Is GVWR a legitimate number for trucks? (Yes...again)

The truck; 2017 FORD SUPERDUTY SCLB Powerstroke, the configuration of which I selected based on published max. payload capabilities.

The published capacity for payload for the 164" bed f350 4x4 SRW is 4710 lbs

Yellow GVWR tire and weight sticker; payload capacity 3546

So, I know about the fifth wheel and gooseneck ratings, and there is no need to include those numbers here...I'm not close. Payload...close with my Bighorn 3270.

So my concern here is payload, and where the assigned GVWR really comes from....and is payload really a concern here or just a yellow sticker generated concern.


So let's look at that yellow sticker and GVWR.

Assuming the yellow sticker uses the assigned GVWR of 11,500 and actual truck weight (plus fuel) to determine cargo capacity, then I can determine the curb weight of my truck (plus fuel) as manufactured. Thus, my 11500 GVWR and stickered cargo capacity of 3546 gives me a truck that weighs 7954 lbs. (let's call it 8000) with fuel. So far, that sounds right. (My truck is new and I have not weighed it yet).

MY question is where does that GVWR come from?

Is it, as I suspect, an arbitrarily derived number that exists to satisfy registration, regulatory, roadtax and insurance requirements?


In my case, my front axle is rated at 5990, and my rear axle at 7230, for a combined rating of 13220.

My e rated tires are rated at 3640 per tire, 7280 per axle and 14,560 total.

Since my truck is new and not yet weighed, I'll use an educated guess that the front axle is carrying 5000 lbs from the factory with my Powerstroke and Supercab long bed. That puts (conservatively) about 3000 lbs on the rear axle, leaving excess axle capacity in the area at about 4200 lbs, and surplus tire capacity at slightly more than that. I would suspect that the Lariat trim group options make up most of the difference between that and the published 4700 lbs...and I'm ok with that.

So, those numbers are generally in line with the published payload capacity of 4700 for my truck.

Now, remember...my truck yellow sticker tells me not to exceed 3546 lbs. of cargo. There is about a 700 lb difference between actual engineered component ratings and yellow sticker ratings. That's a huge difference when you start looking at your actual loads. Where did it go?

The axle ratings and tire ratings are engineered values. The weight is the weight. The assigned GVWR is the only issue at play here.

So far, I don't see where the yellow sticker info comes from other than the arbitrarily assigned GVWR rating of the truck...which does not remotely reflect the axle or tire capacities.

Am I wrong here, but I do not see the yellow sticker payload capacity as reflective of actual component ratings.

So if I am over the yellow sticker rating but within the axle and tire ratings, why am I not ok? It seems to be more about administrative ratings than actual safety.

Where does this number come from? It isn't based upon axle or tire capacities....and frankly, those would be my two concerns.

I suspect you are right. In Texas for example you cannot have a GCVW RATING of over 26K or you need all the commercial requirements. So that means you could be towing a four tire 100% EMPTY gooseneck utility trailer with an F350 and be illegal (about $1200 in tickets). We have had to have PJ placard a trailer much lower then normal to avoid this. Same exact trailer with a lower placard so it could be legally towed without commercial requirements. Stupid rules create all the confusion IMO.

Don't make any assumptions until you weigh it full of fuel with passengers, hitch and reasonable in bed cargo.

alexb2000 said:

I suspect you are right. In Texas for example you cannot have a GCVW RATING of over 26K or you need all the commercial requirements. So that means you could be towing a four tire 100% EMPTY gooseneck utility trailer with an F350 and be illegal (about $1200 in tickets). We have had to have PJ placard a trailer much lower then normal to avoid this. Same exact trailer with a lower placard so it could be legally towed without commercial requirements. Stupid rules create all the confusion IMO.

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Close, you have to have either a Class B or Class A license, depending on weight, not a commercial license or CDL. I had a Class A CDL and dropped the CDL portion when I no longer needed it. But I still have a Class A license and can still haul up to 80k w/o permits, JUST not commercially; IE getting paid or a commercially registered truck.

avvidclif said:

Close, you have to have either a Class B or Class A license, depending on weight, not a commercial license or CDL. I had a Class A CDL and dropped the CDL portion when I no longer needed it. But I still have a Class A license and can still haul up to 80k w/o permits, JUST not commercially; IE getting paid or a commercially registered truck.

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My Texas drivers license says, "Commercial Drivers License" across the top and Class A just below that. On the back under Restrictions is says, "If CMV on trans personal prop inter; If CMV, custom harvesting Interstate".

Same license I had for years owning an excavation and trucking business less that little restriction because I don't want to keep up with a medical.

I had a friend take his Dodge dually and gooseneck to pickup a small VW he bought. On the way back he got pulled over, since the car wasn't in his name DPS wrote him all the tickets they could. He got the court to dismiss all but one when he proved that he registered the car in his name. That one ticket was for a GCVW of over 26K without the appropriate license. He sold the trailer and bought one placarded lower.

