, they blame the truck driver & his truck.

I Love My Job. Have a Nice Day.  

[bull]

The thing pictured above is a truck but people call "pickups" "trucks" all the time. You should ask the government or business that posted the sign to be sure because that opinion is the only one that matters. But in general a "truck" is any cargo-carrying vehicle bigger than a pickup (a pickup is what you described).

[Lowprofile]

The "thing" pictured above is a truck

Man, you know how to hurt a guys feelings.   That's my Baby!   

[Rack]

Rigs don't bother me being around town. The only thing that bothers me is when a road isn't set correctly and the rigs tend to tear the road up. Not the rigs fault. I blame the people that didn't set the road right.


That said, I live in the "Gateway to Mexico" so there's A LOT of truck traffic through here. I mean A LOT. Thankfully they built a freeway system and a new bridge, mostly just for the trucks and that has made things better for them and the in-town traffic.

[Steve P.]

Be very careful in Florida when you see those signs at agriculture stops. THEY MEAN PICK-UPS TOO!!

[dodgecharger-fan]

MOST (but not all) of the time that I see a "no trucks" sign it's because the road just can't take that kind of load or there's some wicked curves and bends that most cars have a hard time with. It's not so much of a "we don't want the noise" type of deal. Usually, those areas have "please do not use engine brakes" signs for that.

[71charger_fan]

Where is the line drawn? Is a dry cleaner delivery van a truck subject to the no trucks signage? Is a UPS delivery truck a truck? Is a Dodge Sprinter a truck when it comes to the no trucks restriction? As I said, it was just idle curiosity stemming from seeing a dually squeezed into an alley just past a "no trucks" sign. It sure looked like a truck to me but apparently, from the point of view of those who make the restrictions, it wasn't.

[Lowprofile]

Having been a Truckdriver for the better part of 20 years, I can tell you most of those local truck restriction laws get interpreted differently by both law makers and law enforcement officers. Its all in your attitude, I guess. Some lawmakers try to get political points with their constituents by passing these kinds of laws for many reasons.....complaints, favors, zoning, safety, etc.... Some communites have gone so far as to only allow us to make deliveries & then get out of town. Seattle is one of those cities. Very truck UN-friendly.

OK, I'll shut up now.

[Recharger]

I know in Illinois a "truck" is typically is determined by how the vehicle is licensed.  "Trucks" are not allowed on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, and that includes anything all the way down to basic "B" plate pickups.  My buddy got a ticket in his measly little S-10 a few years back, just because it was licensed as a truck.  And as far as the DMV is concerned, I think they consider anything that has an open bed with no permanent top to be a truck, so even El Caminos and those newer "convertible" SUV/pickup Avalanche type things are both considered trucks, while Hummers and Excursions can be titled as passenger vehicles.  Go figure. 

Rigs don't bother me being around town. The only thing that bothers me is when a road isn't set correctly and the rigs tend to tear the road up. Not the rigs fault. I blame the people that didn't set the road right.

Just because the road can't handle rigs, doesn't mean it isn't "set right."  Different roads are build to handle different levels of traffic, and if the rig isn't supposed to be on that road, then it IS the rig's (driver's) fault for tearing it up.  I forget the exact numbers now, but I remember back in my engineering days in school that a single tire on a loaded 18 wheeler exerts something like 70 times the force on pavement of a typical passenger-car tire.  That's why those roads look so bad so quick when the rigs start ignoring the signs.

[General 713]

i love the sound of rigs.  engine braking makes them sound even cooler.  I hate the people that don't give them enough room though.  they pull right up when a truck is making a turn on a two lane road at an intersection.   stupid 

[BLACKWOLF]

AROUND HERE IT MEANS ANYTHING ABOVE 18,000 LBS.

[BigBlockSam]

i miss driving my work trucks.

my favorite sign is " no heavy truckin"   

[John_Kunkel]

26,000 pounds is the usual definition of a truck for street limits but around here thay usually post the ton limit on the warning sign.

[Brock Samson]

Here's another side to that coin.
For the Federal Dept. Of Trans. the definition is a "flat load floor", I read about it on Allpar sometime ago when the PT cruiser came out cause it was classified as a truck becuase the Load Floor was straight from the rear seats to the tailgate.
I notice alot of that design going on these days... like the new Neon replacment the Caliber is the same...
It is a "loophole" that allows the manufacturer to play with their EPA and MPG fleet Average numbers...
If i come across the text in my travels i'll link it..

[charger490]

this is a truck ok charger490 the other is a pickup

[Brock Samson]

 anyone remember this?..

[71charger_fan]

I remember those. A buddy of mine ordered one and it disappeared during transport. As far as I know Chevrolet never did find it. He gave up on the LUV and bought either a Dodge D-50 or Plymouth Arrow pickup, I forget which. Remember those?