Gross trailer weight rating
Encyclopedia
In motor vehicle
s, the gross trailer weight rating (GTWR) is the total mass
of a road
trailer
that is loaded to capacity, including the weight of the trailer itself, plus fluids, and cargo
, that a vehicle is rated to tow by the manufacturer. In the United States
and Canada
, the static tongue load, the weight of the trailer as measured at the trailer coupling, is generally recommended to be 10-15% of the GTWR.
In the United States
and Canada
, there are four main weight classes of trailer hitches as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE):
Motor vehicle
A motor vehicle or road vehicle is a self-propelled wheeled vehicle that does not operate on rails, such as trains or trolleys. The vehicle propulsion is provided by an engine or motor, usually by an internal combustion engine, or an electric motor, or some combination of the two, such as hybrid...
s, the gross trailer weight rating (GTWR) is the total mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
of a road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
trailer
Trailer (vehicle)
A trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Commonly, the term trailer refers to such vehicles used for transport of goods and materials....
that is loaded to capacity, including the weight of the trailer itself, plus fluids, and cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
, that a vehicle is rated to tow by the manufacturer. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the static tongue load, the weight of the trailer as measured at the trailer coupling, is generally recommended to be 10-15% of the GTWR.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, there are four main weight classes of trailer hitches as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE):
- Class I — rated to 2000 pounds (907 kg)
- Class II — rated to 3500 pounds (1,588 kg)
- Class III — rated to 5000 pounds (2,268 kg)
- Class IV — rated to 10000 pounds (4,536 kg)
See also
- Curb weightCurb weightCurb weight or kerb weight is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables , a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other...
- Heavy-duty vehicle
- Light-duty vehicle
- Vehicle categoryVehicle categoryA vehicle category classifies a land vehicle for regulatory purposes.- EU classification :In Europe, the classifications for vehicle category are defined by:...
- Gross axle weight ratingGross axle weight ratingThe gross axle weight rating is the maximum distributed weight that may be supported by an axle of a road vehicle. Typically, GAWR is followed by either the letters FR or RR, which indicate front or rear axles respectively.-Importance:...
(GAWR) - Gross combined weight ratingGross combined weight ratingThe gross combination weight rating is the maximum allowable combined mass of a towing road vehicle, passengers and cargo in the tow vehicle, plus the mass of the trailer and cargo in the trailer...
(GCWR) - Gross vehicle weight ratingGross vehicle weight ratingA gross vehicle weight rating is the maximum allowable total weight of a road vehicle or trailer when loaded - i.e., including the weight of the vehicle itself plus passengers, and cargo....
(GVWR) - Corporate Average Fuel EconomyCorporate Average Fuel EconomyThe Corporate Average Fuel Economy are regulations in the United States, first enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1975, and intended to improve the average fuel economy of cars and light trucks sold in the US in the wake of the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo...
(CAFE) - Truck classificationTruck classificationIn the United States, commercial truck classification is determined based on the vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating . The classes range from 1-8...