What are Class 5 trucks?

Last Updated on August 16, 2023

When you choose a truck, you don’t just pick the best-looking model from the lot. You also consider other factors, like specifications, mileage, whether the truck is light duty or heavy duty, and if it has the ability to do the job you have in mind.

Whether you want to use a truck for home improvement or for hauling massive loads across the country, take a closer look at the specs and you’ll discover weight is one of the most important factors. In fact, aside from platform design, weight makes the different between trucks and other vehicles. That’s how we get the different vehicle categories which are aptly name truck classification.

Here’s a helpful guide to understanding how truck classification works.

Why Does a Truck’s Weight Matter?

Before buying a truck, one of the first things you should check is the vehicle’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating

Simply put, the GVWR is how heavy the truck will be after it’s loaded with cargo, fuel, and passengers. Neither the truck’s appearance nor its technology (or lack thereof) factor into the gross vehicle weight. Only the truck’s total operating weight — that is, the truck’s weight while being used or driven on the road — counts.

So why all the fuss over weight? Here are the three main reasons.

• The US government regulates trucks according to weight. If a truck’s GVWR is more than 10,001 pounds, the automotive needs to have a USDOT number so it can be tracked and inspected for safety’s sake. After all, most trucks travel on public roads and if anything happens because a truck is overloaded, responsibility needs to be assigned where responsibility is due, especially if hazardous materials were involved.
• If you drive a truck with a GVWR over 10,001 pounds, you need to follow all sorts of regulations to stay safe on the highway. For example, you should have your vehicle inspected at certain state stations along the road.  
• Weight classes help you stay on the same page with truck dealers, repair crews, and similar parties. If you take your vehicle to a service shop, you benefit from knowing the difference between “light duty,” “medium duty,” and “heavy duty.” In case you add or replace any parts, you have to make sure those new parts won’t drastically affect the GVWR of your automotive.

Truck Weight Class Chart

Types of Trucks

Officially, the government sorts trucks into 8 weight-based classes. Although, most people differentiate these vehicles according to whether they’re light, medium, or heavy duty. Since the government and common classes overlap, we’ll talk about them both.

Light Duty (Classes 1-3)

Class 1

Weight: 6,000 lbs. and lighter

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Examples: Ford Ranger, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Dodge Dakota, Toyota Tacoma

This light duty class consists of the smallest and lightest trucks. They’re not much use for towing or hauling, but if you’re a homeowner or do-it-yourselfer, Class 1 trucks will be enough for you. SUVs and small pickup trucks fall under this category, as do some types of cargo vans and minivans.

Class 2

Weight: 6,001 – 10,000 lbs.

Examples: Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Dodge Ram 1500, Dodge Ram 2500, Ford F-150, Ford F-250, GMC Sierra 1500, Nissan Titan

Full-size or half-ton pickups are usually under Class 2. These trucks can haul between 2,000 and 3,000 pounds on their beds. Sometimes, this class is split into two more categories — Class 2a and 2b. Class 2a trucks have a GVWR of 6,001 to 8,500 pounds, while Class 2b trucks have a GVWR of 8,501 to 10,000 pounds.  

Class 3

Weight: 10,001 – 14,000 lbs.

Examples: Chevrolet Silverado 3500, Dodge Ram 3500, Ford E-350, Ford F-350, GMC Sierra 3500

If you have a heavy-duty pickup truck, chances are it’s a Class 3 truck. This type gets often used for “work truck” jobs, “contractor truck” jobs, and the like. You can also put certain types of  walk-ins, city delivery trucks, and box trucks under this category.   

Medium Duty (Classes 4-6)

Class 4

Weight: 14,001 – 16,000 lbs.

Examples: Dodge Ram 4500, Ford E-450, Ford F-450, GMC 4500

Of all the medium duty trucks, Class 4 trucks are the lightest. You can add “chassis cabs” to convert them into makeshift ambulances, box trucks, or wreckers. Certain types of city delivery trucks, bucket trucks, and large walk-ins belong to this category too.  

Class 5

Weight: 16,001 – 19,500 lbs.

Examples: Dodge Ram 5500, Ford F-550, Freightliner M2 GMC 5500, International TerraStar

The job capabilities of Class 4 and Class 5 trucks tend to overlap a bit, but Class 5 trucks can also do construction and “fleet vehicle” work. This category includes all remaining bucket trucks, large walk-ins, and city delivery trucks.

Class 6

Weight: 19,501 – 26,000 lbs.

Examples: Chevrolet Kodiak (GMC TopKick) C6500, Ford F-650, Freightliner M2 106, International Durastar 4300

Beverage trucks, rack trucks, single-axle trucks, and school buses are some of the vehicles that fall under Class 6. They look and feel like Class 5 vehicles, except they can tow and haul heavier loads. In fact, you can expect Class 6 trucks to work almost as well as Class 7 and 8.

Heavy Duty (Classes 7-8)

Class 7

Weight: 26,001 – 33,000 lbs.

Examples: Ford F-750, GMC C7500, International WorkStar, Mack Granite

If you want to drive a Class 7 truck, you need a Class-B commercial driver’s license (CDL). This is because Class 7 drivers mostly work in heavy duty industries like construction, garbage collection, and livestock transportation. Vehicles under this category include tractors and city transit buses.

To get a CDL, visit your state’s DMV, ask for a Class-B CDL application form, and get ready for a written and a practical test. You will also be required to take a physical test (to make sure your eyes and ears are in good shape) every two years, and must be at least 21 years old to drive a commercial truck on interstate highways.    

