§ 399.205 Definitions.
Current wording, effective July 21, 2026.
Cab-over-engine (COE) A truck or truck-tractor having all, or the front portion, of the engine under the cab.
COE—High profile A COE having the door sill step above the height of the front tires.
Deck plate A horizontal surface designed to provide a person with stable footing for the performance of work such as the connection and disconnection of air and electrical lines, gaining access to permanently-mounted equipment or machinery or for similar needs.
Door sill step Any step normally protected from the elements by the cab door when closed.
Effective peripheral grip Any shaped surface, free of sharp edges, in which a full grasp can be made to secure a handhold by a person.
Fingertip grasp A handhold surface which provides a person contact restricted to finger segments 1 and/or 2 only; or which limits wrap-around closure of finger segment 1 with the palm of the hand to 90 degrees as shown in Illustration I.
Full grasp A handhold surface which provides a person contact with finger segments 2 and 3 and which provides space for finger segment 1 to wrap around toward the palm of the hand beyond the 90-degree surface restriction shown in Illustration I. The handhold need not require contact between fingers and thumb. For example, the hand position shown in Illustration II qualifies as full grasp.
Ground The flat horizontal surface on which the tires of a motor vehicle rest.
Handhold That which qualifies as providing full grasp if a person is able to find a hand position on the handhold which allows more than fingertip grasp.
Handprint The surface area contacted by the hand when grasping a handhold. The size of this area is the width of the hand across the metacarpal and half the circumference of the handhold. The hand breadth of the typical person is 88.9 millimeters (3.5 inches).
Person, as used in this part, means:
(1) Any individual within the 5th percentile female adult through the 95th percentile male adult of anthropometric measures as described by theWeight, Height and Selected Body Dimensions of Adults, United States 1960-1962.
(2) Vital and Health ExaminationStatistics; SurveySeries 11, “No. 8 (6/65), Weight, Height and Selected Body Dimensions of Adults, United States 1960-1962”, whichissued isJune incorporated1965 by(first reference.issued Itin is Public Health Service publication No. 1000-Series, 11-then reprinted DHEW publication No. 8(HRA) and76-1074), is forincorporated saleby fromreference theinto U.S.this Departmentsection ofwith Commerce,the Nationalapproval Technicalof Informationthe Service,Director 5285of Portthe RoyalFederal Road,Register Springfield,under Virginia5 22161U.S.C. When552(a) orderingand use1 NTISCFR Accessionpart No5. PB 2671741. ItThis material is also available for inspection at FMCSA and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). ForContact informationFMCSA onat the availabilityDepartment of thisTransportation materialLibrary, at1200 NARA,New callJersey 202-741-6030Avenue SE, orWashington, goDC to20509; (202) 366-0746; website: httphttps://wwwtransportation.archiveslibanswers.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locationscom.html. ThisFor incorporationinformation byon reference was approved by the Directoravailability of thethis Federalmaterial Registerat on July 17NARA, 1979visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations Theseor materialsemail arefr.inspection@nara.gov. incorporatedYou asmay theyalso existobtain on the datematerial ofelectronically from the approvalU.S. andCenters afor noticeDisease ofControl anyand changePrevention, inphone: these(800) materials232-4636; willwebsite: bewww.cdc.gov/cdc-info/forms/contact-us.html. publishedDownload in the Federalmaterial Registerat www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_11/sr11_008.pdf.
Slip resistant material Any material designed to minimize the accumulation of grease, ice, mud or other debris and afford protection from accidental slipping.
[44 FR 43732, July 26, 1979, as amended at 91 FR 45662, July 21, 2026]
Cab-over-engine (COE) A truck or truck-tractor having all, or the front portion, of the engine under the cab.
COE—High profile A COE having the door sill step above the height of the front tires.
Deck plate A horizontal surface designed to provide a person with stable footing for the performance of work such as the connection and disconnection of air and electrical lines, gaining access to permanently-mounted equipment or machinery or for similar needs.
Door sill step Any step normally protected from the elements by the cab door when closed.
Effective peripheral grip Any shaped surface, free of sharp edges, in which a full grasp can be made to secure a handhold by a person.
Fingertip grasp A handhold surface which provides a person contact restricted to finger segments 1 and/or 2 only; or which limits wrap-around closure of finger segment 1 with the palm of the hand to 90 degrees as shown in Illustration I.
Full grasp A handhold surface which provides a person contact with finger segments 2 and 3 and which provides space for finger segment 1 to wrap around toward the palm of the hand beyond the 90-degree surface restriction shown in Illustration I. The handhold need not require contact between fingers and thumb. For example, the hand position shown in Illustration II qualifies as full grasp.
Ground The flat horizontal surface on which the tires of a motor vehicle rest.
Handhold That which qualifies as providing full grasp if a person is able to find a hand position on the handhold which allows more than fingertip grasp.
Handprint The surface area contacted by the hand when grasping a handhold. The size of this area is the width of the hand across the metacarpal and half the circumference of the handhold. The hand breadth of the typical person is 88.9 millimeters (3.5 inches).
Person, as used in this part, means:
(1) Any individual within the 5th percentile female adult through the 95th percentile male adult of anthropometric measures as described by Weight, Height and Selected Body Dimensions of Adults, United States 1960-1962.
(2) Vital and Health Statistics; Series 11, No. 8 (6/65), Weight, Height and Selected Body Dimensions of Adults, United States 1960-1962, issued June 1965 (first issued in Public Health Service publication No. 1000, then reprinted DHEW publication No. (HRA) 76-1074), is incorporated by reference into this section with the approval of the Director of the Federal Register under 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 5.1. This material is available for inspection at FMCSA and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Contact FMCSA at the Department of Transportation Library, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20509; (202) 366-0746; website: https://transportation.libanswers.com. For information on the availability of this material at NARA, visit www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations or email fr.inspection@nara.gov. You may also obtain the material electronically from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, phone: (800) 232-4636; website: www.cdc.gov/cdc-info/forms/contact-us.html. Download the material at www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_11/sr11_008.pdf.
Slip resistant material Any material designed to minimize the accumulation of grease, ice, mud or other debris and afford protection from accidental slipping.
[44 FR 43732, July 26, 1979, as amended at 91 FR 45662, July 21, 2026]
Amendment history
3 distinct wordings on file since Oct. 1, 1996- [44 FR 43732, July 26, 1979, as amended at 91 FR 45662, July 21, 2026]
- Oct. 1, 1996 → Oct. 1, 2004annual editions 1996–2003
A new entry appears whenever the regulatory words change between government snapshots. Day-precise from the eCFR (2017 onward); before that, one snapshot per annual CFR edition (revised as of October 1). Bracketed citations are the Federal Register history printed with the section. Set a case date in the header to read any earlier wording.