2500 vs 3500

[GaryCarter]

There is a widespread misbelief that DOT cares what you weigh. THEY DO NOT.



DOT is there to enforce taxation. Taxes are higher for heavier vehicles. You can legally drive as heavy as you pay for.

How do you think houses and heavy machinery gets moved? Do you think the tractor has a 300,000 pound weight rating? Of course not! They pay for an overweight permit, and away they go- legally.



Now this is not to say that DOT does not enforce other requirements, such as lighting, brakes, size, etc. But it's mostly about the money.



Gary

 

[klenger]

True weight police can only be found on the internet forums. To add to what Gary said, the DOT will also enforce weight vs. total tire width. After looking at the formula, my 1 ton SRW truck would have to be at about 30,000 lbs to be overweight based on their formula. That's the truck's weight, not the combined weight.

 

[Matt S]

If that where the case they would NEVER have to pay out for anything, someone is always negligent when there is an accident. I know a lot of people that are/where negligent, speeding, sleepy, drunk, whetever, and the insurance payed. That's what insurance is. I still feel that unless you are GROSSLY overloaded you will be fine.

I don't disagree with what you have said. I will however make one last point. Who's definition of GROSSLY overloaded do you think the insurance company is going after? Yours or theirs? You only get sued for the amount of your insurance if your definitions don't match up? I don't think so.

 

[JMingledorff]

I think the point Matt is trying to make is not that your insurance co will sue you. They won't, they'll pay then cancel you. But that the person that you injure WILL sue you. Hell people in accidents sue when they don't have any injuries. Imagine if they were really and truely hurt, AND can show that you were negligent. They will get everything that you own or ever would own. One reason that I carry an umbrella insurance policy. Also law and whether you paid the "tax" to be legal doesn't matter. It is up to whatever idiots ended up on that jury whether you were overloaded or negligent or not. I can gaurantee they won't be truckers or hot-shots.