CDL Combination Vehicles TestDriving Combination Vehicles SafelyHard
You are driving a combination vehicle and must cross a bridge with a posted weight limit. How should you determine if your vehicle's weight exceeds this limit?
- AAssume the bridge limit applies only to single-unit trucks, not combination vehicles.
- BEstimate the weight based on the vehicle's size and contents.
- CRefer to the bill of lading or shipping papers for the cargo weight and add it to the tractor and trailer's empty weight.
- DCheck your vehicle's registration for the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Refer to the bill of lading or shipping papers for the cargo weight and add it to the tractor and trailer's empty weight.
The bill of lading provides the accurate cargo weight. Adding this to the known empty weights of the tractor and trailer (which can be found on vehicle registrations or specifications) gives the actual gross vehicle weight, which must be compared to the bridge limit.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Bridge weight limits apply to all vehicles, and combination vehicles often exceed limits that single-unit trucks can clear.
- B. Estimating weight is unreliable and can lead to dangerous miscalculations.
- D. GVWR is the maximum *allowable* weight for a *single vehicle* (tractor or trailer), not the actual combined weight of a loaded combination vehicle. The actual weight can be less or more than the GVWR.
Gross Combination Weight (GCW)
The total weight of a powered unit (tractor) and its attached trailer(s) and cargo, which must not exceed legal limits.
- Calculated by adding empty tractor weight, empty trailer weight, and cargo weight.
- Must be less than bridge limits and posted road limits.
- Bill of lading provides cargo weight.
- Overweight vehicles are dangerous and illegal.
Memory trick: Bill's weight + truck's might = bridge's light.