GVWR AND GCWR CLARIFICATION!

[schillster1]

I just want to make sure I understand this correctly. I have a 1 ton, crew cab dually. I believe the sticker on the door says the GVWR of the truck is around 13,500ish. To get the GCWR you take the GVWR and add it to the trailer GVWR. I'm pulling a track steer that weighs around 11-11.5k with attachments. I'm looking at a tandem axle trailer with 6k axles. The trailer dealer says that I might consider a tandem axle with 10k axles. The problem is when I get the beefier, more capable trailer I will exceed the 26,000 GCWR allowed without a CDL(I'm adding the 20k+ GVWR of the trailer and the truck 13,500k GVWR). I'm currently borrowing a friend's trailer with triple, 7k axles and I'm told if I will get pulled over (loaded or even UNLOADED) I'll get ticketed just because the two GVWR are over 26,000.
According to this info, it seems the only way to legally pull the track steer would be with a tandem axles, 6k per axle. To me, this is pushing the trailer load capacity and could bend an axle on rough roads!!
This seems crazy considering how many heavy loads I see everyday going down the road without DOT numbers on the trucks. It seriously seems like a racket to me! We buy these very capable trucks but in order to pull some weight, we need a CDL. Suggestions please!

[dereku]

Good questions I never really knew my self. I just always used if it fits and I can pull and stop it I hauled it. But I would like to know. Seeing as I have a 02 and my towing capacity isnt that big.

[onus]

It was my understanding you cannot tow more than a 10k trailer without a cdl though people do it none the less. At least in my state. The total weight doesn't matter, i think? But, you need a cdl anyway. Total gvwr for the tow vehicle cannot be over 26k or something. Its weird i guess other states don't care how much you tow with a pickup.

[mor4wd]

GCWR is determined by the vehicle manufacturer. It's not a combination of the GVWR for both vehicles. Ford publishes a towing capacity and a GCWR. The towing capacity is for bumper pull and the GCWR is for gooseneck/fifth wheel. To be "legal" you must stay under your GCWR and your GVWR on both truck and trailer.

Say your truck has a GCWR of 26,500, and your truck's weight with passengers and cargo is 8,500 and your GVWR on the truck is 10,000. This means you can legally tow 18,000 but your hitch weight can't be more than 1,500.

If it was how you thought it was, then that means that I could hook to a spread axle trailer rated at 120,000 and pull it around with that much on there as long as I have a CDL and I don't exceed my GVWR on my truck.

Here's the general rule:
You need a CDL if:
Your driving a vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more (that's GVWR not GCWR)
Your pulling a trailer with a manufacturer's weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, if the gross weight rating of the combined vehicle(s) is 26,001 or more

Now the second rule applies to us pickup owners.

[tbsimmons]

Like was said GCWR is both together, GVWR is just the truck.
What I have never understood from all manufacturers is how you can have a SRW truck with GCWR of 29000#. Truck can tow a fifthwheel upwards of 21000# (Way too much for a SRW truck) but only haul in the range of 3000-3500# depending on package. I have yet to find a trailer with that weight be under the 4000# pin weight.
So in other words, dont always go off the GCWR because the pin weight is what will punish these trucks.

[jasonmt]

Originally Posted by mor4wd

GCWR is determined by the vehicle manufacturer. It's not a combination of the GVWR for both vehicles. Ford publishes a towing capacity and a GCWR. The towing capacity is for bumper pull and the GCWR is for gooseneck/fifth wheel. To be "legal" you must stay under your GCWR and your GVWR on both truck and trailer.

The Manufacturers assigned GCWR is not a "legal" number like GVWR or GAWR and is generally only used by the manufacturer for warranty purposes. If the manufacturers assigned GCWR was a "legal" number it would be required to be posted on the vehicle certification label by the FMVSS (IE CFR 49 Part 567.4 and other locations within the CFR)

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source...lhDtFw&cad=rja

[Evil Eye]

Originally Posted by jasonmt

The Manufacturers assigned GCWR is not a "legal" number like GVWR or GAWR and is generally only used by the manufacturer for warranty purposes. If the manufacturers assigned GCWR was a "legal" number it would be required to be posted on the vehicle certification label by the FMVSS (IE CFR 49 Part 567.4 and other locations within the CFR)

Insurance companies also use the GCWR to determine whether the vehicle is overloaded and whether or not to cover a claim. Since insurance companies have different policies and are regulated at the state level, it will vary by state and by company, but check your declarations page and underwriting guidelines to be sure. Both documents are available from your insurance company.

It's not about whether or not you CAN, it's about whether or not you SHOULD. Safety is everyone's concern because we are all out there on the road together.

[SuperCrutyPS]

One of the things to understand in the GCWR is that some of the trailer weight is shared with the truck.

However the trailer attaches (bumper vs 5th wheel/Gooseneck), that weight is part of the truck's payload, making it part of the GVWR. (GVWR is the truck, fuel, passengers, payload)

[colo_dually]

Best way to settle weather you are legal or not, is to take the whole rig to the scales (preferably private, no the weigh stations along an interstate). Set your truck right on the scales to have the front axle, rear axle, and trailer axle(s) on separate scales. This will give you what you will see, and you can determine if you're within GVWR (both axles with the full tongue weight) and GCWR. You register the truck at full GVWR with your state, and the trailer at the max GVWR your state will allow. You can put 6k axles under the truck and register it under its potential within the confines of your state's laws, just don't haul over what you've registered it as.

[jasonmt]

Originally Posted by Evil Eye

Insurance companies also use the GCWR to determine whether the vehicle is overloaded and whether or not to cover a claim. Since insurance companies have different policies and are regulated at the state level, it will vary by state and by company, but check your declarations page and underwriting guidelines to be sure. Both documents are available from your insurance company.

It's not about whether or not you CAN, it's about whether or not you SHOULD. Safety is everyone's concern because we are all out there on the road together.

Sounds like the same urban myth about insurance companies and manufacturers assigned GCWR I have heard many times before but have yet to see any actual verifiable proof.