Which vehicle label should be used?

From an NTEA member When upfitting vehicles with a 10,000-pound or less gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which label should we use to account for the curb weight difference? Vehicles in this weight range require information to ensure end-users understand loading capacity. Installation of truck bodies — and/or permanently attached equipment — reduces this capacity when the vehicle upfit increases the curb weight. Upfitters must account for a reduced capacity during final stage and altered stage manufacturing. Depending on which of these two stages of manufacturing an upfitter is performing, there are different labeling options to communicate remaining capacity. These requirements took effect in 2005, and are contained in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, which applies to all new motor vehicles with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less. The label bears the title TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION but is referenced in the standard as a vehicle placard, which is affixed to the driver’s door jamb. This label is required on complete vehicles, in addition to the certification label, and has specific color requirements along with key information, including the actual tires installed on the vehicle (tire size and cold tire pressure) and number of occupants. However, it also includes the vehicle capacity weight, which means the “rated cargo and luggage load plus 68 kilograms times the vehicle’s designated seating capacity.” This value is listed on the placard after the statement “The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed…”. If you begin upfitting with an incomplete chassis, such as a chassis cab or cutaway, with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less, a placard is required and must include vehicle capacity weight, based on vehicle curb weight as completed by the final-stage manufacturer. This label must be installed on the driver’s side B-pillar or rear edge of the driver’s door jamb. If modifying a complete vehicle by removing or adding seats or changing tires before the first retail sale, you must modify the information provided on the original placard using one of the following methods_ Replace or completely cover the existing placard using a new label with the corrected information, including new vehicle capacity weight, or Overlay the affected areas on the existing vehicle placard without impacting its design or color requirements, while leaving the accurate information undisturbed and visible. If starting with a vehicle with a GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less — such as a pickup, van or other single-stage vehicle — and you are not altering or modifying it by removing or adding seats or changing tires before the first retail sale (i.e., only increasing vehicle curb weight through the addition of permanently attached equipment), the reduced vehicle capacity weight can be communicated using a load carrying capacity modification label. This label is placed within an inch of the vehicle placard and works in conjunction with it to provide to the end user information on the altered vehicle’s remaining capacity. This label helps upfitters who add equipment (such as snowplows, toolboxes, ladder racks and partitions/shelving) complete vehicles that already have a vehicle placard, by only requiring the weight of the added equipment to be noted on the modification label. For example, if adding a toolbox and ladder rack to a new pickup for a dealer, and the toolbox and ladder rack with all attachment hardware weigh 145 pounds (66 kg), a load carrying capacity modification label can be used to communicate the vehicle’s original capacity weight has been reduced by that amount. Individual equipment weights should be available from the manufacturers — or based on shipping weights of the equipment you receive — but remember to include fastener weights, etc. It’s better to overstate than understate load carrying reduction when complying with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requirements. Note, both the vehicle placard and load carrying capacity modification label are used in addition to the vehicle’s required certification label. WorkTruckCert is an efficient solution for creating any of the labels described in this article. This resource is designed to streamline completion and printing of labels required for compliance to NHTSA regulations. Learn more and create a free account at worktruckcert.com.

Which vehicle label should be used?

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