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Clarification of On- and Off-Highway Yard Trucks |
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Clarification of On- and Off-Highway Yard Trucks |
| PGM 13084 |
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To Whom It May Concern: Please be advised that Ottawa/Magnum today builds a DOT/EPA (On-Highway) yard truck that meets all federal and state regulations. When these trucks are produced, they are assigned a standard truck serial number and also a seventeen digit VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), which is registered with the Society of Automotive Engineers. A large number of yard trucks have been produced with a basic safety package, including ICC lights and turn signals; however, units equipped with these packages are not on-highway legal vehicles. Only units with a seventeen digit VIN are legally equipped as on-highway vehicles. This seventeen digit VIN is issued by the Society of Automotive Engineers to factories for vehicles meeting the DOT/EPA legal requirements. No yard truck produced without this VIN is a legal on-highway unit. Today there are three styles of on-highway trucks produced. One is a single axle DOT/EPA on-highway yard truck, which is equipped with all DOT/EPA specifications except the braking system, which is a FMVSS 121 type. The maximum speed on this unit is 33 mph. The second unit produced is a single axle on-highway yard truck with DOT/EPA specifications and it includes the FMVSS 121 Braking System with ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System). Thus, this truck has a maximum speed of 45 mph. The third truck produced is a tandem axle unit that is equipped with DOT/EPA on-highway specifications and also has FMVSS 121 Braking System with ABS (Anti-Lock Brake System) and travels up to 45 mph. The difference between the single and tandem axle unit is the weight distribution on the axle if this is an issue in your area. Also, please note that all on-highway trucks produced today do not require FET to be added. However, if the truck is licensed and used on U.S. highways, it is required that the driver has a Class 1 license. In the industry, there are several yard truck manufacturers. Each one has a different style of serial number that identifies their unit. For example:
In reviewing the three above, you will note the first one, the truck serial number, the last four or five digits do not match the last four or five digits on this seventeen digit VIN. You will also note the seventeen digit VIN has the correct sequence on letters and numbers in the correct position; whereas, items two and three have the last four digits of the full serial number as the chassis serial number. These two are not on-highway trucks and can never be considered an on-highway truck even though they have seventeen digit serial numbers. We trust this totally clarifies how to determine if a unit is an on-highway unit and the difference between an on-highway and off-highway unit. If you should have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me directly or feel free to contact the factory directly as well. Very truly yours, James S. Moir, Jr. JSM,JR |