GVWR Meaning: What This Key Metric Tells You About Your Car

If you’re regularly carrying lots of people or heavy loads, you’ll know exactly what gross vehicle weight rating – or GVWR – is. This one rating may affect which license and what roads you can go on. So, before buying your next pickup truck, like a Ford Maverick, make sure you know about its GVWR – because it may sway your purchasing decisions.

In this article, we’ll be taking a look at what this metric means and why you should keep an eye out for it – as there are some legalities you should know before loading up your car to the max.

CarBuzz recommends checking the vehicle guidebook or researching your vehicle’s maximum capacities and weights. All statistics mentioned have been sourced from the manufacturer.

What Does GVWR Stand For?

GVWR stands for gross vehicle weight rating. This figure refers to the maximum amount your car is allowed to weigh safely – including passengers and cargo, but crucially, it excludes the towing capacity. This varies from vehicle to vehicle.

Firstly, it’s important to understand what we’re talking about when we say ‘curb weight’, ‘gross weight’ or ‘payload.’

• Curb Weight: Curb weight is the weight of the vehicle when it’s ready to drive (including all fluids etc.) but without passengers or cargo
• Payload: The maximum amount your car is designed to carry, which is passengers, fluids and all cargo. This figure doesn’t include the actual vehicle, only the extras
• Gross Weight: The weight of the vehicle when it is fully loaded, including fluids, passengers and cargo. This is curb weight and payload added

Let’s look at an example. The base trim 2025 Toyota Tacoma has a base curb weight of 4,145 lbs and a payload capacity of 1,460 lbs, which means that the GVWR is 5,605 lbs – as this is the weight of the car added to the maximum weight it is safely designed to carry. Toyota makes bigger beds and more powerful engines, which will increase the total gross vehicle weight rating as they’re more capable of carrying heavier loads.

Why Do I Need To Know My Car’s GVWR?

This is an important figure as it determines how far you can go when loading the vehicle before it becomes unsafe and restricts which roads you’re allowed to drive on. Exceeding this figure can cause extra strain on your vehicle’s components, impact the handling and cause you to be fined for carrying too much cargo. Most people will never reach the total amount their car is meant to carry – but it’s still worth knowing if you ever need to move a load or your work requires you to move heavy equipment.

The Legalities Around GVWR

There are a few legalities to know around this gross figure. Vehicles with a GVWR over 6,000 lbs will sometimes be restricted from entering certain roads in the US – with the most famous example being in California.

There, many heavy vehicles are simply banned from entering residential streets, although in San Francisco, the number for EVs was changed to 8,000 lbs as they’re usually heavier. The city of Corona in California also disallows any over-6,000-lb vehicle from parking in the city for over two hours. You might be asking then, why do companies still make these behemoths?

The reason is taxation: if a small business buys a vehicle with a GVWR of over 6,000 lbs, they can receive a Section 179, which means they are allowed to write off up to $30,500 off the purchase price.

One more thing to know: there is a class system in the US which denotes which license and restrictions your vehicle faces. A table can be found below which denotes the classes. Most of the trucks you recognize will be in class 1, such as the Ford F-150 and Ranger. You won’t need a different license until you get up to 26,000 lbs or more, so you’ll be able to drive all light-duty and most medium-duty trucks.

The Dangers Of Exceeding Your Vehicle’s GVWR

Your vehicle’s GVWR isn’t just a guideline – it’s a maximum that shouldn’t be exceeded. There are a few dangers when crossing this figure, such as:

• Brake wear: If you’ve ever driven a heavy car, you’ll know how much more difficult it is to stop its momentum. If the vehicle is fully loaded too, the brakes will be working overtime under normal circumstances. It also increases stopping distance, which is highly unsafe.
• Component strain: On a similar note, you’ll know if you’ve ever towed a heavy trailer, the gearbox and other engine components may struggle to get going. This increases wear on components like the gearbox, clutch or suspension.
• Impacted handling: When there is more cargo, your vehicle’s center of gravity will be higher, which will cause a noticeable decrease in handling performance.
• Legal issues: If you exceed the GVWR or drive on a road which is restricted, this may cause legal consequences, including fines or insurance charges.

Curb Weight Vs GVWR

Curb weight refers to the vehicle when it’s ready to drive, but without a driver, passengers or cargo. ‘Ready to drive’ means all operating fluids, like coolant and oil, and a full tank of fuel. This is considered the closest number to the actual weight of the vehicle.

A gross vehicle weight refers to the car when it’s fully loaded. We’re talking all its curb weight as well as its full payload capacity. Max payload refers to the total amount of weight the car can carry, excluding the actual car itself, so the weight of all passengers and cargo. Curb weight is great for comparing cars, while the GVWR tells us how much it can weigh safely.

GVWR Vs Towing Capacity

As we’ve mentioned, the GVWR is how much a car can realistically weigh. This figure, however, doesn’t include the towing capacity of the vehicle.

The tow capacity refers to how much the car can pull on a trailer. This doesn’t include just the trailer itself, but also the cargo that is loaded on it. Exceeding this figure causes similar issues to exceeding the GVWR, as it can put extra strain on your car’s suspension and transmission from the extra energy required to move it.

While a higher GVWR can mean a higher towing capacity, the numbers don’t correspond. You’ll have to check out both numbers when considering how much to haul or load. Look below to see a comparison of some popular pick-ups and their GVWRs and towing capacities.

How To Find Your Vehicle’s Gross Weight

In most cases, the GVWR weight figure will be on the B-pillar of the vehicle, visible when the front door is open. There, you’ll also find the gross axle weight rating, but more on that later. You may also find this in the vehicle handbook. If your car doesn’t have that visible, there’s an easy way to work it out. Try taking the curb weight of the vehicle and adding it to the payload capacity. The sum of these two figures will be the GVWR that you should never exceed.

Other Weight Figures You Should Know About

While we’ve spoken about the payload, towing capacity, curb weight and the gross weight, here are some more that you should find out about your car:

• Gross Axle Weight Rating: This is the total amount of weight that your car’s axles are designed to carry. In some countries and applications, this is used in conjunction with the GVWR.
• Gross Combined Weight Rating: A combined rating takes into account the towing capacity and the gross vehicle weight. Don’t make the mistake of just adding them up – it’s not that simple to work out. Check the vehicle specifications online or in the handbook to find out how much to haul and load.
• Tongue Weight: This is a measure of the weight that is exerted on the vehicle’s tow hitch. The tongue weight is usually about 10-15% of the total towing weight.

Sources: Ford, Honda, Toyota, GMC