Truck GVW change.

[jhill]

I built a dump truck last year. I took a box truck and put a dump box on it. The truck was rated by the people who put the box on at 20,000 lbs. When i built it I put heavier springs on. It already had bigger tirees and the build sheet says it has a frams and axles rated for 23,000 lbs. How do I get the GVW rating changed. DO I have to get asuspension co to rerate it or what. I know someone does it beacause someone has to rerate truck when they add axles.

Thanks
Jerry

 

[thejdman04]

If the truck has a gvrwq of 23,000, then register, title it for that , plate it for that and away you go. Make sure you meet bridge laws (ie length wheelbase of your state)

 

[jhill]

The problem is that the door sticker says 18,000 lbs. and I think I need a new door sticker.

 

[Steve Frazier]

What you are doing is trying to exceed the manufacturer's MGVWR for that truck. This will be a difficult task. I think the laws vary from state to state, my comments reflect what I've experienced in NY. Here the truck has to be certified by a registered and licensed upfitter. I don't know what the certification involves because I haven't been able to find an upfitter willing to assume the liability that would go along with the certification.

In today's world of litigation, any upfitter who certifies a truck for more weight than the manufacturer designed it for assumes liability for any damages or injuries that might occur from any accident that could be tied to failure from excessive weight. That's a big nut to swallow and essentially means a licensed engineer would have to stamp the upgrades. Not many upfitters I know of have an engineer on the payroll.

 

[John DiMartino]

I agree with Steve,I think you need an engineer to sign off on the axles,rims,frame etc, to state it willsafely support the rated load. It is common for trucks to have (example) 11,000 front axle,24000 rear axle,and a GVWR of 33,000lbs.They always leave room for uneven loading of the axles.

 

[Electra_Glide]

What you are doing is trying to exceed the manufacturer's MGVWR for that truck. This will be a difficult task. I think the laws vary from state to state, my comments reflect what I've experienced in NY. Here the truck has to be certified by a registered and licensed upfitter. I don't know what the certification involves because I haven't been able to find an upfitter willing to assume the liability that would go along with the certification.

I looked at buying a dumptruck that had gone the other way...where they LOWERED the GVWR (to get it under CDL), and the owner had some sort of official letter/certification from the shop that did the work. It was some sort of document from the state DMV, much like Steve describes. However, like Steve said, finding a shop who will INCREASE the GVW might be difficult.

In hindsight, I probably should have bought that truck (an older SA Ford), but I got scared of the 3208 that was in it.

Joe

 

[Steve Frazier]

Electra-Glide, my buddy did the same thing with an IH dump. I don't know the new series number, but it would be the current equivalent of the 4700. Original GVW was 32K, he had it reduced to 25,999 by the dealer to sneak in under the CDL.

He didn't get as much work for the truck as he anticipated and offered it to me for the balance of the loan. He's got 4 tri-axle dumps and just didn't have the calls for short loads he expected. The problem for me was at the decertified rating, the truck couldn't haul much more than I carry on my F-550. We checked in to getting the GVW bumped back to where it originally had been, but the dealer said they couldn't do it. It really is tough to get a truck certified for more than what the factory rates it, we can't even get one returned to its originally rated capacity.

 

[erthmover]

How would you go about getting the GVW lowered. I would like to be able to tow as much as a 33,000 Lb. truck could tow but when its not towing have my guys without a CDL drive it.

 

[cat320]

Well that will not work the way your thinking you lower the gvw your trailer weight will go down as well even though you can tow it but legaly you can not.

 

[Electra_Glide]

How would you go about getting the GVW lowered. I would like to be able to tow as much as a 33,000 Lb. truck could tow but when its not towing have my guys without a CDL drive it.

As soon as you want to tow anything over 10000 lbs., and have a GCWR Over 26000 lbs., you need to have a CDL to do it legally. A down-rated truck really won't help you.

Joe

 

[erthmover]

So if you lower the GVW the GCVW goes down too? Thanks

 

[Countryboy]

So if you lower the GVW the GCVW goes down too? Thanks

Technically, no. As long as nothing mechanically is modified then it has still been built to carry the original rating but thats not what the DOT is looking at. They are looking at the new certification and thats why you can't carry it. The truck will handle the original weight but that weight is no longer legal for the original weight after it has been recertified for a lower weight. Your non-CDL guys could drive it but the rate has legally been lowered so the original weight is no longer legal. You can have the benefit of either one but not both.

 

[Orchard Ex]

If I'm reading into erthmover's post correctly he has a CDL and wants to be able to tow a decent size tag trailer but he also wants his Non-CDL helper to be able to take the truck (no trailer) to the quarry and get a (now smaller) load of gravel.

I think the question becomes - Is there a limit to the weight of a tag trailer that you can tow behind a 25,999lb truck given that you have a valid class A (or limited A) CDL?

I'm pretty sure my other truck had "N/A" in the GCWR box. Not sure what the new one says.

erthmover - if I'm reading it wrong I'm sorry...

 

[Countryboy]

erthmover - if I'm reading it wrong I'm sorry...

Yes, after rereading I'm uncertain too now Orchard. Erthmover you mind clarifying what you're asking, I might have misunderstood what you were saying.

What I said was a correct answer but might have been for the wrong question. :wink2

 

[Bob Horrell]

In California they give you a sticker that goes on both doors that states your registered GVW or GCVW. If you lowered to 25,999 you could not tow a trailer over 10,000lbs or have a combined weight over 26,000lbs no matter what license you had. Anything with a sticker over 26,000lbs would require a CDL.

 

[erthmover]

If I'm reading into erthmover's post correctly he has a CDL and wants to be able to tow a decent size tag trailer but he also wants his Non-CDL helper to be able to take the truck (no trailer) to the quarry and get a (now smaller) load of gravel.

I think the question becomes - Is there a limit to the weight of a tag trailer that you can tow behind a 25,999lb truck given that you have a valid class A (or limited A) CDL?

Orchard Ex that is exactly what I meant. I must have worded it a little funny.

 

[Countryboy]

Orchard Ex that is exactly what I meant. I must have worded it a little funny.

Oops, sorry to be confusing erthmover. :thumbsup

 

[Steve Frazier]

In this case, the truck would have to be certified at 25,999, where you would lose 7000lbs off your gross truck weight. The truck can then be driven as a single unit without a CDL. You would lose 7000lbs off your gross combination weight as well.

Once you put a trailer on this truck, a CDL is required, as it will exceed 25,999lbs. you can read up on it here.

 

[jhill]

Steve,
The way I read that DOT rule it says you need a CDL only if the trailer ( in this case the towed unit) GVW exceeds 9,999 lbs. So if you have a truck under 26,000 and a trailer under 10,000 you do not need a CDL.

Jerry

 

[Steve Frazier]

You're right Jerry:

Combination vehicle with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR*) of 26,001 or more pounds, provided that the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR*) of the towed unit is greater than 10,000 pounds.


I was doing two things at once and misread it!ointhead