GMC Pickups 101: Alphabet Soup of Acronyms

Explaining the GVWRs, the SRWs and the DRWs

Editor’s Note: For more than 100 years, GMC pickups have come in many varieties to suit a wide range of customer demands. From that have come a number of acronyms for various capacities and features. This third in an occasional series of “GMC Pickups 101” features explains those jumbles of letters.

DETROIT – Nearly every full-size pickup owner has a unique use for his or her truck. And considering the GMC Sierra’s 19 different cab and box combinations, the veritable alphabet soup of models practically has its own language of acronyms.

Some of the most important truck acronyms for owners to know are gross weight ratings. Exceeding any of a truck’s weight ratings is unsafe, and it’s a driver’s responsibility to know and avoid exceeding them.

“Nearly every vehicle performance attribute is designed and tested to one or more gross weight rating,” said Robert Krouse, General Motors trailering engineer. ”Body and chassis structural durability, powertrain and driveline durability, handling, braking, thermal and propulsion performance are all validated to specific ratings. That’s why it’s so important for owners to understand those limits.”

• GAWR, or Gross Axle Weight Rating, is the maximum amount of weight that can be placed on either a truck’s front or rear axle, including the weight of the truck, driver, passengers, equipment and cargo. A higher front GAWR generally means more capacity for accessories like plows, while a high rear GAWR relates to a higher payload.
• GVWR, or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, is the maximum amount of weight for the entire truck and everything in it. This number isn’t simply each axle rating added together; for that to work, the owner would have to precisely load so that each axle weight rating is met just as the overall vehicle rating is met, which isn’t possible in real world conditions. As a result, GVWR is always lower than the sum of each axle to account for changes in weight distribution.
• GCWR, or Gross Combined Weight Rating, is the maximum weight of a truck and an attached trailer, plus everything in each of them. Some of a trailer’s weight is supported by the truck – this is known as tongue weight – a GCWR isn’t simply the GVWR plus the trailer’s weight. When attaching a trailer, an owner should factor tongue weight into a truck’s payload capacity.

“It’s very important that drivers observe these limits to maintain safe stopping distances,” said Krouse. “Not only that, overloading a truck causes excessive wear on suspension and brakes and could lead to engine or transmission failure.”

The 2013 Sierra’s highest GCWR is 30,500 pounds for a 3500HD Duramax DRW model. DRW, another truck acronym, applies only to 3500HD one-ton pickups. It implies a “dual rear wheel” option, as opposed to a “single rear wheel,” or SRW.

The option adds not only higher payload and weight limits, but also better stability with a large trailer attached. For a 2013 Sierra 3500HD 4x4 Crew Cab, a DRW option adds 5,700 pounds of available trailer weight rating and 1,011 pounds of payload capacity.

GMC has manufactured trucks since 1902, and is one of the industry's healthiest brands. Innovation and engineering excellence is built into all GMC vehicles and the brand is evolving to offer more fuel-efficient trucks and crossovers, including the Terrain small SUV and Acadia crossover.  GMC is the only manufacturer to offer three full-size hybrid trucks with the Yukon, Yukon Denali SUVs and the Sierra pickup. The Sierra Heavy Duty pickups are the most capable and powerful trucks in the market. Details on all GMC models are available at http://www.gmc.com/, on Twitter at @thisisgmc or at http://www.facebook.com/gmc.

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New GMC Campaign Celebrates the Art of Precision

Features entire showroom for the first time 

since ‘Professional Grade’ debut

DETROIT – Precision can be the difference between winning and losing, or that element that separates ordinary from a cut above. GMC today unveiled “Precision,” an advertising campaign promoting the brand’s relentless attention to detail, a foundational value for the brand.

The multimedia campaign is part of a major investment by GMC this year that showcases GMC’s full line of premium trucks, SUVs and crossovers, including its popular Denali sub-brand. The entire GMC showroom is featured in the campaign for the first time since the 2000 launch of tagline “GMC: We Are Professional Grade.” The ads represent a broader, contemporary interpretation of the longstanding GMC positioning. 

“For discerning GMC customers, Professional Grade has evolved to mean exacting attention to detail and fine craftsmanship in everything they do and purchase,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of GMC Sales and Marketing. “Precision is a core attribute of the brand and is reflected in GMC’s continued momentum. GMC’s year-over-year sales gains are a strong indicator that premium GMC attributes resonate with customers who seek more from their vehicles.”

“Fastball,” the first of three TV ads developed by GMC and agency-of-record Leo Burnett Detroit begins airing nationally in a 60-second ad on March 2. The ad’s underlying theme is that the same precision and attention to detail applied by pro athletes and accomplished professionals translate to GMC engineers and designers. Ultimately customers who demand superior execution in the products they purchase look for the same level of precision and craftmanship.

“Fastball” opens with a panoramic view of a packed ballpark. The scene shifts to San Francisco Giants left-handed relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt as he deftly paints the corners of the plate, a “Rembrandt” in baseball terminology. Striking out a batter is one thing; painting the corners of the plate to strike out the batter elevates his craft to a higher level.

As the narrator speaks, shots of Affeldt pitching alternate with GMC vehicle details, such as the French stitching on a GMC leather seat and a grille’s sparkling meshwork.

“Precision, to me, is pretty much everything in the role I play on my team,” said Affeldt, explaining that he continually pushes himself because a lack of precision can contribute to a loss on the diamond. Affeldt’s precise fastball helped his team win the 2014 World Series.

“Swish,” the second of the three TV ads, features basketball forward Harrison Barnes, of the Golden State Warriors, as he sends a ball clean through the hoop without touching the rim.

“When you have that perfect swish, you hear the net and it goes right in,” Barnes said. “That’s precision, and it’s the best shot you can shoot. We’re always striving for that precise movement and pure shot.”

The third TV ad, “Sharp,” draws a parallel with contemporary menswear. The ad juxtaposes the details of an impeccably dressed man, right down to his designer cufflinks, to the precision features on a GMC Yukon Denali.

The “Precision” ads will air throughout 2015, and the campaign will extend to digital, social and print advertising featuring every truck, crossover and SUV in the 2015 GMC lineup. 

All three “Precision” ads open with an instrumental portion of The Who’s “Eminence Front,” chosen for its confident tone and technical, precise musical execution.

GMC has manufactured trucks since 1902, with innovation and engineering excellence built into all GMC vehicles. The brand is evolving to offer more fuel-efficient trucks and crossovers, including the Terrain small SUV and Acadia crossover. GMC’s highest-volume vehicle, the Sierra pickup, is the most powerful light-duty pickup on the market, and the first full-size pickup to receive the highest-possible five-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration changed its New Car Assessment Program for the 2011 model year. Details on all GMC models are available at http://www.gmc.com/, on Twitter at @thisisgmc or at http://www.facebook.com/gmc.

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