Load Carrying Precautions
Keep your loaded vehicle weight within its design rating capability, with or without a trailer. Properly loading your vehicle provides maximum return of vehicle design performance. Before you load your vehicle, become familiar with the following terms for determining your vehicle’s weight rating, with or without a trailer, from the vehicle’s Tire and Loading Information label or Safety Compliance Certification label.
 WARNING: The appropriate loading capacity of your vehicle can be limited either by volume capacity (how much space is available) or by payload capacity (how much weight the vehicle should carry). Once you have reached the maximum payload of your vehicle, do not add more cargo, even if there is space available. Overloading or improperly loading your vehicle can contribute to loss of vehicle control and vehicle rollover. WARNING: Exceeding the Safety Compliance Certification label vehicle weight limits can adversely affect the performance and handling of your vehicle, cause vehicle damage and can result in the loss of control of your vehicle, serious personal injury or death. WARNING: Do not use replacement tires with lower load carrying capacities than the original tires because they may lower your vehicle's GVWR and GAWR limitations. Replacement tires with a higher limit than the original tires do not increase the GVWR and GAWR limitations. WARNING: Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the certification label. WARNING: Exceeding any vehicle weight rating can adversely affect the performance and handling of your vehicle, cause vehicle damage and can result in the loss of control of your vehicle, serious personal injury or death. WARNING: When loading the roof racks, we recommend you evenly distribute the load, as well as maintain a low center of gravity. Loaded vehicles, with higher centers of gravity, may handle differently than unloaded vehicles. Take extra precautions, such as slower speeds and increased stopping distance, when driving a heavily loaded vehicle. |
The gross combined weight must never exceed the Gross Combined Weight Rating.
LOCATING THE SAFETY COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION LABELS
Safety Compliance Certification Label Example:
The Safety Compliance Certification label is located on the door hinge pillar, door-latch post, or the door edge that meets the door-latch post, next to the driver seating position.
WHAT IS THE GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATING
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating)
GAWR is the maximum allowable weight that a single axle (front or rear) can carry. These numbers are on the Safety Compliance Certification label.
WHAT IS THE GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING
GVWR is the maximum allowable weight of the fully loaded vehicle. This includes all options, equipment, passengers and cargo. It appears on the Safety Compliance Certification label.
WHAT IS THE GROSS COMBINED WEIGHT RATING
Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) is the maximum allowable weight of the vehicle and the loaded trailer, including all cargo and passengers, that the vehicle can handle without risking damage. (Important: The towing vehicle’s braking system is rated for operation at Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, not at Gross Combined Weight Rating.) Separate functional brakes should be used for safe control of towed vehicles and for trailers where the Gross Combined Weight of the towing vehicle plus the trailer exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of the towing vehicle. See Recommended Towing Weights.
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