I had another friend who owns a concrete business pulled over with a small skid steer on a four tire gooseneck (pulled by a SRW F350). They weighted him out and he was well below 26K, BUT he had to pay a bunch of tickets and sell the trailer because the GCVW was over 26K.

Sometimes on this board people sure love to point out nits, but the issue that related to the OP's post is accurate so I don't know why the rest matters.

I think the OP was more curious about where the apparent difference of 1,164 lb. of payload capacity goes between the published 4,710 lb. figure on Ford's website and the real-world published value on his particular truck.

I'm betting the 4,710 lb. figure was coming from a stock XL truck, but I wouldn't think the Lariat bells and whistles would add anywhere near 1,100 lb. of weight to the truck.

What does add several hundred pounds of weight to your truck (and subsequently subtracts the same amount from your payload capacity) compared to their hypothetical truck used for that high payload figure is the diesel engine. I didn't find a definitive answer, but it appears the diesel engine weighs about 700 lb. more than the 6.2L gas engine.

The rest of the weight difference probably comes from ancillary items related to the diesel engine. Not sure, but maybe some due to the transmission, the weight of the entire exhaust system for the diesel (i.e. the SCR system) and so on.

MCTalley said:

I think the OP was more curious about where the apparent difference of 1,164 lb. of payload capacity goes between the published 4,710 lb. figure on Ford's website and the real-world published value on his particular truck.

I'm betting the 4,710 lb. figure was coming from a stock XL truck, but I wouldn't think the Lariat bells and whistles would add anywhere near 1,100 lb. of weight to the truck.

What does add several hundred pounds of weight to your truck (and subsequently subtracts the same amount from your payload capacity) compared to their hypothetical truck used for that high payload figure is the diesel engine. I didn't find a definitive answer, but it appears the diesel engine weighs about 700 lb. more than the 6.2L gas engine.

The rest of the weight difference probably comes from ancillary items related to the diesel engine. Not sure, but maybe some due to the transmission, the weight of the entire exhaust system for the diesel (i.e. the SCR system) and so on.

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I'll bet the spare tire isn't included in factory numbers then throw the additional weight of a 5th wheel hitch into the mix and we're getting heavier and heavier.

I noticed this on my 2500 as well. The GVWR of the truck is 10K lbs. But the front axle with the OEM tires is rated at 5500 and the rear axle is 6500 lbs. (The axles are the same as under the 3500 Dually with out the extra rubber). Technically the axles could carry 12K lbs. I just assumed the discrepancy is because of the softer springs of the 2500 vs. 3500.

It does not really matter to me because we are at about half the rated cargo capacity even when you add in the people, tongue weight and stuff we carry inside the truck. Plus the trailer is about half the rated tow capacity as well. Makes for a really comfortable relaxed drive.

You can speculate in one of two directions:

1) maybe the GVWR is artificially constrained by the manufacturer for some undisclosed reason, or

2) maybe there's a weak link based on something other than axle and tire weight rating.

Extra weight will stress the mechanical linkages in the power train, and the transmission, and perhaps other things that the engineers are aware of, that we're not. It may be something simple as that.

kf5qby said:

I noticed this on my 2500 as well. The GVWR of the truck is 10K lbs. But the front axle with the OEM tires is rated at 5500 and the rear axle is 6500 lbs. (The axles are the same as under the 3500 Dually with out the extra rubber). Technically the axles could carry 12K lbs. I just assumed the discrepancy is because of the softer springs of the 2500 vs. 3500.

It does not really matter to me because we are at about half the rated cargo capacity even when you add in the people, tongue weight and stuff we carry inside the truck. Plus the trailer is about half the rated tow capacity as well. Makes for a really comfortable relaxed drive.

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The 17' F250 and SRW F350 have the same rear axle, the 17' DRW F350 now has a much beefier Dana M300 rear axle.

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crors7 said:

The 17' F250 and SRW F350 have the same rear axle, the 17' DRW F350 now has a much beefier Dana M300 rear axle.

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You can also get the M300 in an SRW 250 or 350 if you order the HD towing package.

Pulled this from a good article that explains it well.

"The US DOT puts trucks into classes by “Gross Vehicle Weight Rating” (GVWR) ranked from 1 to 8 (smallest to largest).
GVWR refers to the maximum operating weight a truck can possibly carry while driving including the truck itself. GVWR classes have nothing to do with what parts the truck is fitted with, how beefy the suspension is, or what the truck looks like. They are solely based on weight.
So if a truck’s GVWR is 10,000 pounds, that’s the most the manufacturer and government have certified the truck to possibly weigh with fuel, passengers, and cargo. These classes exist for safety regulation, commercial designation, and registration purposes."