What Does GVWR Mean For A Car Or Truck?

In your day-to-day activities with your car or truck, how much weight it can safely handle probably rarely crosses your mind. However, if you're loading up the back of your truck for a big move, transporting heavy equipment, or hitching a trailer to your car to tow your boat, this metric will concern you. That's because all cars and trucks have a limit to what they can safely carry and pull.

Even if you're driving a small vehicle with great towing capacity , you need to know its weight limits to keep everything safe and avoid any unnecessary damage when hauling heavy loads or towing a trailer. That's where your vehicle's GVWR or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating comes in; knowing this number will let you know. The manufacturer of your car or truck determines its GVWR, which tells you the maximum total weight it can safely support.



The curb weight of your vehicle, the combined weight of passengers, cargo, fuel, and the tongue weight from a trailer hitch (usually around 10-20% of the trailer's total weight) all contribute to the total weight you must keep within the GVWR. GVWR is the manufacturer-determined limit for how much weight it can safely handle, but know that cargo inside a trailer you're towing doesn't count toward the GVWR. However, the tongue weight — the downward force exerted by the trailer on the hitch — does.

If you're looking for your vehicle's GVWR, it can be located in the owner's manual or on the sticker inside the door on the driver's side of your car or truck. You can calculate how much your car or truck can carry without exceeding the GVWR by adding up your vehicle's curb weight (the weight of the vehicle with all necessary fluids and a full tank of fuel but without passengers or cargo), the weight of all passengers (including you) and anything else you've loaded inside your car or truck. Once you have that total, subtract it from the GVWR.

The number you're left with is the maximum cargo weight you can safely load into your truck or car while staying within the vehicle's GVWR. Once you have that total, subtract it from the GVWR. The number you're left with is the maximum cargo weight you can safely load into your truck or car while staying within the vehicle's GVWR.

It's helpful to understand the difference between payload vs. towing capacity when calculating how much your vehicle can haul. Payload is the combined weight of passengers, cargo, and any additional equipment loaded onto the vehicle.

You want to be careful not to exceed your vehicle's GVWR because doing so is unsafe and can increase the wear and tear on your vehicle. In some jurisdictions, you can be held liable if you get into an accident and you're found to have exceeded your vehicle's GVWR..