Weight For It

Trucks being largely work vehicles-- or at least vehicles we associate with the ability to do work-- their capacity to deal with weight is an important factor.  Many people find this whole matter a little confusing; I do too.  Let's see if we can find some clarity.

From wikipedia:

 In the United States, commercial truck classification is determined based on the vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). The classes range from 1-8.[1] It also done more broadly under the US DOT Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS) standards, which groups Class 1 and 2 as "Light Duty", 3-5 as "Medium Duty", and 6-8 as "Heavy Duty".[2][3]

So, the fundamental rating is the GVWR.  This is where we begin.

A gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is the maximum allowable total mass of a road vehicle or trailer when loaded - i.e including the weight of the vehicle itself plus fuel, passengers, cargo, and trailer tongue weight.

The difference between gross weight and curb weight is the total passenger and cargo weight capacity of the vehicle. For example, a pickup truck with a curb weight of 4,500 pounds (2,041 kg) might have a cargo capacity of 2,000 pounds (907 kg), meaning it can have a gross weight of 6,500 pounds (2,948 kg) when fully loaded.

Curb weight is a figure that comes up fairly regularly.  It refers to the actual weight of the empty vehicle.

The gross axle weight rating (GAWR) 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.

The amount of weight that an axle can handle is of some importance if hauling extreme payloads.  This figure, however, is usually used more by vehicle manufacturers in order to rate the ability of the truck to deal with overall loads, and to make sure that they are compliant with transport authorities and regulations.

Road damage rises steeply with axle weight, and is estimated "as a rule of thumb... for reasonably strong pavement surfaces" to be proportional to the fourth power of the axle weight. This means that doubling the axle weight will increase road damage (2x2x2x2)=16 times.[1][2] For this reason trucks with a high axle weight are heavily taxed in most countries.

Running several big trucks can thus be more cost effective than one huge truck.

The gross combined weight rating (GCWR) 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.[1] This is the total weight that the tow vehicle's internal combustion engine needs to move.

The GCWR is a figure that is more often used in TTM's world of pickups.  Many folks want to haul trailers, or boats, of varying sizes, so they need to ensure the trucks they choose can do what they require.

In motor vehicles, 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. The static tongue load, the weight of the trailer as measured at the trailer coupling, is 10-15% of the GTWR.

Trailer weight (GTWR) should fall within the GCWR (see above) in order to be confident that your truck can pull what you need.

When light-duty trucks were first produced, they were rated by their payload capacity in tons (e.g., 1/2-, 3/4- and 1-ton). The Ford F-150, Chevy/GMC 1500, and Dodge 1500 are a 1/2-ton. The Ford F-250, Chevy/GMC 2500, and Dodge 2500 are a 3/4-ton. The Ford F-350, Chevy/GMC 3500, and Dodge 3500 are a 1-ton. But throughout the years, the payload capacities have increased while the ton title has stayed the same. The current ton rating is nothing more than just a truck name.

Finally, I find it helpful to realize that the 'ton' appellation is not actually related to any of these figures.