Box truck classes: weight class chart with real trucks and the rules for each

Box truck classes come from one number on a sticker in the driver's door jamb: the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), the most the loaded truck may weigh. The Federal Highway Administration sorts vehicles into eight weight classes by that rating, and the same truck crosses federal lines for licenses, DOT registration, insurance and fuel tax as its rating goes up. This chart puts real box trucks in each class and shows what changes at each line.

Box truck weight class chart

SOURCE:U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, OCT 2026;U-Haul (page snapshot 2026-09-28, Internet Archive), OCT 2026;Penske Truck Rental, OCT 2026;Budget Truck Rental, OCT 2026;Penske Truck Rental, OCT 2026;U-Haul (page snapshot 2026-09-28, Internet Archive), OCT 2026;Enterprise Truck Rental, OCT 2026;U-Haul (page snapshot 2026-09-28, Internet Archive), OCT 2026;Budget Truck Rental, OCT 2026;Penske Truck Rental, OCT 2026;Freightliner, OCT 2026

The CDL column assumes no placarded hazmat and no trailer. The interstate column applies to trucks used in commerce across state lines; states set their own rules for intrastate business use.

What changes at each line

Four federal lines matter for box truck owners. Two of them sit inside the class chart, one between class 2 and 3 and one between class 6 and 7.

10,001 lb: the truck becomes a commercial motor vehicle

Under FMCSA's safety rules, a vehicle rated 10,001 lb or more used in interstate commerce is a commercial motor vehicle. From class 3 up, a box truck used for business across state lines needs a USDOT number, and its driver falls under the federal safety rules, including medical certification and hours of service.

SOURCE:eCFR, 49 CFR 390.5, OCT 2026;eCFR, 49 CFR 390.201, OCT 2026

10,001 lb: federal insurance minimums apply to for-hire carriers

For a for-hire carrier hauling general freight across state lines, the federal minimum public liability coverage for a vehicle rated 10,001 lb or more is $750,000. Hazmat carries higher minimums. Some brokers and shippers ask for more than the minimum, so check what the loads you want require. Our box truck insurance guide covers the coverage types.

SOURCE:eCFR, 49 CFR 387.9, OCT 2026

26,001 lb: CDL required

A single vehicle rated 26,001 lb or more needs a CDL driver; the federal CDL groups call it a Heavy Straight Vehicle, Group B. That is the line between class 6 and class 7. Note the published ratings on the U-Haul, Budget and Enterprise 24 and 26 ft trucks above: 25,999 or 26,000 lb, at or just under it.

SOURCE:eCFR, 49 CFR 383.5, OCT 2026;eCFR, 49 CFR 383.91, OCT 2026

Over 26,000 lb: IFTA fuel tax for two-axle trucks

Under the IFTA agreement, a two-axle truck rated over 26,000 lb used in interstate travel is a qualified motor vehicle, and the carrier reports fuel use by state. A truck with three or more axles qualifies at any weight. So a two-axle class 7 box truck used across state lines qualifies, and a two-axle class 6 one does not. See do you need IFTA for a box truck.

SOURCE:IFTA Articles of Agreement (iftach.org), OCT 2026

Class 5, 6 and 7 box trucks

The bigger box trucks sit in these three classes.

Class 5 box truck (16,001 to 19,500 lb). A step up from the light trucks, still non-CDL. None of the rental specs we checked landed here, but builders do rate trucks in this band; read the sticker.

Class 6 box truck (19,501 to 26,000 lb). The non-CDL ceiling. The 24 and 26 ft rental trucks we checked are all rated right at the top of this class. A class 6 truck gets the most box and payload a regular license can drive.

Class 7 box truck (26,001 to 33,000 lb). Same box lengths as class 6, more payload: Penske's CDL 22 to 26 ft box lists up to 17,000 lb of payload against 10,000 lb for its non-CDL version. The trade-off is a Class B CDL for every driver, and IFTA for two-axle interstate work.

