GVW stands for Gross Vehicle Weight, which is the weight of a vehicle plus the weight of the maximum payload that the vehicle was designed to carry. The GVW is not a limit or specification, but rather the actual weight that is obtained when the fully loaded vehicle is driven onto a scale. It is important to note that the Gross Vehicle Weight must not exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), which is the maximum amount of weight that a vehicle can handle safely. The GVWR can be found on the placard attached to the drivers side door. The difference between the empty weight of a vehicle and the GVW is not significantly different in cars and small light trucks, but the largest trucks and tractor-trailers have a payload capacity share of 200%, which means they can carry 200% of their empty weight. The medium-sized trucks (truck classes 3-6) have payload capacity shares between 50% and 100% .