10,000 lb Vehicle weight and the law

[brholt]

In looking through the Washington and municipal laws regarding whether or not truck campers are RV's I noticed the laws are rife with definitions involving 10,000 lb vehicle weight (with an occasional 12,000 lob or 1 ton reference). Below it, for the purposes of the law, you are just a "car". Above it you are a "big" truck with many more restrictions. This goes to chaining up requirements, car pool lanes, parking etc.

It sure helps me understand the 10,000 lb GVWR option that Ford has on its pickups. Just change a sticker and all is well. It does seem rather outdated though with so many of today's pickups having higher limits. I also suspect it is one of the more commonly ignored aspects of the law. I've gone by lots of state troopers in the car pool lane in my DRW pickup with the camper and they haven't payed any attention.

By the way, some of the laws refer to 10,000 lb vehicle weight so I guess officially you can be in trouble if you weigh more than 10,000 lb independent of what your GVWR is.

I suppose this sort of thing is common in other states and just as commonly ignored?

[JumboJet]

With the proper C Class tag, I can have a GCVW of 39,000 LBs. in Arkansas.

[woodhog]

I doubt anyone with a CDL would jeoperdize their livelyhood by driving overweight...the risk is too great.

:B

Its a never ending game around here in the wood hauling business, gravel hauling etc..

[FreeLanceing]

I've had a CDL for 35 years. I can tell you without question guys run overweight all the time. Some comodities simply pay by the weight. The more you can haul the more you can make. Think farmers at harvest. The big companies probably run legal. The independants push the limit all the time.

[billtex]

wintersun wrote:

romore wrote:
Until you do get stopped or involved in a wreck. The insurer's lawyers will be all over it like white on rice.

This is a ridiculous myth. Commercial trucks run over their rated weight all the time and that is why there are weigh stations to try to catch them and minimize the damage they do to the roads. It is a matter of road damage and not safety that motivates the states to check truck trailer weights at the scales.

Has anyone seen on an accident form a place to indicate the GVWR and actual weight of the truck? Would the tow truck haul the truck and its load to a weigh scale to have it checked before going to the repair shop or wrecking yard? Please use your head for a moment.

I doubt anyone with a CDL would jeoperdize their livelyhood by driving overweight...the risk is too great.

[msgtord]

wintersun wrote:

romore wrote:
Until you do get stopped or involved in a wreck. The insurer's lawyers will be all over it like white on rice.

This is a ridiculous myth. Commercial trucks run over their rated weight all the time and that is why there are weigh stations to try to catch them and minimize the damage they do to the roads. It is a matter of road damage and not safety that motivates the states to check truck trailer weights at the scales.

Has anyone seen on an accident form a place to indicate the GVWR and actual weight of the truck? Would the tow truck haul the truck and its load to a weigh scale to have it checked before going to the repair shop or wrecking yard? Please use your head for a moment.

Yes. Once in 20 years, the tow truck was required to provide us a weight of the trailer and it's contents. The owners were full timers and the rv dealer ship told us it took several hours for the owners to transfer their belongings. The wreck happened less than five miles from the dealership. Brand new trailer.:(

[wintersun]

romore wrote:
Until you do get stopped or involved in a wreck. The insurer's lawyers will be all over it like white on rice.

This is a ridiculous myth. Commercial trucks run over their rated weight all the time and that is why there are weigh stations to try to catch them and minimize the damage they do to the roads. It is a matter of road damage and not safety that motivates the states to check truck trailer weights at the scales.

Has anyone seen on an accident form a place to indicate the GVWR and actual weight of the truck? Would the tow truck haul the truck and its load to a weigh scale to have it checked before going to the repair shop or wrecking yard? Please use your head for a moment.

[Bedlam]

My F250 has the downgraded sticker to allow driving in 4WD without chains when restrictions are in place yet has the upgraded suspension. I carry my TC skiing but leave the trailer behind because that's another set rules for chaining that require the tow vehicle be chained and a drag chain be added to one of the trailer tires regardless of vehicle sizes.

Carpool lanes are still a mystery to me. There are restrictions to vehicle size and weight, yet I have not seen enforcement of this on RV's. I also see public transit using these lanes which means they have an exemption yet the road bed is constructed to handle their weight safely.

