GVWR Class 1: Up to 6,000 lb

These vehicles are typical of the lightest trucks in the Class 1-3 group.

Vehicle Manufacturer Model Weight
Sonoma GMC Sonoma 5,150 lb
Canyon GMC Canyon 4,850 to 5,300 lb
f150 Ford F-150 5,600 lb
Safari Cargo Chassis GMC Safari Cargo Van 5,600 to 5,850 lb
Canyon Chassis GMC Canyon Chassis 5,300 lb

GVWR Class 2: 6,001 to 10,000 lb

Common medium-duty pickups and vans in the Class 1-3 group.

Vehicle Manufacturer Model Weight
sierra GMC Sierra 1500 6,100 to 7,400 lb
f250 Ford F-250 5,150 lb
sierra 2500 GMC Sierra 2500 HD Crew Cab 9,200 lb
savana cargo van GMC Savana Cargo Van 6,200 to 9,600 lb
savana cargo van Ford E-150 Cargo Van 6,700 to 8,600 lb
savana cargo van Ford E-250 Cargo Van 7,200 to 8,600 lb

GVWR Class 3: 10,001 to 14,000 lb

Class 3 is the typical “transition zone” between large private vehicles (e.g. heavy duty pickups for towing boats or travel trailers) and pure commercial vehicles. Note that many of these vehicle can have a wide range of GVRs (as also shown in Exhibit 3) deepening on specifications and optional equipment. Class 3 included the smallest tow trucks, flatbeds, and utility bodies that are unambiguously commercial vehicles.

Vehicle Manufacturer Model Weight
gmc sierra hd GMC Sierra 2500 HD 9,200 to 10,800 lb
Ford E-350 Cargo Ford E-350 Cargo Van 9,400 to 11,500 lb
Sierra 3500 Dump Body Sierra 3500 Dump Body
W3500 Construction GMC W3500 Construction 12,000 lb
W3500 Wrecker GMC W3500 Wrecker 12,000 lb
Ford F350 Ford F-350 9,900 to 12,500 lb
Ford F-350 Chassis Cab Ford F-350 Chassis Cab 9,900 to 12,500 lb
GMC Savana Cutaway GMC Savana Cutaway 9,600 to 12,000 lb
GMC Sierra 2500 GMC Sierra 3500 Chassis Cab 11,400 to 12,000 lb

GVWR Class 4: 14,001 to 16,000 lb

Using the new 15,000 lb DMV commercial vehicle cutoff (Exhibit 3) would split Class 4, with the smaller and “lighter duty” trucks in with Classes 1-3 and the larger and “heavier duty” trucks in with Classes 5-8. The Ford 450 series and the GMC 4500 series vehicles would ordinarily be over 15,000 GVR.

Vehicle Manufacturer Model Weight
Ford E-350 Cab Chassis Ford E-350 Cab Chassis 14,050 lb
Ford F-450 Chassis Cab Ford F-450 Chassis Cab 15,000+ lb
Ford F-350/450/550 Dump Body Ford F-350/450/550 Dump Body
GMC W4500 Crew Cab GMC W4500 Crew Cab 14,500+ lb
GMC W4500 Flat Bed GMC W4500 Flat Bed 14,500+ lb
GMC W4500 Rolloff GMC W4500 Rolloff 14,500+ lb
GMC W4500 Van GMC W4500 Van 14,500+ lb

GVWR Class 5: 16,001 to 19,500 lb

Vehicle Manufacturer Model Weight
GMC W5500 Rolloff GMC W5500 Rolloff
GMC C4500 Utility GMC C4500 Utility 16,000 to 17,500 lb
GIVIC C4500 Wrecker GIVIC C4500 Wrecker (Tow Truck) 16,000 to 17,500 lb
GMC C4500 Service Body GMC C4500 Service Body 16,000 to 17,500 lb

GVWR Class 6: 19,501 to 26,000 lb

Vehicle Manufacturer Model Weight
GMC 6500 Flatbed GMC 6500 Flatbed
GiVIC C7500 Rolloff- 25,950+ lb GiVIC C7500 Rolloff 25,950+ lb
Peterbilt Class 6/7 Utility Peterbilt Class 6/7 Utility

GVWR Class 7: 26,001 to 33,000 lb (CDL needed)

Vehicle Manufacturer Model Weight
C7500 Utility GMC C7500 Utility 25,950 to 37,600 lb
Peterbilt Class 6-7 Van GMC Peterbilt Class 6-7 Van
Peterbilt Class 6-7 Service GMC Peterbilt Class 6/7 Service

GVWR Class 8: 33,000+ lb

Vehicle Manufacturer Model Weight
Concrete Pumper Mack Concrete Pumper

Commercial Weight Classes

Commercial automobiles are classified by the United States Department of Transportation. They are classified according to the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) as specified by the manufacturer.

Categories on the other hand, are not as well defined and may vary amongst different truck industries. In the table to the right, the most commonly used categories are included as reported from the US DOT Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS).

