Truck GVWR wrong weight listed on registration

[crazyro]

I'm in SC so that may make a difference... Purchased new to us TV, and noticed on the registration paperwork that GVWR is listed as 8,000 lbs. I wonder if dealership had it listed as such for lower fees? However, door sticker lists it at 10,000 (almost 3,000 payload capacity on this 2500). I have an appointment with the DMV and would like to update it (my understanding is that if I'm ever in a wreck and weight is incorrectly stated, insurance company could deny claims) but wondered if you guys have ever had to deal with this. I'm assuming they'll fix and I'll pay the difference but wonder how this may have happened. TIA.

[crazyro]

spoon059 wrote:

crazyro wrote:
(my understanding is that if I'm ever in a wreck and weight is incorrectly stated, insurance company could deny claims)

Rather than assume and ask people not affiliated with you or your insurance, I would ask your insurance company. That said, I think that you've been given poor advice. The registration weight is a tax you pay to the state to drive down the road. Your insurance would start having potential problems if you are grossly overloaded, but even then I doubt they deny claims. Drunk drivers are covered in wrecks, why wouldn't you be covered?

Can't argue with that...
Well, this will be rectified next week at the DMV and I will be able to sleep better knowing I'm all good.

[drsteve]

The theory of having insurance is they assume the risk that the insured individuals property will be damaged or destroyed, as well as the responsibility for any act of negligence, ignorance, or stupidity on the part of the insured. The things they do not cover are specifically listed in the policy terms.

If they could get out of paying by showing it was the fault of the insured, they'd never pay a claim.

[spoon059]

crazyro wrote:
(my understanding is that if I'm ever in a wreck and weight is incorrectly stated, insurance company could deny claims)

Rather than assume and ask people not affiliated with you or your insurance, I would ask your insurance company. That said, I think that you've been given poor advice. The registration weight is a tax you pay to the state to drive down the road. Your insurance would start having potential problems if you are grossly overloaded, but even then I doubt they deny claims. Drunk drivers are covered in wrecks, why wouldn't you be covered?

[otrfun]

crazyro wrote:
Lots of great info guys. Much appreciated. I think I'll just pay the extra $20 and call it done. If nothing else, for my personal peace of mind...

Some states charge hundreds of dollars to do the same thing you're doing for $20 in SC. Consider yourself lucky--lol!

[crazyro]

Lots of great info guys. Much appreciated. I think I'll just pay the extra $20 and call it done. If nothing else, for my personal peace of mind...

[noteven]

AB Canada- we are often scolded for being behind the times, red neck, and backward.

A transportation LEO that stops you will look for proof of valid insurance and current registration, driver license, general road worthiness (lights etc), securement and attachment of cargo and trailers, and condition and loading of your tires. Tires?

We have no provincial sales tax on vehicles and annual registration is C$86.00 on a private truck (including my Kenworth) so a lot of complicated calculations and paperwork aren’t expected for that kinda money.

[blt2ski]

You could probably run down the road at 80,000 GVW with your pickup, assuming you had trailers with proper tire width and max axl capacity per federal bridge laws, legally mind you, if you had 80,000 lbs of paid for registration!
A local trucker was all over the news when he hit a bus? or some such thing, actual weight was around 100,000 total. Licensed at 70K. At one time he had a 160K registration on truck. oh the "overweight" news articles out there. Reality, he was under FBL amounts, so legal that way, but under his paid for license registration weight.
another trucker i know, was under his gross weight, but over the mas 34000 for his tandem trailer axel limit! got an over weight ticket! had to move a pallet of sod around, since he had a spider forklift on the trailer....took 30 min, then was ok'd to go to job site with sod!
Or the driver on here, ran across Az texas at over 100K lbs, got to Louisiana, max he could be was 80K. they gave him a ticket fo $300 or there about, pulled out company CC, paid the tax! was able to drive the 16 miles to warehouse, offloaded, headed back to az, did the same thing the following week! As the tax was cheaper than removing the 2nd trailer and having another driver or some such thing to deliver the whole load. value of load was worth WAY more than the tax/fine......
I'm sure many of us that have been on the commercial side can give you all all kinds of what happens when over weight! nice thing about it, generally speaking, being over weight and getting a ticket, means nothing, as its usually a non moving violation, just as a parking ticket can be. unless you do not pay it.....than watch out.
The basic meaning behind the bridge laws, is to protect the roads we all own. drive over the engineer designed limit of the road, you will pay the piper! or weigh more than you payed for the privilege of running down the road at X lbs, you will pay the piper. Police do not enforce your engineer designed warranty weight limit of your vehicle manufacture! it how many lbs per foot the road can handle, with out buckling up if on solid ground, or flexing and breaking if a bridge.....

