Trucks and trailers are an important tool in transporting goods throughout the country. However, when these vehicles are not properly used, negligence can lead to dangerous and deadly accidents. Each type of commercial vehicle or trailer has various capabilities when it comes to the amount of cargo and weight it can safely move. When those responsible for operating these vehicles ignore or are unaware of these limitations, this is a prime example of negligence. Let’s take a look at a variety of different types of trucks and trailers and how much weight they’re approved to carry.
Use these links to jump to a specific section:
- Heavy-Duty Pickup Truck Weight Limits
- Single Axle Trailer and Double Axle Trailer Weight Limits
- Weighing Shipping Containers & Container Weight Limits
- Length Limit of Semis Pulling Multiple Trailers
- Dump Truck Weight Limits
- Box Truck Weight Limits
Heavy-Duty Pickup Truck Weight Limits
These trucks are commonly purchased by those who haul large loads, either in their personal lives or for their work. These vehicles can vary greatly in size and design. However, their overall carrying weight for the bed of the truck depends on the vehicle’s starting weight.
- A half-ton pickup can hold 3,000 pounds of cargo
- A three-quarter-ton pickup can carry 4,000 pounds of cargo
- A one-ton pickup can carry 6,000 pounds of cargo
- Pickups can also haul hitched trailers. The maximum weight limits of these are called Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and are based on the make and model of the pickup truck. It is required that operators check their owners’ manual to calculate these totals.
Single Axle Trailer and Double Axle Trailer Weight Limits
Trailers can be hooked up to a pickup truck or other vehicle with towing capabilities. Single axle trailers have a single axle with a wheel connected on each end. Double axle trailers have two axles to disperse greater weight, meaning double trailers are capable of handling heavier loads. Federal and Indiana state maximum truck weight laws require that:
- Single axles are limited to 20,000 pounds
- Double axles are limited to 34,000 pounds.
- The steering axle is limited to 12,000 pounds.
Weighing Shipping Containers & Container Weight Limits
While containers are not a vehicle, they are loaded onto semis for transport all over the United States. The containers are weighed at the port of arrival or in the facility they were packed in, using one of two legally approved methods as laid forth by the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Treaty
- Weighing the packed container using calibrated and certified equipment
- Weighing all packages and cargo items, including packing materials and the tare weight of the container, then adding the sum of all weights together to provide a verified weight. Estimating weights is not permitted under the SOLAS revisions
Keeping track of these weights and measurements is a big undertaking. Containers must be loaded onto a truck using one of three approved container loading methods:
- By tilting the truck bed (similar to how a dump truck drops off trash)
- Placing directly onto a flat truck bed with a crane or forklift
- With the use of a chassis, which attaches to the truck bed for easier loading and unloading
Incorrectly weighed or loaded containers are a form of negligence. Overly-heavy containers loaded onto trucks could contribute to deadly trucking accidents on the highway, as well as damage to the transport vehicle itself. Data shows that as many as 20% of containers are improperly weighed or misdeclared.
- For a 20 inch container, 44,000 pounds can be loaded inside.
- In a 40 inch container, 44,500 pounds can be loaded inside.
- Regardless, they can’t cause the truck to exceed the maximum gross vehicle weight of 80,000 pounds.
Length Limit of Semis Pulling Multiple Trailers
The semi trucks you see on highways can often pull multiple trailers behind them. While the maximum gross weight of the combined trailers is still 80,000 pounds, there are length restrictions involved as well. It should be noted that there is no length restriction on truck-tractor-semi trailer or truck-tractor semi trailer-trailer combination as a whole, but rather the individual parts.
- The maximum length of a semi trailer, including the load, is 53 ft.
- The maximum length of a trailer used in a truck-tractor-semitrailer-semitrailer combination is 28 ft, 6 in.
Dump Truck Weight Limits
Dump trucks are vehicles used both by a city for trash collection, as well as privately by businesses and citizens for hauling debris or materials from one place to another. These vehicles can vary in style and size, depending on the manufacturer.
- The largest of dump trucks can carry 28,000 pounds, roughly equivalent to 14 tons.
- The smaller styles of these vehicles carry a maximum of 15,000 pounds, or 7.5 tons.
Box Truck Weight Limits
Box trucks are commonly used both by companies and individuals for tasks like moving furniture or equipment. These include rentals, such as U-Haul trucks.
- Box trucks vary in size and length, anywhere from 16 feet to 26 feet long.
- These are available for anyone with a valid driver’s license to operate.
- The maximum gross weight for box trucks is 26,000 pounds.
- The reason for this is that anything over 26,000 pounds requires a CDC license to operate.
When owners and operators of trucks ignore these maximum weight limits, it can cause dangerous issues for them and other drivers on the road. They can tip over, cause the driver to swerve, or prevent stopping in time. Regardless, when these trucks are carrying more than they’re allowed, negligence has occurred. If you’ve been the victim of a truck accident, you need an experienced attorney who will fight for your rights. If you’ve been injured in an accident with a commercial vehicle, contact the Indianapolis truck accident attorneys at Christie Farrell Lee & Bell.
Dial (317) 245-3709 or reach out to us online to set up a free consultation.
