Rhode Island General Laws Title 31. Motor and Other Vehicles § 31-1-5. Trailers

(a) “Automobile transporter” means any vehicle combination designed and used for the transport of assembled highway vehicles, including truck camper units. An automobile transporter shall not be prohibited from the transport of cargo or general freight on a backhaul, provided it complies with weight limitations for a truck tractor and semitrailer combination.

(b) “Pole trailer” means every vehicle without motive power designed to be drawn by another vehicle and attached to the towing vehicle by means of a reach, or pole, or by being boomed or secured to the towing vehicle, and ordinarily used for transporting long or irregularly shaped loads such as poles, pipes, or structural members capable, generally, of sustaining themselves as beams between the supporting connections.

(c) “Semi-trailer” means every vehicle with or without motive power, other than a pole trailer, designed for carrying persons or property and for being drawn by a motor vehicle, constructed so that some of its weight and that of its load rests upon or is carried by another vehicle.

(d) “Tractor-semi-trailer combination” means every combination of a tractor and a semi-trailer properly attached to the tractor to form an articulated vehicle.

(e) “Tractor-trailer combination” means every combination of a tractor and a trailer, properly attached to the tractor to form an articulated vehicle.

(f) “Trailer” means every vehicle without motive power, other than a pole trailer, designed for carrying persons or property and for being drawn by a motor vehicle, constructed so that none of its weight rests upon the towing vehicle.