Not For Hire: Why do trucks put this on the side of their trucks?

You probably have seen it before, you pull up next to a work truck pulling a large trailer of stuff, and you 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 that they are made to have there?

So why do trucks put “Not For Hire” on the side of their trucks? The “Not For Hire” tab 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 take a closer look into this, and dig a little deeper into why “Not For Hire” stickers show up on these private trucks.

Table of Contents

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 lots of items that require a larger truck. These larger trucks have to be registered in their state as a large vehicle, however they aren’t used quite as often, or at least for as many people, so they are not required to pay as much.

Because they are only used for private business, they don’t have to pay quite as much as 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 vehicle to anyone outside of the company that registered the vehicle. This means no odd-jobs for people on the weekend, this means no making extra money on the side.

These vehicles will only be used for the single individual or private business that has the vehicle.

Having the Not For Hire on the side not only is a reminder for other people looking at the truck, but also to 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

Now as we discussed earlier, the major 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 do put a strain on the system, so this is a good way to lower that cost.

This designation puts the cost somewhere between the standard commercial licensing fees and private vehicle fees.

4. So people don’t bother them

Now, the unintended benefit to all of this, is that these drivers won’t be bothered by the common public to do work for them! As everyone knows, 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 quite 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 that they wouldn’t want to hire out to move things, I mean 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
Hot shots for drilling companies
Construction companies
Large recreational vehicles
Welding companies

Conclusion

So there you have it! “Not For Hire” is a great way for private companies to save a bit of money on licensing their vehicles, however it does mean that they won’t be able to hire out there vehicle for extra cash on the weekends.

In the end, this is a smart way to save some cash, while still being able to maintain your business with heavy duty, and commercial style vehicles.