SOURCE:Penske Truck Rental, OCT 2026;Penske Truck Rental, OCT 2026

Box truck classes and CDL classes are different things

People mix the two up because both use the word "class." FHWA weight classes (1 to 8) describe the vehicle. CDL classes (A, B, C) describe the license, based on the federal groups:

• Group B (Class B CDL): a single vehicle rated 26,001 lb or more, which may tow a trailer rated up to 10,000 lb.
• Group A (Class A CDL): a combination rated 26,001 lb or more where the towed vehicle is rated over 10,000 lb.
• Group C: smaller vehicles that carry 16 or more people or placarded hazmat.

SOURCE:eCFR, 49 CFR 383.91, OCT 2026

A box truck on its own is never Group A, so there is no such thing as a class A box truck unless it is towing. Our straight truck CDL guide covers the Class B license in full.

What about "5 ton" and other tonnage names?

Tonnage names describe payload, not weight class, and they are common in military and older trade naming. Oshkosh Defense, for example, lists its FMTV A2 tactical trucks in 2.5, 3, 8, 8.8 and 10 ton versions. On a civilian box truck, a "5 ton" label tells you little; the GVWR and the published payload tell you what you need.

SOURCE:Oshkosh Defense, OCT 2026

Using the chart

1. Find the GVWR on the door-jamb sticker.
2. Place the truck in the chart.
3. Check the lines it crosses: CDL, USDOT, insurance, IFTA.
4. Compare its payload with your typical load. See box truck weight for how to weigh it.

For size, see the box truck sizes chart; for body styles, box truck types. The truck size calculator checks a load against both.

SOURCE:U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, OCT 2026;eCFR, 49 CFR 383.5, OCT 2026;eCFR, 49 CFR 383.91, OCT 2026;eCFR, 49 CFR 390.5, OCT 2026;eCFR, 49 CFR 390.201, OCT 2026;eCFR, 49 CFR 387.9, OCT 2026;IFTA Articles of Agreement (iftach.org), OCT 2026;U-Haul (page snapshot 2026-09-28, Internet Archive), OCT 2026;Penske Truck Rental, OCT 2026;Budget Truck Rental, OCT 2026;Penske Truck Rental, OCT 2026;U-Haul (page snapshot 2026-09-28, Internet Archive), OCT 2026;Enterprise Truck Rental, OCT 2026;U-Haul (page snapshot 2026-09-28, Internet Archive), OCT 2026;Budget Truck Rental, OCT 2026;Penske Truck Rental, OCT 2026;Freightliner, OCT 2026;Oshkosh Defense, OCT 2026

Questions box truck owners ask

Q-01What class is a 26 foot box truck?

Usually class 6. The rental 26 footers we checked from U-Haul and Budget are rated 25,999 and 26,000 lb GVWR, the top of class 6 (19,501 to 26,000 lb), so they need no CDL. A 26 ft box on a heavier chassis, like Penske's CDL version rated up to 33,000 lb, is class 7 and needs a Class B CDL.

Q-02What class is a box truck?

It depends on the rating, not the box. Among published specs we checked, a 10 ft U-Haul truck is class 2 at 8,600 lb, a 16 ft Penske or Budget truck is class 3 at 12,500 lb, a 20 ft U-Haul truck is class 4 at 14,500 lb, and a 26 ft rental is class 6. Read the GVWR on the door-jamb sticker.

Q-03Is a box truck a Class A vehicle?

Not on its own. Class A, B and C are CDL groups, separate from the FHWA weight classes. A single box truck rated 26,001 lb or more is Group B, a Heavy Straight Vehicle. It becomes Group A only when it tows a trailer rated over 10,000 lb and the combination is rated 26,001 lb or more.

Q-04What is a 5 ton box truck?

A name based on payload in tons rather than weight class, common in older and military naming. Oshkosh Defense, for example, lists its FMTV A2 tactical trucks in 2.5, 3, 8, 8.8 and 10 ton versions. For a civilian box truck, the tonnage name says little; check the GVWR and payload on the spec sheet.

Q-05What is the difference between a class 6 and a class 7 box truck?

The GVWR. Class 6 runs 19,501 to 26,000 lb; class 7 runs 26,001 to 33,000 lb. That one pound at the line is the CDL threshold, so a class 7 box truck needs a Class B driver. It also crosses the 26,000 lb line used by IFTA for two-axle trucks in interstate travel.