2004 Silverado Towing Capacity

The manufacturer's GVWR rating doesn't just take into account how much the truck can weigh without breaking axles or blowing tires BUT how well the truck brakes, steering, and various electronic stability and control systems can handle a specific maximum amount of weight. Starting and keeping a heavy weight moving is almost always easier than stopping it or making it go in the direction you want it to go in an emergency maneuver.

Actually a vehicles brakes are a function of the GAWRs at a minimum which is one reason commerce safely uses the sum of the axle ratings as the vehicles gvw.
A truck with a 4k fawr and a 6k rawr has 10k lb of braking performance at a minimum. Some 3/4 ton trucks have the same brakes as their bigger sister one ton srw trucks.
And lets not forget Fords F350 srw with a 10000 gvwr or a 11200 gvwr both trucks are identical from the ground to the lights on the roof..... just a different gvwr placard.

Coming from the commercial side using the same trucks we rv with I'm always amused how we can use the sum of a trucks axle ratings as its new gvw....and nothing ever breaks prematurely like some rv folks claim nor do we face civil lawsuits/overweight tickets/insurance drops or other silly things rv folks come up with because our gross is above the truck makers gvwr.