For purposes of this article:

(a) A "coal resource transportation road" means a road designated by the Department of Transportation as safe and sufficient to allow vehicles hauling coal to carry a greater gross and axle weight of up to one hundred and twenty thousand pounds, with a five percent variance.

(b) "Coal" or "coal by-products" means the mineral in raw or clean state and includes synthetic fuel manufactured or produced for which credit is allowable under 26 U.S.C. §29 of the Internal Revenue Code (1996).

(c) "Commission" means the Public Service Commission of West Virginia.

(d) "Division" means the Division of Highways within the Department of Transportation.

(e) "Mining operation" means any activity related to extraction of coal regulated under the provisions of this code.

(f) "Operator" means the person driving a commercial motor vehicle transporting coal on any public highway of this state.

(g) "Person" means any individual, partnership, firm, society, association, trust, corporation, other business entity or any agency, unit or instrumentality of federal, state or local government.

(h) "Shipper" means the person who loads coal or causes coal to be loaded into any commercial motor vehicle that will operate on any public highway in this state.

(i) "Receiver" means the person who accepts for unloading coal from any vehicle that has operated on any public highway in this state.

(j) "Vehicle owner" means the person who as owner of a commercial motor vehicle employs, contracts or otherwise directs a driver to operate that vehicle on a public highway of this state for the purpose of transporting coal.