Not Banned: Toyota Tamaraw dropside can use Skyway

The launch of the new generation Tamaraw (or Hilux Tamaraw) is going according to plan for Toyota. The production rollout is proceeding as planned, and customers are starting to get their units from dealerships.

One such customer is moto vlogger Jett Lau who received his Tamaraw as a gift from his wife and proceeded to customize it and use it to haul motorcycles. The Tamaraw dropside has proved to be popular with that market, as the long cargo bed allows you to haul up to two larger bikes, provided you secure them properly with ratchet tie-downs of course.

But during one of his drives on the Metro Manila Skyway, he was pulled over by patrol enforcers. The reason: the Tamaraw dropside isn’t permitted to use the elevated toll road.

The explanation in the video states that four-wheeled dropside trucks aren’t permitted on the Skyway. There was also a distinction made about six-wheeled dropside trucks which are permitted, but only at certain times.

We reached out to Nelly Argota, General Manager of SMC Southern Tollways (which covers SLEX, SKYWAY, STAGE 3, NAIAX and STAR) for clarification on the matter. She promptly replied that this was a misunderstanding, particularly regarding the rules as well as the purpose of the rules. She said that the vehicle is “a new release and states dropside” even though it is more along the lines of a Class 1 pick-up truck.

While she did not elaborate, we can surmise that the concern with a dropside truck stems from the typical use case wherein it is loaded with all kinds of loose items in the cargo box. Think of how a lot of businesses use dropside trucks and you’ll see that these kinds of vehicles end up being loaded with loose gravel, sand, tools, wood, tools, and the like. On a road where speeds are higher, such cargo could end up being scattered on the road as debris.

According to Argota, SMC Tollways has held a “rebriefing” on the matter. Tamaraw dropside trucks can go on the Skyway. But the important consideration is that the cargo in the bed be secured with a cover or sufficiently tied down.

If a loaded four-wheeled dropside truck without a cargo cover tries to go on Skyway, it will not be allowed to proceed.