Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

BE Y GENERAL AUSTXN. TEXAS 787 February 23, 1966 Honorable Homer Garrison, Jr. Opinion NO. c-623 Director Department of Public Safety Construction of Article Austin, Texas E&b Section l(n) V C S and Aiticle 6687b, ~ection'3, Subsection 4a, as to whether the operators of certain enu- merated motor vehicles and combinations of such vehicles and trailers are required to have a commercial operator's Dear Sir: license. In your apinion request you ask whether or not an operator of a pickup truck, panel delivery truck,,station wagon, carry-all truck or passenger automobile when operated in combination with a trailer or trailers, is required to have a commercial operator's license, when operating such combination for commercial or delivery purposes. Acts, 59th De islature, 1965, Chapter 350 P. 752, which amends Article 6g87b, Section 3, Subsection 4a, Ver- non's Civil Statutes, provides as follows: "A Derson oneratina a truck with a manufa‘cturer's-ratedcarrying capacity not to exceed 2,000 pounds, which is in- tended to include trucks commonly known as pickup trucks, panel delivery-trucks, station wagons. and carrv-all trucks. who holds an operator's license shall not be required to obtain a commercial operator's license. " (Emphasis added.) It is the opinion of this office that the addition of a trailer or trailers to one of the enumerated vehicles does not alter the manufacturer's rated carrying capacity; therefore, the operator of such vehicle is not required to obtain a commercial operatorts license when he holds an operator's license. SUMMARY A person operating a pickup truck, -3026- Honorable Homer Garrison, Jr., page 2 (c-623) panel delivery truck, station wagon or txrry- all truck with a manufacturer's rated c8rr.p ing capacity of 2,000 pounds or lee6 la not required to obtain a commercial operator's license when he holds an operator's license regardless of whether or not said vehicle IS operated in combination with one or more trailers. Your6 very truly, WAGGO@R CARR al of Texas orney General REO/bd/br APPROVED: OPINION COMMITTEE W. V. Geppert, Chairman Carlos Vela Malcolm Quick Pat Bailey Sam L. Kelley~ APPROVED FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL By: T. B. Wright ‘i -3027-