What GVWR means
GVWR, or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, is the maximum loaded weight allowed for a single vehicle. For a truck, that includes the truck itself plus passengers, cargo, fuel, accessories and the portion of trailer weight carried by the hitch or fifth-wheel pin.
If your loaded truck exceeds its GVWR, being under the advertised tow rating does not fix the problem.
What GCWR means
GCWR, or Gross Combined Weight Rating, is the maximum loaded weight of the tow vehicle and trailer together. A simple estimate is loaded truck weight plus loaded trailer weight.
GCWR is useful for checking the entire combination, but it is only one limit. Payload, truck GVWR, front and rear axle ratings, tire ratings, hitch ratings and trailer ratings still need to be checked separately.
Example
Suppose a truck has a 7,000 lb GVWR and a 15,000 lb GCWR. If the loaded truck weighs 6,900 lb and the loaded trailer weighs 7,500 lb, the combined weight is 14,400 lb. That is under GCWR, but the truck has only 100 lb of GVWR margin left. If more passengers or tongue weight are added, the truck can exceed GVWR before GCWR is reached.
What to check in practice
Use the ratings from the exact vehicle, not a generic model-year tow chart. Then compare actual or estimated loaded weights against every applicable limit. Scale weights are better than estimates when available.
Frequently asked questions
What is GVWR?
GVWR is the maximum allowed loaded weight of a single vehicle, including passengers, cargo, fuel and hitch or pin load carried by that vehicle.
What is GCWR?
GCWR is the maximum allowed combined loaded weight of the tow vehicle and trailer together.
Can I be under GCWR and still be overloaded?
Yes. A rig can be under GCWR while exceeding payload, GVWR, axle, tire, hitch or trailer ratings.