Types of Vehicles Involved
in Commercial Vehicle Accidents

As long as a vehicle meets the FMSCA gross weight of 10,001 pounds and its use is a commercial focus, whether transporting people or products, it falls into the category of commercial vehicles. In addition to large trucks, the other types of vehicles involved in CVAs are buses (also referred to as motorcoaches) and vans.

Buses, also referred to as motorcoaches, are a key aspect of the passenger carrier industry and participate in the commerce of transporting people. Bus drivers must have commercial driving licenses (CDLs), which require greater knowledge, skills and the physical abilities necessary to drive a bus or motorcoach. For this reason, the testing for a CDL is more comprehensive than driver’s testing for smaller vehicles. According to the FMCSA, bus travel is among the safest forms of passenger travel. Of all the types of transportation, buses rank as the second safest. Only air travel is safer than bus travel. Trains, cars, boats and motorcycles are all more dangerous. In fact, traveling by bus is four times safer than by train, and it’s 50 times safer than traveling by car (according to Bus.com).

Buses, also referred to as motorcoaches, are a key aspect of the passenger carrier industry and participate in the commerce of transporting people. Bus drivers must have commercial driving licenses (CDLs), which require greater knowledge, skills and the physical abilities necessary to drive a bus or motorcoach. For this reason, the testing for a CDL is more comprehensive than driver’s testing for smaller vehicles. According to the FMCSA, bus travel is among the safest forms of passenger travel. Of all the types of transportation, buses rank as the second safest. Only air travel is safer than bus travel. Trains, cars, boats and motorcycles are all more dangerous. In fact, traveling by bus is four times safer than by train, and it’s 50 times safer than traveling by car (according to Bus.com).

Vans are smaller than buses or 18 wheelers and are medium sized vehicles. Companies use vans to transport goods or passengers. If the company uses the van for transporting more than 10 passengers, including the driver, and has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more, then the driver must have a commercial driver’s license to drive the vehicle. A 15-passenger van has a higher risk for rollover accidents than other types of vehicles due to the fact that its center of gravity is higher with 15 passengers. Also, many van accidents result from under-inflated tires. In addition, van passengers tend not to wear seat belts. When passengers are finding seats, it’s safer to load the van from front to back and ensure all passengers wear their seat belts.