[DutchmenSport]

In Indiana, a privately owned truck (not commercial) is tagged based on the total gross weight of the vehicle, which is everything the truck will ever carry in the bed of the truck as well as the truck itself.

My dualy, on the door jab, says the max weight for my vehicle is something over 12,000 pounds. When I first plated the truck, I had a good talk with the rep at the BVM. She was going to give me a plate tag for 7,000 pounds, which is the bottom weight for private own pick-up trucks. I asked her, what would happen if I overloaded the total weight, more than 7,000 pounds, and she said, if caught, I'd be fined for being overweight.

On the other had, if I had a Chevy 1500 or an F150 that had a max weight for everything of 7000 pounds or less, I could still get it plated for 11,000 pounds and not be in any kind of violation in Indiana if I were caught, say for example with a total weight of 9000 pounds, because it's plated for 11,000, even if the truck is rated rated at only 7000.

I decided right then to go with the 11,000 pound tag, which was the closest I could get without jumping over the line to a commercial license plate. My truck by itself weighs over 7000 pounds. Add another 3 or 4 to the bed of the truck and .. well, I'd be over the licensed weight rating.

Now, she did tell me, and I confirmed this with a law enforcement officer one day, that if I had a bumper-pull trailer, the tongue weight on the ball hitch does not add to the weight of the trailer, but a fifth wheel trailer will, as the king pin is resting on the bed of the truck.

I've never been stopped anywhere or for any reason to be weighed.