Class 8

Weight: 33,001 lbs. and heavier

Examples: Cement Truck, Tractor Trailer, 18-Wheeler

Considering all the trucks on this list, Class 8 types are one of the most common. Sleeper cabs, dump trucks, truck tractors, and cement trucks are examples of Class 8 vehicles.

Since this class are the biggest and heaviest of their kind, they require drivers to get a Class-A or Class-B CDL. Class-A CDLs are for combination vehicles like tractor-trailers, while Class-B CDLs are for non-combination commercial vehicles.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, there’s a lot of consideration that goes into buying a truck! By knowing what kind of jobs you intend to do and what kind of hauling, speed, and other capabilities you’ll need, you’ll have an easier time choosing the model and classification that’s right for you.

Ask a toddler, and they’ll call any vehicle bigger than a sedan a truck. 

Fire truck, dump truck, pickup truck—according to toddlers, a truck’s a truck. Or, in their words, a “twuck.”

In reality, trucks are divided into 9 separate classes based on gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). Each class contains a variety of trucks with special uses that share certain distinct features. Each class also requires unique safety procedures and maintenance requirements.

As part of our ongoing series to explore the world of truck classifications, today we’re diving into Class 5 trucks—the median point between commercial and non-commercial vehicles. Then you can drop some knowledge when you want to one-up a toddler who points at a cherry picker and calls it a “twuck.”

Defining Class 5 Trucks

Truck classes are defined (mostly) by gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which helps in understanding the capacity and usage of various types of trucks. In short, GVWR accounts for the weight of the vehicle along with the weight of cargo, passengers, and fuel.

Class 5 trucks have a GVWR of 15,001 to 19,500 lbs, placing them smack-dab in the middle of the “medium-duty” category. While there are a handful of civilian pickups this large (such as Ford’s F-550), most of these are used for commercial purposes. This includes bucket trucks, cherry pickers, as well as larger walk-ins and delivery trucks.

One class lower (Class 4 trucks) and you’re in the territory of box trucks and small delivery trucks. One class higher (Class 6 trucks) and we’re talking single-axle trucks and school buses.

Types and Uses of Class 5 Trucks

While there are some pickups on the civilian market available (you know, the ones that require a step stool to reach the door), you’ll find that Class 5 trucks are generally for commercial use. They’re large enough to carry a substantial payload but small enough to navigate narrow and crowded urban streets, making for a functional middle ground between vanity pickups and large tractor trailers.

There’s a lot of crossover between Class 5 and Class 6 trucks, so it generally comes down to size, weight, and cargo. The most common Class 5 trucks you might encounter include:

Agricultural Equipment

You’ll find a lot of AG equipment falls under Class 5 (or Class 6), including livestock trucks, feed trucks, and water trucks. Farms might also use Class 5 flatbeds, smaller dump trucks, and refrigerated trucks for transportation and storage. 

Bucket Trucks (aka Cherry Pickers)

Your local electric company probably has bucketloads of bucket trucks in their inventory. The weight of the truck is necessary as a sturdy counter-weight to stabilize the extension of the payload well outside the center of gravity.

Hazardous Material Transportation

Transporting hazardous materials means there’s a higher consequence in the case of an accident or spill. From Class 5 and up, the trucks are sturdy enough to disregard weight distribution fluctuations and move those hazardous materials safely. Light trucks generally lack the weight and stability to do the same.

Licensing and Regulations

Do you need a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to drive a Class 5 truck? We can answer that question with a confident, “probably not, but maybe.”

If you’re asking about your Ford F-550, then no. You just need the standard driver’s license for any personal use vehicles in the Class 5 category. 

But for commercial use, there’s a lot of variety in the Class 5 truck category—so there’s a lot of variety in the licensing and regulation part of it, too. Generally speaking, you don’t need a CDL to drive a Class 5 commercial truck, but it varies by state and use.

A CDL or certain endorsements may be required based on the specific vehicle and what it is being used for, such as transporting hazardous materials or towing heavy loads. Check with your state to figure out what you’re responsible for.

Even if a CDL isn’t strictly required, it’s essential to make sure the driver has proper experience not only in maneuvering larger vehicles but also in handling the specific types of loads they carry. Safety considerations include understanding the vehicle’s blind spots, load distribution, and the specific handling characteristics that come with different cargo types.

Maintenance and Operational Challenges

When it comes to maintenance, Class 5 trucks have a lot of power and mass—meaning they can cause some serious harm if things go wrong. This is especially true if they’re being leveraged to carry heavy and/or hazardous materials.

The double whammy is that those heavy and/or hazardous loads can also increase the wear and tear on those trucks. As with any type of medium or heavy-duty truck, shops and fleets should be vigilant about staying on top of routine inspections and preventive maintenance.

The exact maintenance needs to look out for will depend on the vehicle. AG equipment, for example, is more likely to get damaged or clogged up with mud, plant matter, or “presents” left behind by livestock. Bucket trucks, on the other hand, will be more reliant on functional hydraulics and stabilizers that allow operators to safely lift and maneuver the boom. 

Class 5 Twuck Repair Made So Easy, a Toddler Could Do It

That’s a joke. Toddlers can’t (and shouldn’t) perform the repairs your skilled technicians do on a daily basis. Please don’t let any toddlers crawl under trucks of any class.

But the right software can help your (adult) techs stay on top of their game and focus on the repair. With guided service order workflows, labor time guides, wiring diagrams, and so much more, Fullbay opens up a whole new world of productivity for technicians. 

We’ll also take care of the boring parts, like inventory, repair status, tracking PMs, reporting, and invoicing. Our software was literally made to help independent repair shops and fleet managers with this stuff. See for yourself in a free guided tour of the Fullbay platform!