[billtex]

brholt wrote:
In looking through the Washington and municipal laws regarding whether or not truck campers are RV's I noticed the laws are rife with definitions involving 10,000 lb vehicle weight (with an occasional 12,000 lob or 1 ton reference). Below it, for the purposes of the law, you are just a "car". Above it you are a "big" truck with many more restrictions. This goes to chaining up requirements, car pool lanes, parking etc.

It sure helps me understand the 10,000 lb GVWR option that Ford has on its pickups. Just change a sticker and all is well. It does seem rather outdated though with so many of today's pickups having higher limits. I also suspect it is one of the more commonly ignored aspects of the law. I've gone by lots of state troopers in the car pool lane in my DRW pickup with the camper and they haven't payed any attention.

By the way, some of the laws refer to 10,000 lb vehicle weight so I guess officially you can be in trouble if you weigh more than 10,000 lb independent of what your GVWR is.

I suppose this sort of thing is common in other states and just as commonly ignored?

Yes, many states have these restrictions for tax purposes, etc. And this IS a reason to keep the GVWR down rated on some trucks...

[Marshfly]

805gregg wrote:
It's funny, when I bought my 2003 SRW Quad cab Dodge 3500 the brochure states that my truck has a payload of 4660, but when I got the truck it has a 9900 lb combined gross weight rating, but the truck weighs 7700 lb so my door sticker payload is 2200 lbs. I have a 2003 Lance 1071 on it and the CGW is 11,800 lbs and it handles it just fine, like it isn't there, so I have a 4660 lb payload after all

The crazy high advertised payload in the brochure is for a stripped, regular cab, 2wd truck. Add your Quad Cab, options, 4wd, blah blah and it eats into the payload pretty quickly.

[805gregg]

It's funny, when I bought my 2003 SRW Quad cab Dodge 3500 the brochure states that my truck has a payload of 4660, but when I got the truck it has a 9900 lb combined gross weight rating, but the truck weighs 7700 lb so my door sticker payload is 2200 lbs. I have a 2003 Lance 1071 on it and the CGW is 11,800 lbs and it handles it just fine, like it isn't there, so I have a 4660 lb payload after all

[mlts22]

I'm glad Texas is truck friendly. Ford offers the 10k pound downrate option, but I wouldn't want to take it.

The main reason is that my insurance company knows my truck's GVWR and other specs. They know my RV's specs. Come claim time, it will be pretty obvious if there is a weight issue or not just due to the manufacturer ratings.

[jmtandem]

In looking through the Washington and municipal laws regarding whether or not truck campers are RV's I noticed the laws are rife with definitions involving 10,000 lb vehicle weight (with an occasional 12,000 lob or 1 ton reference). Below it, for the purposes of the law, you are just a "car". Above it you are a "big" truck with many more restrictions. This goes to chaining up requirements, car pool lanes, parking etc.

It sure helps me understand the 10,000 lb GVWR option that Ford has on its pickups. Just change a sticker and all is well. It does seem rather outdated though with so many of today's pickups having higher limits. I also suspect it is one of the more commonly ignored aspects of the law. I've gone by lots of state troopers in the car pool lane in my DRW pickup with the camper and they haven't payed any attention.

By the way, some of the laws refer to 10,000 lb vehicle weight so I guess officially you can be in trouble if you weigh more than 10,000 lb independent of what your GVWR is.

I suppose this sort of thing is common in other states and just as commonly ignored?

Many of these laws are confusing, especially so as it relates to non commercial operations like RVs. Some states simply exclude RV's from most commercial carrier weight laws; for example truck weight stations. Most states enjoy resproicty that allows you to be recognized as legal in another state as long as you are legal in your home state.

You are correct, many of these laws probably need to be revisited and the weight thresholds raised as many one ton pickups today are over 12,000 gross and are used for recreational vehicle towing or hauling and never used commercially.

[Jim_Cindy]

Somebody, anybody, please just once post the who, what, where, when somebody got arrested or sued over their actual weight versus the sticker. Don't mean some trucker hauling to many postholes.
OK now another cup.

[romore]

Until you do get stopped or involved in a wreck. The insurer's lawyers will be all over it like white on rice.