Can a truck be not for hire?

"not for hire" has no legal meaning. A vehicle can be a PERSONAL vehicle (think RV or dune buggy transporter), it can be a private carrier (never gets paid to transport goods), or it can be a common carrier (carries third party goods for pay).

A personal vehicle is a non-commercial vehicle, not used in commerce, and not used to transport goods used in commerce. A private carrier is commercial, but doesn't carry third party goods. If a race car outfit or a rodeo outfit competes for prizes, it will be ruled a commercial enterprise. Still a private carrier, but commercial. A common carrier is a commercial carrier that transports third party goods for recompense.

 

Most race car guys haul their cars illegally. Not NASCAR types of course, but on smaller tracks most do. They think they aren't commercial. They are, but that's what they think.

 

I called the state (AZ) and my insurance carrier to ask about this.

State doesn't give a rip about the registration. You can license it under your own name as a personal vehicle all day long.

However, the insurance companies all told me they would not insure a truck as a personal vehicle.

So, you can legally buy and license a big truck for personal use, but you can't legally drive it without insurance. You just can't win sometimes. When I retired last year, I was going to transfer my truck to a personal vehicle and keep it around for hauling personal stuff. Too bad I can't get it insured. Of course, a couple hundred dollar "no insurance" ticket is cheaper than commercial insurance...

 

Was answered, but of course others keep muddying the waters by telling old wives tales. Here it is again.

 

Have you ever followed a thread about the best oil to use? Uhhuh

 

Our fleet vehicles and signs say not for hire. The drivers go and pick up units out of state for our company. We won't pick anything up for anyone else and we won't haul anything for anyone else.