Title 49 › SUBTITLE VI — MOTOR VEHICLE AND DRIVER PROGRAMS › PART B — COMMERCIAL › CHAPTER 311 — COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY › SUBCHAPTER I — GENERAL AUTHORITY AND STATE GRANTS › § 31101
Defines key words used in the rules. "Commercial motor vehicle" (except for rules in section 31106) means a self‑propelled or towed highway vehicle used mainly in commerce to carry people or cargo that either weighs at least 10,001 pounds, is built to carry more than 10 people including the driver, or carries hazardous materials covered by section 5103 that need placards. "Employee" means a driver (including an independent contractor when driving), mechanic, freight handler, or other non‑employer who directly affects CMV safety while working for a commercial motor carrier and who is not a federal, State, or local government employee in that job. "Employer" means a person in business affecting commerce who owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle or assigns someone to operate it, but not the Federal Government, a State, or a political subdivision of a State. "State" includes the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
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Legislative History
Reference
Citation
49 U.S.C. § 31101
Title 49, Transportation
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102