A three-axle straight truck has a manufacturer Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 54{}0… — Commercial Driver's License (CDL) General Knowledge Exam

A three-axle straight truck has a manufacturer Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of $54{}000\text{ lbs}$ , a front steer Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) of $14{}000\text{ lbs}$ , and a rear tandem GAWR of $40{}000\text{ lbs}$ . The unladen curb weight of the truck is $21{}000\text{ lbs}$ , distributed as $9{}000\text{ lbs}$ on the front steer axle and $12{}000\text{ lbs}$ on the rear tandem axle. Under federal highway operating standards ( $20{}000\text{ lbs}$ single axle limit, $34{}000\text{ lbs}$ tandem axle limit), what is the maximum cargo payload this vehicle can legally carry on public interstate highways, assuming optimal weight distribution across all axles?

A
$33{}000\text{ lbs}$
$27{}000\text{ lbs}$ Answer
C
$22{}000\text{ lbs}$
D
$39{}000\text{ lbs}$

Answer

27{}000\text{ lbs}

Commercial vehicle operators must comply with both manufacturer structural ratings (GVWR, GAWR) and legal federal weight limits, with the stricter limit always governing. The front steer axle is restricted to its manufacturer rating of

14{}000\text{ lbs}

(

5{}000\text{ lbs}

payload capacity remaining), and the rear tandem is restricted to the federal statutory limit of

34{}000\text{ lbs}

(

22{}000\text{ lbs}

payload capacity remaining). Combining both capacities provides a maximum legal cargo payload of

27{}000\text{ lbs}

, resulting in a total operating weight of

48{}000\text{ lbs}

, which is well within the

54{}000\text{ lbs}

GVWR.

Step-by-Step Solution

Determine the maximum legal operating weight limit for each axle group

Steer axle limit =

14{}000\text{ lbs}

; Tandem axle limit =

34{}000\text{ lbs}

The operational limit for any axle is the lower of the manufacturer rating (GAWR) or the statutory federal limit. For the steer axle, the manufacturer GAWR (

14{}000\text{ lbs}

) is lower than the federal single axle limit (

20{}000\text{ lbs}

). For the tandem axle, the federal statutory limit (

34{}000\text{ lbs}

) is lower than the manufacturer GAWR (

40{}000\text{ lbs}

Calculate maximum allowable payload capacity for each axle group

Front steer payload =

5{}000\text{ lbs}

; Rear tandem payload =

22{}000\text{ lbs}

Subtracting the unladen axle weights from the maximum allowable limits: Steer axle =

14{}000\text{ lbs} - 9{}000\text{ lbs} = 5{}000\text{ lbs}

; Tandem axle =

34{}000\text{ lbs} - 12{}000\text{ lbs} = 22{}000\text{ lbs}

Sum axle payload capacities and verify against total vehicle gross rating

Total payload =

27{}000\text{ lbs}

; Total gross weight =

48{}000\text{ lbs}

Total payload =

5{}000\text{ lbs} + 22{}000\text{ lbs} = 27{}000\text{ lbs}

. Total gross weight =

21{}000\text{ lbs} + 27{}000\text{ lbs} = 48{}000\text{ lbs}

, which is fully within the manufacturer GVWR limit of

54{}000\text{ lbs}

Key Concept

Commercial vehicle operating limits are governed by the lesser of manufacturer ratings (GVWR/GAWR) and federal/state statutory limits on individual axles and gross weight.

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