Basic Truck Classifications
In a nutshell, truck classes boil down to weight. A truck’s gross vehicle weight rating (or GVWR) determines whether it’s considered light duty, medium duty, or heavy duty. The truck GVWR tells you it’s weight once it’s been loaded to capacity – that means cargo, fuel, passengers, and the weight of the truck itself all combined.
Many pickup trucks and small commercial vehicles would be considered light duty, whereas box trucks and school buses fall into the medium duty category. Any truck over 26,001 pounds is a heavy duty vehicle, and this category is broken down into 3 additional weight classes of its own to distinguish the different types of heavy duty trucks.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the truck weight classes in the United States:
Light duty trucks:
Class 1: Any vehicle less than 6,000 lbs; for example, a small pickup truck or SUV
Class 2: Any vehicle between 6,001 and 10,000 lbs; for example, a larger pickup truck or utility van
Medium duty trucks:
Class 3: Any vehicle between 10,001 and 14,000 lbs, such as a mini-bus, box truck, or heavy duty pickup truck
Class 4: Any vehicle between 14,001 and 16,000 lbs; for example, a step-van or large box truck
Class 5: Any vehicle between 16,001 and 19,500 lbs, such as large walk-ins and delivery trucks
Class 6: Any vehicle between 19,501 and 26,000 lbs; for example single-axle trucks, school buses, and beverage trucks
Heavy duty trucks:
Class 7: Any vehicle between 26,001 and 33,000 lbs, such as garbage collection vehicles or livestock transports
Class 8: Any vehicle 33,001 lbs and larger, including 18-wheelers, sleeper cabs, dump trucks and tractor trailers
All trucks will fall into one of these categories – but these aren’t just meaningless labels. A truck’s classification has practical, day-to-day implications for drivers and businesses.
Why Do Truck Classes Matter?
The biggest factor behind truck classification is safety. Knowing what weight class your vehicle falls into helps you avoid overloading it with cargo. This means you can ensure safe crossing of bridges, but it also means less wear and tear on the vehicle itself – and thus, safety for driver as well as other vehicles on the road.
There are also a number of legal guidelines that come into play with your truck’s weight class.
Operating a medium or heavy duty vehicle requires specific commercial truck driver licenses, and compliance with state and federal guidelines. These guidelines cover the number of uninterrupted hours a driver can operate the vehicle, regular mandatory drug testing, scheduled maintenance, and even parking.
In general, any truck over 10,001 pounds (anything class 3 or larger) and/or a truck that is used for trade or transport is given a USDOT number for tracking. If the truck belongs to a company, that number is shared across all business vehicles. USDOT numbers make it easier for the government to track safety records and ensure vehicles are up to standards, keeping everyone safe on the road.
