I am sorry to beat this to death, but I am tired of people confusing gvw with gcvw!!


[QUOTE=Colossus]I honestly don't understand how you are getting your information.

QUOTE]

My information comes off of the gvw plate on the vehicles I am operating. My F350 srw has 9900 gvw, if I pull my big trailer that has 30K gvw I can legally gross 39,900. GCVWR is a manufacturers recomendation, it is not LAW. That is why you do not find it anywhere on the vehicle id tag!!

And by the way I do have a CDL. Next time you see a 3 or 4 car hauler using a 1ton pickup ask them what they are legal to gross. I guarantee they are licensed for at least 33,000.

 

[QUOTE=mudmaker]I am sorry to beat this to death, but I am tired of people confusing gvw with gcvw!!


So what your saying is that as long as your truck does not exceed 9900 GVW, you can haul whatever the trailer is rated for WITH a CDL correct?

Now I don't have a CDL, so I (and most of the people here) have to look at things a little differently. Class C licenses are kind of constrictive when it comes to stuff like this.

Right now I use a Chevy 3500 SRW to pull the tractor for work. I got a 12k gross trailer and the truck is rated for 8800 GVW. Now your saying if I bought a bigger trailer, lets say a 18k, I could legally haul it as long as I didn't exceed 26k GVWR?

 

I have seen my dad put lots of weight on the truck.We grossed in the 30,000 range before.I have to agree the GCWR is a recomendation from the mfg.that the law don't give a dang about.
If your truck has a gvwr of 10,000 pounds then your truck can have 10,000 pounds setting on its wheels.
If your trailer has a GVWR of 20,000 pounds then you can have 20,000 pounds setteing on its tires.
So with this combo you should be able to carry 30,000 pound,that is if your load is properly distributed(toung weight)
It might be different for agg use,but this is how its been explained to me.

 

[QUOTE=Colossus]You have it right except if your vehicle gcvw is over 26000 you technically need a cdl no matter how much wieght you are actually hauling. For the most part DOT guys dont mess with pickups so it is normally not a problem.

 

[QUOTE=mudmaker]That answers quite a few of my questions TY

 

Just so everyone knows, In Washington State you can "buy tonnage" for any vehicle. This is simply buying a higher GCVW than what the MFGR put on the door. This is useful for large flatbeds and Super Duty's that are used for business. You pay for it when you get your Tabs.

 

How much extra is that?

 

Not Sure, You Actually Have To Call The Local Licensing Office.

 

What a great thread. Every time this subject comes up in this or other forums or other web sites, it gets more confusing. I think that lots of folks confuse towing their personal trailers with the laws established for towing commerical trailers. The DOT don't care what you do if you are not commerical. That means towing for hire or compensation. The forums almost always get emotional between those who are conservative and those who are a little reckless, at least in theory. What I think happens is that folks take the position that justifies their choice of tow vehicle and trailer combination. They defend what they are doing. Makes sense, right. I don't claim to have the answers but for sure the ratings on the door sill of the truck and in the paperwork from the manufacturer don't seem to be part of any state laws. Again, the states like the Feds seem to only be interested in commerical vehicles. I guess that a rig so over loaded as to be unsafe could be cited for something, but based on all the research I've been able to do and the feed back in these forums I don't think it would be for violating the GVWR on the door sill. Personaly, I like it the way it is. I just stay in the right lane and roll along to the next stop and I don't bother anyone and I try not to let anyone bother me. I do suggest we quit making noise in these forums before we attract the attention of the state or federal taxers who will decide they need to start weighing us and charging us for the priviledge.

 

A srw f-350 can pull just as much just as good as a drw f-350, if your wanting a drw get an f-450 for the greator payload capacity.

 

I have towed with both and the dually is just more sway resistant and feels better when towing. Downside is wear on an extra pair of tires and you loose about 1/2 mile per gallon all the time. Dually also gives you a larger surface area on the brakes for more stopping power and a little heavier rear axle.

 

For the sake of us traveling on the same roads as you when you're pulling that heavy load, please go with the vehicle that can handle the emergency stopping situation we never expect. I was rear-ended just north of Richmond VA by a guy with a srw F-350 cc, 6.0 pulling a 35 ft fiver that weighed in at 14500. traffic on 95 came to a sudden stop, his srw truck did not have enough rubber on the road to stop the load, consequently my truck was smashed in the rear. There is a thing called friction coefficient when dealing with tires, very important term when thinking of stopping ability when pulling heavy loads, it's not just about brake size and rotors. It 's not just about you and your comfort, it's about the safety of all of us on the road also. Good luck in your decision making.

 

GREAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is this the time you sued him for being over the GCVWR and his insurance wouldn't pay? Was he arrested???
Now we can PROVE that it happens. I KNEW it would happen someday.
At least we know that vehicles that are not overloaded never get into accidents from not being able to stop in time.

 

Leader, I believe you're missing my point, I was merely pointing out that this guy who was heavy, (I didn't say over GCVWR) with a srw vehicle couldn't handle the emergency situation. I am merely pointing out there are many variables involved when selecting a tow vehicle.
Take a breath, no one attacking or bashing you or anyone else on this site. Thanks

 

And the VAST majority of heavily loaded trucks DON'T get into accidents while many empty trucks do every day. You don't have to have a class 8 vehicle to haul a canoe.
Sorry to hear you had an accident but I'm not convinced it was 100% because the other driver had a SRW pick up loaded heavy. What did he get a ticket for?