Definitions of commercial vehicles are used for accounting purposes, as well as for administration of approving documents, driving licenses etc. A commercial vehicle term generally refers to motor-driven vehicles used for commercial purposes and weighing 4,500kg or more. Commercial vehicles are usually designed to transport goods or a group of passengers (normally counting from 11 passengers).

Another term which is often associated with commercial vehicles is a professional vehicle.  A professional  automobile normally has been modified with extensive coachwork for service in livery transportation, such as a limousine, or in funeral home operations: hearses, flower cars etc.

More common xamples of commercial vehicle include vans, trucks, coaches, buses and taxicabs, box trucks and trailers. Vehicle types are defined by cargo type, number of passengers and particular purpose of transportation. Commercial vehicles are used to transport hazardous materials that need to be placarded. (More on types of placards).

Most common acronyms used for commercial vehicles

Light commercial vehicles (LCV) or category N1 is the formal term in the European Union for goods vehicles with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of up to 3,5oo kg. Vehicles  in this catergory include pickup trucks and cargo/passenger vans.
Light truck or light duty truck is a American classification for trucks or truck-based vehicles with a payload capacity of less than 4,000 pounds (1,815 kg).

Large Goods Vehicle (LGV), or category N2 and N3, is the European Union term for cargo (goods) vehicles (lorries) with a maximum allowed mass (MAM) over 3.5 tonnes. Category N2 Large Goods Vehicles -  up to 12  toones. And, category N3 LGV’s – over 12  tonnes.

Tags: buses, lcv, lgv, trucks, vehicles