(a) As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) “Broker” means any person not included in the term “motor carrier” and not a bona fide employee or agent of any motor carrier. A “broker”, as principal or agent, sells or offers for sale any transportation subject to this subchapter, or negotiates for, or holds himself or herself or itself out by solicitation, advertisement, or otherwise as one who sells, provides, furnishes, contracts, or arranges for such transportation;
(2) “Certificate” means a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued under authority of the laws of the State of Arkansas to common carriers by motor vehicle;
(3) “Commercial zone” means any municipality within this state together with that area outside the corporate limits of any municipality which is prescribed by the Interstate Commerce Commission [abolished] as a commercial zone;
(4) “Common carrier by motor vehicle” means any person who or which undertakes, whether directly or indirectly, or by lease of equipment or franchise rights, or any other arrangement, to transport passengers or property or any classes of property for the general public by motor vehicle for compensation whether over regular or irregular routes;
(5) “Contract carrier by motor vehicle” means any person not a common carrier included under subdivision (a)(4) of this section who or which, under individual contracts or agreements, and whether directly or indirectly or by lease of equipment or franchise rights or any other arrangements, transports passengers or property by motor vehicle for compensation;
(6) [Repealed.]
(7) “Highway” means the public roads, highways, streets, and ways in the State of Arkansas;
(8)
(A) “Household goods carrier” means any motor carrier transporting:
(i) Personal effects and property used or to be used in a dwelling when it is a part of the equipment or supply of the dwelling;
(ii) Furniture, fixtures, equipment, and the property of stores, offices, museums, institutions, hospitals, or other establishments when they are a part of the stock, equipment, or supply of the stores, offices, museums, institutions, hospitals, or other establishments; and
(iii) Articles, including objects of art, displays and exhibits, voting machines and tabulating machines, including the auxiliary machines or component parts as are necessary to the performance of a complete tabulating process, including, but not limited to, punches, sorters, computers, verifiers, collators, reproducers, interpreters, multipliers, wiring units, and control panels and spare parts therefor, which because of the unusual nature or value require specialized handling and equipment usually employed in moving household goods.
(B)
(i) The household goods carriers shall continue to be regulated by the Arkansas Department of Transportation in accordance with this subchapter and all rules made and promulgated by the department.
(ii) Provided, a household goods carrier upon application with the department shall not be required to prove that the proposed services or operations are required by the present or future public convenience and necessity, nor shall the rates of such household goods carriers be subject to regulation by the department;
(9) “Interested parties” includes, in all cases, all carriers operating over the routes or any part thereof or in the territory involved in any application for a certificate of convenience and necessity or a permit, or any application to file or change any schedule or rates, charges, fares, or any rule or practice, and such other parties as the department may deem interested in the particular matter;
(10) “Irregular route” means that the route to be used by a motor carrier is not restricted to any specific highways within the area the motor carrier is authorized to serve;
(11) “Lease” means, as used in connection with the term “motor vehicle”, the rental of a motor vehicle by a lessor to a lessee, except to an authorized carrier, with nothing furnished except necessary maintenance;
(12) “License” means a license issued under this subchapter to a broker;
(13) “Motor carrier” includes both a common carrier by motor vehicle and a contract carrier by motor vehicle and any person performing for-hire transportation service without authority from the department;
(14) “Motor vehicle” means any vehicle, machine, tractor, trailer, or semitrailer propelled or drawn by mechanical power and used upon the highways in the transportation of passengers or property or any combination thereof determined by the department, but it does not include any vehicle, locomotive, or car operated exclusively on rails;
(15) “Occasional” means the transportation of persons or property where an emergency exists at the time or place and no authorized service is immediately available;
(16) “Permit” means a permit issued under authority of the laws of the State of Arkansas to contract carriers by motor vehicle;
(17) “Person” means any individual, firm, copartnership, corporation, company, association, or joint-stock association and includes any trustee, receiver, assignee, or personal representative thereof;
(18) “Private carrier” means any person engaged in the transportation by motor vehicle upon public highways of persons or property, or both, but not as a common carrier by motor vehicle or a contract carrier by motor vehicle and includes any person who transports property by motor vehicle, where the transportation is incidental to or in furtherance of any commercial enterprise of the person, which enterprise is one other than transportation; and
(19) “Regular route” means a fixed, specific, and determined course to be traveled by a motor carrier's vehicles rendering service to, from, or between various points, localities, or municipalities in this state.
(b) The “services” and “transportation” to which this subchapter applies includes all vehicles operated by, for, or in the interest of any motor carrier irrespective of ownership or of contract, express or implied, together with all facilities and property operated or controlled by any such carrier and used in the transportation of passengers or property or in the performance of any service in connection therewith.