The technical services department fields inquiries on locating chassis gross combined weight rating (GCWR). In certain states, customers seeking GCWR on a commercial straight truck pulling a trailer incorrectly believe it’s noted on the vehicle certification label. NTEA members want to help these end users determine GCWR for license plate, truck marking and driver’s license requirements.
Key details
- With many commercial trucks starting as incomplete cab chassis, final-stage manufacturers (upfitters) rely on chassis OEM incomplete vehicle labels for rating information when completing the certification label. Federal regulations do not require GCWR as part of the incomplete vehicle or final-stage certification label. Therefore, OEMs do not readily add it to any normal vehicle certification documentation required by federal regulations.
- GCWR is based on key components unique to the vehicle, such as engine, transmission, drive axles, axle ratio, etc. Chassis manufacturers perform trailer towing testing to help determine maximum safe towing capability and, consequently, GCWR. Many OEMs — including Ford, Chevrolet, GMC and Ram Trucks — publish trailer towing guides for Class 1–5 vehicles. These guides include GCWR based on engine, transmission, axle ratio and other details, and can be a key source for information. GCWR is more challenging to find for medium- and heavy-duty chassis due to the large number of chassis variations available in these vehicle sizes. Contact the chassis dealer or OEM for GCWR specifics.
- Labeling requirements differ by state, with some mandating the outside of a vehicle be labeled with GVWR or GCWR as well as other items, such as DOT number, company name, etc.
Other resources
Truck Product Conference
NTEA whitepapers
Online tools