Weight Class Min. GVWR (lbs.) Max GVWR (lbs.) VIUS Category Common Category
Class 1 Light-Duty Light-Duty
Class 2 6,001 10,000 Light-Duty Light-Duty
Class 3 10,001 14,000 Medium-Duty Light-Duty
Class 4 14,001 16,000 Medium-Duty Medium-Duty
Class 5 16,001 19,500 Medium-Duty Medium-Duty
Class 6 19,501 26,000 Light-Heavy Medium-Duty
Class 7 26,001 33,000 Heavy-Heavy Heavy-Duty
Class 8 33,001 Heavy-Heavy Heavy-Duty

Light Duty

Class One

A class one vehicles is a vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) ranging from 0-6,000 pounds (0-2,722 kg). Examples of vehicles within this class are listed below:

Class Two

A class two vehicle is a vehicle that has a gross vehicle rating (GVWR) ranging from 6,001-10,000 pounds (2,722 to 4,536 kg). Class two vehicles can be subdivided into class 2a and class 2b, with class 2a being 6,001 to 8,500 pounds (2,722 to 3,856 kg), and class 2b being 8,501 to 10,000 pounds (3,856 to 4536 kg). Class 2a can also be referred to as a light-duty truck, with class 2b being the lowest heavy-duty class, also being called the “light heavy-duty” class. Examples of vehicles within this class are listed below:

Class Three:

A class three vehicle is a vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) ranging from 10,001 to 14,000 pounds (4,536 to 6,350 kg). Examples of vehicles within this class are listed below:

Medium Duty

Class Four

A class four vehicle is a vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) ranging from 14,001 to 16,000 pounds (6,351 to 7,257 kg). Examples of vehicles within this class are listed below:

Class Five

A class five vehicle is a vehicle that has a gross vehicle rating (GVWR) ranging from 16,001 to 19,500 pounds (7,258 to 8,845 kg). Examples of vehicles within this class are listed below:

Class Six

A class six vehicle is a vehicle that has a gross vehicle rating (GVWR) ranging from 19,501 to 26,000 pounds (8,846 to 11,793 kg). Examples of vehicles within this class are listed below:

Heavy Duty

Class Seven

A class seven vehicle is a vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight rate ranging (GVWR) ranging from 26,001 to 33,000 pounds (11,794 to 14,969 kg). Examples of vehicles within this class are listed below:

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Class Eight

A class eight vehicles is a vehicle that has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) ranging from 33,000 pounds or above (14,969 plus kg). Examples of vehicles within this class are listed below:

Fire Trucks: A fire truck (also called a fire engine, fire apparatus, or fire appliance) is a vehicle designed to assist in firefighting by transporting firefighters to and from the scene of a fire. Typically, a fire truck is approximately 24-28 feet long with a height of 12 feet. A fire truck is equipped with fire fighting equipment such as ladders, pike poles, axes, halligan bars, fire extinguishers, ventilating equipment, floodlights, hose lamps, breathing apparatus, and other general tools. The fire truck is able to put out fires by several methods either by passing water through hoses obtained by a fire hydrant or an on board water reservoir.

Large Tour Buses: A tour bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Dimensions of a typical tour bus are around 35 feet in length, 8 feet wide, and around 12 feet in height. The most common type of bus is the single decker rigid bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses. Tour buses may be used for tourism, private hire (musicians and other artists), school transport, political campaigns, and an array of other purposes.

Heavy Semi-Tractor Trailers(COE Sleeper & Heavy Conventional): A semi-truck, most commonly known as a “tractor trailer”, “semi”, or “big rig”, have two or three axles, and are used to haul heavy-duty commercial construction machinery. The most common layout of a semi-truck has the engine in front of the cab, one steeling axle, and two drive axles with a strong internal beam connecting them to a cab. A large proportion of its weight is supported either by a road tractor or by a detachable front-axle assembly called a dolly. When coupled together, the cab and tractor combination is often referred to as a semi. When the cab is removed, the semi-truck is equipped with legs that can be lowered to support it when it is unhooked from the tractor. Trailers vary in size, but the most common sizes today are 48 to 53 feet in length.

Dump Trucks: A dump truck is a truck used to transport loose material (such as sand, dirt, gravel, or stones) for construction purposes. A typical dump truck is equipped with a hydraulic operated open-box bed at the rear end of the truck. This allows the contents in the bucket-like structure to be lifted and deposited in a desired area on the construction site. A standard dump truck has one front axle, and one or more rear axles which typically have dual wheels on each side. Typically, the body of a standard dump truck is around 35 feet in length.

Cement Trucks: A cement truck, also called a concrete mixer is a truck that is used to transport and mix concrete up to the construction site. A typical concrete mixer attached to the concrete truck is a revolving drum to mix the components occurring during transport to the construction site. The cement truck maintains the materials liquid state through agitation or turning of the drum, until delivery at its final destination. A cement truck is equipped with a gravity fed chute on the back center of the truck. Approximately 20 feet long, the chute feeds the concrete mixture onto a specific area on the construction site. Concrete mixers are equipped with anywhere from two axles and up. A cement truck is on average 32 feet long, 10 feet wide, and has a height around 12.5 feet. Cement trucks typically weigh over 30,000 pounds (13,600 + kg) and can carry roughly 40,000 pounds (18,100 kg) of concrete although many varying sizes of concrete trucks are currently in use.