In the United States, commercial truck classification is determined based on the vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). The classes are numbered 1 through 8. Trucks are also classified more broadly by the
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which groups classes 1 and 2 as
light duty, 3 through 6 as
medium duty, and 7 and 8 as
heavy duty. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a separate system of emissions classifications for trucks. The
United States Census Bureau also assigned classifications in its Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS) (formerly Truck Inventory and Use Survey (TIUS)). United States federal law requires drivers to have a
commercial driver's license (CDL) to operate heavy-duty vehicles (Class 7 and 8) in commerce, with the exception of
emergency vehicles and vehicles strictly used for
recreational and/or
agricultural purposes, though it allows states to require a CDL for these vehicles under their discretion. A CDL is also required to operate any vehicle that transports at least 16 passengers (including the driver) or hazardous materials requiring placards under federal and state law regardless of the weight of the vehicle. States may extend CDL requirements for additional vehicles, for example,
New York requires a CDL to operate a
stretched limousine and
California requires a CDL for any vehicle with three or more
axles that has a
gross vehicle weight rating of over 6,000 pounds.
Table of US GVWR classifications Notes on weight classes "Ton" rating When light-duty trucks were first produced in the United States, they were rated by their payload capacity in
tons: (1000 pounds), (1500 pounds) and 1-ton (2000 pounds). Ford had introduced the "One-Tonner" in 1938 to their line of trucks. The "Three-quarter-tonner" appeared in the Ford truck lineup in 1939. The truck was marketed with a "Nominal Tonnage Rating: Half-Ton." In 1975, a change in U.S. emission laws required any vehicle under 6000 pounds GVWR to burn unleaded fuel. U.S. pickup truck manufacturers responded with a "heavy half" pickup of over 6000 pounds GVWR. This has led to categorizing trucks similarly, even if their payload capacities are different. The Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500, Ford F-150, Nissan Titan, Ram 1500, and Toyota Tundra are called "half-ton" pickups (-ton). The Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500, Ford F-250, and Ram 2500 are called "three-quarter-ton" pickups. The Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 3500, Ford F-350, and Ram 3500 are known as "one ton" pickups. These include
tractor trailer tractors, single-unit dump trucks of a GVWR over 33,000 lb, as well as non-commercial chassis fire trucks; such trucks typically have 3 or more axles.
The typical 5-axle tractor-trailer combination, also called a "
semi" or "18-wheeler", is a Class 8 vehicle. Standard trailers vary in length from containers to van trailers, with the most common length being the trailer. Specialized trailers for oversized loads can be considerably longer. Commercial operation of a Class 8 vehicle in the United States requires either a Class-B CDL for non-combination vehicles, or a Class-A CDL for combination vehicles (tractor-trailers). Industries that generally use Class 8 trucks are long-distance freight transportation, construction, and heavy equipment moving. ==Canada==