The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts payload question

1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, etc., are the load capacity of a truck. A half ton can safely carry 1000 lbs, 3/4 can carry 1500, & so forth. Your gross weight will be the combination of your basic weight and the load.

Gross weight is not determined by the front axle capacity alone, but a combination of front and rear. Thats why dump trucks with 100K load cap may have 2-3 axles out back, but still only one up front. Also look at the max weight on your tires, it is much lower than your gross weight, but the individual wheels carry only a fraction of the weight.
It is true that when decelerating the center of gravity shifts forward, but this is accounted for in the design of the vehicle according to axle & load position. You may carry a smaller item that bumps you up to gross weight (say, like a heavy item of machinery or an electrical transformer), it is up to the driver to remember to center & secure the load slightly in front of or over the rear axle/s to prevent overloading the front axle.


There is a formula that takes the combined front and rear axle capacity, the distance from the projected load center (typicaly a set distance in front of the rear axle/s), the distance from that point to each axle, and provides the determination of a vehicles gross weight.
When the local transportation police pull over a truck, this is also how they manage to get the gross weight and load distribution with only a couple roll on scales.