Gross Vehicle Weight Rating

Source of Definition: 49 CFR 571; 49 CFR 567; D20/79; e-Title;

A federal regulation covering Certification of vehicles. For details see 49 CFR 567 on eCFR.

A federal regulation covering Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. For details see 49 CFR 571 on eCFR.

Source of Data: Vehicle Manufacturer

Synonyms: GVWR; Laden Weight, Loaded Weight.

A vehicle has only one vehicle Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), which is assigned at the point of manufacture. It represents the greatest allowable load for that vehicle, including trailers.

This element holds the numeric quantity, using the default units of measure of the jurisdiction. Given a source document showing "14,500 LB/6,577 KG", this element would hold a value of 14500 in a U.S. jurisdiction.

Usage Note: Safety is the primary reason for the GVWR of a vehicle, so a vehicle should never be loaded beyond the manufacturer's listed GVWR.

There are a number of factors that determine the GVWR such as spacing of axles, number of tires, size of tires, capacity of the suspension and take into account the base curb weight of the vehicle plus the weight of any optional accessories, cargo, passengers and the tongue weight of a trailer. U.S. law 49 CFR 571.3 requires the manufacturers to set the appropriate GVWR and requires NHTSA to test vehicles operate safely within the specified GVWR.  26 CFR 145.4051 specifies taxes due on heavy trucks and trailers sold at retail, its rules provide direction on how the GVWR is calculated. When the manufacturer sets a GVWR value lower than the taxable GVWR, the manufacturer must maintain adequate records of the calculations that support their rationale.

Federal regulations for Excise Tax Regulations for heavy trucks and trailers sold at retail, under the Highway Revenue Act of 1982. For details see 26 CFR 145 on eCFR.

49 CFR 567.4 requires manufacturers to post the GVWR in the Vehicle ID Plate. This rule specifies where the plate is to be located, for trucks and cars the preferred location is on inside the vehicle's door frame on the B-pillar.

Logical Format (Type/Max Length): N/9

VVHVWR

gvwr type: string