Payload Stickers?

One other issue with overloading is that in case of an accident while carrying more load than specified, the insurance companies will deny the claim as I heard that this is the first thing they check.

 

Get a ram 2500 with the same coil suspension in the back, its no bigger than the tundra she will love it and it will get the job done.

 

People say this on forums all the time. Give me one example of that ever happening with a non-commercial vehicle. They’d have to drag the wreck to the scales. How much of the truck’s and/or trailer’s fluids leaked out? How much did the weight shift due to the accident or evasive maneuver? I’m not saying it has never happened. Just can’t find a single example of it.

For commercial vehicles with their DOT numbers on the door, yeah, you better be within your GCWR. Look at the amount of people towing and hauling well beyond their numbers in their half tons. I’m not advocating for it; just saying those numbers are a CYA for the manufacturer. The more cautious and conservative the manufacturer (ahem, Toyota!) the lower the numbers.

 

Nobody can give you an example, its one of biggest urban legends out there....its even difficult to find the code sections in states traffic codes that even covers this....everything is based on COMMERCIAL vehicles.... Canada has some rules on this you can find, but the US it is difficult..I have looked, and determined this is an urban legend....even my insurance agent was like...huh...

And sometimes, the payloads are higher on the same vehicle in a different country...base on..wait for it...Govt regulations and vehicle catagories etc.

I'm gonna guess you can put about 2K in the back of a tundra day in or day out with very little issue....and I am being conservative

 

Has anyone had a chance to look at payload stickers on air suspension trucks yet?

 

Has never happened. Loading past GVWR is not illegal. The manufacturer sets that to limit their warranty and liability, and it's based on the stock configuration. The government and the law and the insurance companies are not involved.

If you are going to run a big load in your Tundra, do the appropriate shock, spring, and tire upgrades... and if it handles fine, you should be good.

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.rgj.com/amp/6378397001

 

What an absolute moron. That boat weighed 38k lbs. His F350 was rated to pull 21k. He was overweight by 8 tons. Nevada state law requires a Class A CDL when operating a truck and trailer with a GCWR of >26k lbs. That guy was supposed to be commercially licensed, and he was not.

 

Exactly, and that's why he was charged for being overweight. If he was above 21K and below 26K I suspect that they wouldn't have been able to charge him for being overweight, just reckless driving etc. In my opinion, this example doesn't prove that a non-commercial driver exceeding non-commercial GCVWR or GVRW limits is breaking the law. But, what do I know?

 

By the looks of the charges this was considered a commercial job not a personal one. The invalid license could be anything from improper CDL endorsements to never having a driver's license to begin with. The Dude screwed up bigtime and so did whoever hired him. Curious to see what the owner of the boat knew about all this.

 

You asked for one example of a non commercial truck being charged for pulling an overweight load. I gave you one.

He was grossly overweight but where do you draw the line? 10%, 50%, 300%?

It's not like I expected anyone to say, wow, it can happen, I was wrong. Because, you know, internet.

 

Your post is in no way related to the subject at hand. Having 2k-3k in the bed of your truck compared to towing something around twice what the truck is rated for. I would agree with you. Maybe it would come into play if you tow 24k with your tundra and get into a accident. Not if you have a bed full of wet dirt.

 

Common sense ain't so common anymore. Tow what you want. I really don't care.

I believe in using the right tool for the job. Some aren't comfortable going one pound over payload. Others will drop 1200 pounds on the hitch of a truck rated for 1200 pounds, before loading the truck with hundreds of pounds of people, gear, etc. and think nothing of it.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

 

seriously……that’s the example? Cmon man.

 

I gave him exactly what he asked for. I've been married 38 years. I knew how this debate would go.

 

Lol good one

 

I think I see why you lose in all your debates lol

 

Pics from sr5 dbl cab 6.5’ bed with sport premium (so 32.2 gallon tank) and TRD convenience package.

yellow payload reduction sticker says 9lb reduction with installed options.

 

Thanks very much for posting this. Was it 4x4?

 

Descending through the mountains, pulling a load that is 2x your rating, burning up your brakes so you can't stop at the light at the bottom and killing a few people... ya, that might qualify as criminally negligent. Even if he wasn't overloaded, and the same thing happened, he'd still qualify. The door sticker doesn't absolve you.

Fact is you can pretty easily mod a Tundra to haul a 2500 lb load and handle it better than a stock 1 ton truck... and much better than all the legally loaded large RVs or trucks... so how could that be negligent?

 

Yes, 4x4. Sorry forgot to add that as a key aspect.

 

To me, the funny thing is i agree with the premise that you'll likely never be found liable for towing a few hundred pounds over payload. I just take exception to people stating opinions as facts here, on both sides.

Unless someone wants to hire some attorneys to research cases and circumstances in 50 states, it's all just speculation. I would bet money people have been sued before tho, cuz Merica.

 

Awesome, really close to the trim I'd buy, and 400 pounds more than I have now.

 

I have no expertise in legal matters. Hopefully an attorney on here can help with your question.

 

He went WAY past the point of guy in a personal truck pulling non-commercial loads. That’s the example I’m looking for. In your example, the guy was supposed to be appropriately licensed as a commercial driver. If you want a line, there it is—he was hauling a commercial load. None of us are talking about that here, and I’ve already said if you’re doing commercial work, yes you better be within your numbers at all times.

I don’t think this example applies to the Tundra driver who is pulling an 8k or 9k trailer that puts him a few hundred pounds over his payload rating because of its tongue weight. Or the guy who doesn’t tow at all but hauls several bags of Sak-Crete in his bed that puts him over his payload rating. You don’t need a CDL to do either of those things. And in your example, that dude broke the law when he entered a public roadway with a 38k lb trailer without a CDL.

 

F me. 1491 lbs. Seriously? That's it? FFS!

 

I've spent way too much time investigating discussions of payload, and there have been zero actual cases found of someone in the US being fined or held negligent or insurance claim denied, for operating a personal vehicle over GVWR. The guy in the article you linked was nailed because his brakes failed and he killed people. He could have also been given a ticket for towing an unsafe load (without the accident), but the door sticker is not what determines this... it's judgement call from the cop for starters. But honestly he could have been towing this boat for years and never been stopped. Maybe someone with towing experience can chime in, but this trailer surely would have been designed with brakes capable of stopping it, and the truck's brakes would have been adequate for itself... so it looks like something else was wrong rather than just "being over the tow rating"... either brakes too weak on the trailer, or brake failure, or excessive speed.

Anyone can be held negligent for failing to stop and causing an accident. Ensuring that your vehicle is safe to drive is the responsibility of the driver. More here on that: https://sworgatto.com/understanding-the-risk-of-liability-involved-with-a-brake-failure-lawsuit/

"Assessing Your Brake Health Is Your Duty
Negligence by the driver is one of the most common causes of brake failure. For example, people may either not understand the symptoms of brake failure or ignore them. Sometimes, people are trying to avoid paying money for expensive repairs.

Unfortunately, ignorance of these types of symptoms is considered negligence by the law. That’s because you didn’t take steps to fully understand your vehicle and to ensure it was safe to drive."

 

I’ve looked into this a bit. In all cases, GVWR - Curb weight = payload.

 

I had to look it up, but curb weight includes a full tank of gas. For the 32.2 gallon tank version that is roughly 200 lbs of fuel.

 

I got pretty much the exact info I was looking for in this thread. I'll excuse myself now to let others that are more knowledgeable discuss payload modifications and legal liability while towing