marty

[deltabravo]

crazyro wrote:
(my understanding is that if I'm ever in a wreck and weight is incorrectly stated, insurance company could deny claims) but wondered if you guys have ever had to deal with this. I'm assuming they'll fix and I'll pay the difference but wonder how this may have happened. TIA.

Like others have said, the number on the registration should only used for tax collection purposes for licensing a vehicle. I can't see how that has any bearing on insurance.

When I was transporting RVs, I had to license my truck for way over the GVWR of the actual truck.

[carringb]

Mike134 wrote:

noteven wrote:
Has any insurance company ever shovelled up the debris field plus the wreckage and hauled it all to a scale to weigh said wreckage?

X2
That has been my thought to whenever the chicken little's start running in circles about "busting" payload, getting in an accident and insurance denying you.

This has nothing to do with insurance, and everything to do with SC (and NC) ensuring they collect the fees they feel they are due. Trying to cheat the taxman is an easy way to pay more later.

OP - Register it to the next bracket up from what you'll actually weight (i.e. if you're loaded up at 9,500 pound register it for 10k). You are not required to match factory placards for private use.

[blt2ski]

Here in Wa St, you take empty wieght times 1.5, to next hight ton. You would never get away with an 8k plate for most loaded 25 series trucks today. They weigh 7-8000 lb empty. So you will be buying a 12k registration.i can get away with 8000 on my C2500, as it's empty wieght is 4800 lbs.
I had a 12k plate on my 88 & 96 SW 3500s. 16000 on a dually flat bed, all three had door stickers at or under 10k. My Navistar dptruck is licensed at 26000. Door sticker is 18200. Been pulled over and wieghed multiple times with it in the 22-27k range. No issues other than day I was at 27000. Got a 10 day up license to 28000, all of $15!
As wadcutter who is retired cveo wieghbscsle officer says, you pay for what you are taking hauling. Door sticker number means squat!

Marty

[crazyro]

This makes perfect sense - thank you for the responses. It hit me today why it's listed at 8,000. I transferred the tag from the old Mega Cab (GVWR of about 8,500, listed at 8,000). I guess I can leave it alone and maybe change it next year when it comes up for renewal? Or I may be thinking too hard. We do plan on getting a golf cart to carry in bed of truck and pull our camper (5,000 lb or so) so with the truck weighing at around 7,000, I'll definitely exceed the GVWR listed. At the end of the day I know it won't really matter. Peace of mind? Just keep trucking? What say you? What would you do? 😄

[camp-n-family]

I had a similar situation with my truck when I bought it and didn’t realize it for the first year. The dealer did the original registration and the GVWR was really low. I would have been overweight with just me in the truck. This would have been a big fine if I had ever been pulled over (which is common on some highways here).

On renewal I had it changed to the max GVWR for my truck. I only need the higher GVWR for when I’m towing in the summer months and can reduce the rating to save on fees for the rest of the year but can’t be bothered with the hassle. I pay the higher license rate to avoid the penalties if caught underrated.

[Mike134]

noteven wrote:
Has any insurance company ever shovelled up the debris field plus the wreckage and hauled it all to a scale to weigh said wreckage?

X2
That has been my thought to whenever the chicken little's start running in circles about "busting" payload, getting in an accident and insurance denying you.

[noteven]

Has any insurance company ever shovelled up the debris field plus the wreckage and hauled it all to a scale to weigh said wreckage?