10,000 GVWR

[Jchonline]

Be a responsible human. Do we really need to say more? The weight limits are there based on safety testing and thousands of accidents. Can we please protect our fellow citizens on the road and follow the rules.

 

[MoMower]

Morally, you are correct - a person is liable for everything he does. However, oosik is correct legally. In this country today, if you have nothing you seem to be liable for nothing - everything is considered financially. I'm jaded on this because I live in a state where about 25% of the drivers are uninsured.

Criminal side, driver is 100% liable for what he’s driving. Civil side, deeper pockets become liable...lol

 

[ovrszd]

When you say you "moved the load to maximize weight distribution"

1) Are you doing this by eye / experience
2) Doing it at the scales?
3) Do you use a toungue scale?

What is teh best way to adjust a load and be spot on with weight distrobution.
Not a great think if they gave me a "paper" limit of 10K GVWR and the truck can do twice that but legally limits are limits.
Even both axles are rated for higher than the the 10K individually.

I have access to a tandem axle scale platform at a farmer friend's grain bin site. Very easy to move the load, reweigh and see the results axle by axle.

 

[Redlands Okie]

In this state, oklahoma, the money claims go after the vehicle insurance carrier first. So loaning out a vehicle and something goes wrong its the responsibility of the vehicle owner insurance.

They driver is still going to get the ticket and be held accountable for their actions. Sometimes even the vehicle owner is held accountable. Have seen two instances where the vehicle was used by a relative without consent and when the law and lawyers came after the vehicle owner the only way the vehicle owner could get out of it and not loose everything was to admit it was taken with out permission and file it as stolen.

 

[Cat_Driver]

I won't even loan out tools to friends because of liability issues. Many have asked to borrow tractor, or one of my large box trucks, but my standard answer is sorry my insurance company won't allow it or they will cancel me. I agree once the shysters get involved - watch out they will come for your retirement fund and your kids college money. The second someone gets hurt with yoru equipment you no longer have a friend or relative as they will sue you to the moon and back if they can get a huge payday!. I'd rather lose a friend by saying NO, than have them get hurt and sue me becuse I will lose that friend anyway.

Listening to these comments I'm realizing that chances are people towing anything except for professional trucker ( and even some of them are hopped up on stay awake pills) are probably over weight and need to be given a WIDE BERTH on the road.
Here is California we have a highway that goes straight to Mexcio, the 86 freeway.
On a regular basis there are old 70's and 80's one ton tucks loaded so high with used lumberfrom trearing down old homes that they barely make it under the bridges. They are easily stacked above the legal limit even by the way the rear end sags on the vehicle. Why the highway patrol doesn't stop these guys on a daily basis is beyond me.
As it is I avoid ever being behind a rock hauler, lowboy trailer full or empty, cement truck, etc. all because I've see way too many falling rocks come at me and my windshield.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Got this from another site for a better undrstanding.

One thing that should be noted is that the GVWR of the RAM 2500 is 10,000 lbs. At one time that was the GVWR of a 3500. The formerly used terms of 3/4 ton or 1 ton are no longer applicable to these vehicles.
A little known important issue is the DOT defines a commercial vehicle (CMV) as a vehicle exceeding a 10,000 lb. GVWR.
If an owner of a RAM 3500, Chevy 3500 or Ford F-350 uses their vehicle for business purposes the truck is subject to Federal regulation. The driver must pass a DOT physical, the truck must have a DOT inspection, and Hours of Service regulations. Records must be kept of vehicle maintenance and drivers' working hours. The truck cannot haul property belonging to anyone else unless he receives motor carrier authority. Drivers must be at least 21 years of age to cross state lines. These regulations don't apply if the vehicle is only for private use like pulling an RV but just making a business tax deduction for using the truck will cause it to be considered a CMV.
All this can be avoided if a truck has a maximum GVWR of 10,000 lbs. or less.

Pickup Trucks 11: Why Weight Capacities Are Important - PickupTrucks.com News


Also from the DMV in Ca. .........The following trucks are not pickups:
• Trucks with an open box-type bed that weigh more than 8,000 pounds unladen or exceed the manufacturer’s GVWR of 11,500 pounds (“varied” BTM)

 

[ovrszd]

Listening to these comments I'm realizing that chances are people towing anything except for professional trucker ( and even some of them are hopped up on stay awake pills) are probably over weight and need to be given a WIDE BERTH on the road.

That was a "wide stroke" of the brush....

CDL truck drivers are drug tested. They might have just finished a "Red Bull", but that's probably true of 50% of the younger car drivers that just passed you. The days of White Cross pills for truck drivers are gone.

 

[zoedog2012]

I won't even loan out tools to friends because of liability issues. Many have asked to borrow tractor, or one of my large box trucks, but my standard answer is sorry my insurance company won't allow it or they will cancel me. I agree once the shysters get involved - watch out they will come for your retirement fund and your kids college money. The second someone gets hurt with yoru equipment you no longer have a friend or relative as they will sue you to the moon and back if they can get a huge payday!. I'd rather lose a friend by saying NO, than have them get hurt and sue me becuse I will lose that friend anyway.

Listening to these comments I'm realizing that chances are people towing anything except for professional trucker ( and even some of them are hopped up on stay awake pills) are probably over weight and need to be given a WIDE BERTH on the road.
Here is California we have a highway that goes straight to Mexcio, the 86 freeway.
On a regular basis there are old 70's and 80's one ton tucks loaded so high with used lumberfrom trearing down old homes that they barely make it under the bridges. They are easily stacked above the legal limit even by the way the rear end sags on the vehicle. Why the highway patrol doesn't stop these guys on a daily basis is beyond me.
As it is I avoid ever being behind a rock hauler, lowboy trailer full or empty, cement truck, etc. all because I've see way too many falling rocks come at me and my windshield.

As long as they are headed South, let them be, headed North, that's a different story.

 

[Haoleguy]

I find these GVWR discussions interesting and confusing. This coming year I will be leaving my aging 1/2 ton truck for a new 1 ton truck. The confusion I have is over the GVWR rating choices for trucks. Since my focus has been on a GMC SRW 1 ton if I base the 2020 model on the 2019 model year it looks like the GVWR will be 10K & 10.5K for gas and 11.1K for diesel. Why does it matter what the GVWR is between these? Is it insurance cost ? The truck will be for personal/farm use and not in a commercial truck use. Thanks for replies.

 

[nikerret]

I’ve moved enough stuff with my dump trailer to have an educated guess on weight by how it sits. I live in farm country and have access to scales, when necessary. When I first got this setup, I hit the scales nearly every load. I even took notes. Now, I can usually guess within a few hundred pounds, with known materials.