What is GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight)?

"The total combined weight of the vehicle and load."

Glossary of Terms, Compilation of Existing State Truck Size and Weight Limit Laws — FHWA, May 2015. Public domain.

On the Interstate System, federal law limits gross vehicle weight to 80,000 lb. Off the Interstate, states set their own standards — which is why a state statute can print a higher figure and both numbers be correct. It is also why 80,000 lb is not the superload line: above 80,000 you need an overweight permit, which is an ordinary product; a superload is a move the state will not issue over the counter at all.

What each state's own statute says →