Circular 43/2023/TT-BGTVT amending Circular 85/2014/TT-BGTVT on the modification of road motor vehicles will officially take effect from February 15, 2024. This new truck modification law brings many important changes that vehicle owners and modification facilities need to understand.
Modifications Not Considered Truck Alterations
Some changes to trucks will not be considered modifications, giving owners more flexibility in upgrading their vehicles. Specifically, Circular 43/2023/TT-BGTVT clearly stipulates the following cases:
- Changing the passenger compartment’s entrance and exit doors (without changing the position and size of the doors).
- Changing the structure of the cargo box: Sealing or changing the structure of the cargo box doors; replacing flat cladding with corrugated cladding or vice versa; adding cladding to the frame of the canopy truck without increasing the height of the cargo box walls (Hc); adding or removing mud flaps for the cargo box of self-dumping trucks.
- Installing, replacing, or removing covers for the cargo or luggage compartment of PICKUP trucks (without changing the size of the cargo box and the overall size of the vehicle).
- Installing additional fog lights separately.
- Replacing the front headlights with headlights that have been certified or declared compliant with QCVN 35:2017/BGTVT (no need to modify the vehicle’s structure).
- Replacing light bulbs in the front headlights with bulbs of a different type with equivalent power consumption (without interfering with or changing the structure of the headlight assembly).
- Changing details and body parts that are optional from the manufacturer (without changing the overall dimensions of the vehicle, except for the cases specified in Article 6 of Circular 85/2014/TT-BGTVT). Installation must be carried out according to the recommendations of the manufacturer or legally authorized representative.
- Changing the design of some details of the vehicle body, such as the front grille and air deflectors.
- Installing additional wind deflectors on the roof of the truck cabin, steps for getting on and off, exhaust pipe decorations, decorative light protection belts, and signal lights (without changing the overall dimensions of the vehicle).
Truck Modification Design Appraisal
The responsibility for appraising truck modification designs is clearly divided between the Vietnam Register and the Department of Transport:
- Vietnam Register: Appraises truck modification designs in the following cases: converting other types of vehicles into specialized vehicles, tractor trucks; converting right-hand drive motor vehicles; cases specified in point d, clause 5, Article 4 of Circular 85/2014/TT-BGTVT.
- Department of Transport: Appraises motor vehicle modification designs in the remaining cases (not under the jurisdiction of the Vietnam Register).
New Regulations on Truck Modification Construction
Circular 43/2023/TT-BGTVT also introduces new regulations on truck modification construction:
- Modification construction must be completed at the workshop of the modification facility.
- The vehicle after modification must conform to the approved design.
- The modification facility must inspect and prepare a Vehicle Modification Acceptance Record according to the prescribed form. The acceptance team includes the vehicle owner or authorized person, technical staff, and the leader of the modification facility.
- For cases of completely modifying the driver’s cabin, vehicle body, passenger compartment of passenger vehicles; modifying the installation of a new cargo box on a truck into a closed truck, refrigerated truck, or freezer truck: the modification facility must coordinate with the vehicle owner to notify the acceptance agency to inspect and accept the frame structure of the vehicle body and cargo box according to the design at the modification facility before completing the entire construction content.
Conclusion
The new truck modification law according to Circular 43/2023/TT-BGTVT, effective from February 15, 2024, will significantly impact transportation activities. Understanding the new regulations on cases not considered modifications, appraisal authority, and construction procedures is very important to ensure compliance with the law and traffic safety. Vehicle owners and modification facilities need to carefully study Circular 43/2023/TT-BGTVT to implement the regulations correctly.
