In the world of fleet maintenance and management, one of the most important components is determining the weight that your vehicles can safely carry.
This information will enable you to plan and schedule your operations, stay compliant with regulations, and keep your business running undisturbed.
But to do so effectively, you’ll need to be aware of one essential factor – the GVWR of your vehicle.
In the following sections, we explain what is Gross Vehicle Weight Rating in detail and explore why it’s important for fleet business owners.
What is Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)?
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, or GVWR, in short, is the maximum weight a vehicle can carry according to its manufacturer. This weight includes the net weight of the vehicle (in addition to any accessories) and the weight of passengers, cargo, and fuel.
While GVWR is not a complex term to understand, it’s often underestimated.
Below, we explore some of the key reasons why it matters dramatically for fleet businesses.
Why is Gross Vehicle Weight Rating important?
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating plays a significant role in fleet management as it influences a range of different elements of the business.
Some of the main ways it affects businesses is via its impact on:
- Maintenance costs
- Safety
- Fuel efficiency
- Insurance coverage
- Compliance
Let’s dive into detail into each one of these factors.
Reduced maintenance costs
One of the biggest contributors to high maintenance costs is downtime – a popular challenge among business owners and managers.
Initially, it may appear that putting a few extra pounds on your truck when transporting goods will lead to cost savings. After all, you’ll improve your efficiency, deliver more products, and earn more.
However, this is rarely the case. Putting too much weight on a vehicle is likely to cause damage, leading to parts breaking down sooner than intended and dramatically reducing their lifespan.
In this case, rather than enjoying efficiency, you are likely to accumulate additional maintenance costs, witness a rise in vehicle downtime, and experience more sudden breakdowns.
Some of the areas that extra weight affects the most include suspension, tires, axles, and the vehicle’s body.
Luckily, GVWR can help you reduce your maintenance costs by loading the right amount of weight on your vehicles.
Safety
Understanding your vehicles’ GVWR and ensuring that they carry no more than they’re designed to will also help you guarantee the safety of your drivers, customers, and partners.
Unfortunately, transporting more weight than intended can significantly reduce the vehicle’s ability to steer, maneuver, and brake when necessary.
This puts additional pressure on drivers to be extra careful when driving overloaded vehicles. It also increases the risks of accidents and decreases the control over the vehicle.
Fuel efficiency
GVWR can also play a part when it comes to fuel efficiency.
Carrying extra weight disrupts the normal acceleration and braking of a truck or another type of vehicle. This means that the truck will need to input extra work and energy into achieving the desired results, requiring additional fuel.
With rising fuel prices, failing to plan your vehicles’ weight according to their GVWR can have a significant impact on your fuel expenses.
Insurance coverage
Fleet insurance is another area affected by GVWR.
Insurance companies use the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of a vehicle as a key factor in determining insurance premiums and coverage limits.
For example, trucks with higher GVWRs are associated with greater risks when it comes to potential damage in accidents, injury to occupants, and liability for property damage.
Naturally, insurance premiums for vehicles with higher GVWRs may be higher to reflect these increased risks.
In addition, accurate GVWR information helps insurance companies guarantee that vehicles are adequately covered for potential claims related to accidents or damage.
Legal compliance
When it comes to GVWR, there are certain standards and regulations that must be followed.
Vehicles are required by law to carry no more weight than originally designed to.
In the event of an accident or legal dispute, compliance with GVWR limits can impact liability determinations and legal outcomes.
If a truck exceeds its GVWR and is involved in an accident, the driver or owner may be held liable for any damages or injuries resulting from the overloaded condition. Additionally, regulatory agencies may impose fines or penalties for vehicles operating above their GVWR limits, as exceeding these limits can violate safety regulations and traffic laws.
How to determine GVWR?
Usually, GVWR doesn’t have to be calculated by fleet managers or fleet owners. Instead, it is determined by the manufacturer of the vehicle.
To establish the GVWR of a vehicle, the manufacturer will identify the rear and front Gross Axle Weight Ratings. Merged together, they will uncover the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
This number can be found inside the vehicle and is usually located either on the vehicle’s manual or on the driver’s side door.
Wrap up
Understanding the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of your vehicles can enable you to make accurate predictions, stay on the right side of the law, and reduce fleet management costs.
We hope that the provided information will come in handy and will help you make the right choices throughout your fleet journey.
