Bending the trailer frame, knowingly putting it and your truck over capacity. Hopefully you'll get caught by the authorities before you kill someone.

Thanks for the advice; with a half million accident-free miles, I'm perfectly comfortable with what/how I haul. Even with that weight, it still stops better than a '60s/70s/80s truck with half the weight, I'm not worried. The way people are scared of weight today, one would think you need a 3/4 to haul a bass boat. Take it slow, drive defensively, and you can definitely beat the vehicle's rated capabilities; a lot of the reason payload and tow ratings have jumped up is due to stability control and other computer interventions, but capable driving can do the same. As mentioned in my first post, the truck is a crew cab short bed FX4, and I was simply looking for some numbers in order to get a rough idea; not for fear of the boogie man. A simple "I don't know" or "I'm scared of the dark" would have sufficed.

Capacity is a guideline, not an absolute limit. It's fine. Seeing as how the truck is perfectly controllable, stops fine, and is stable, no one else is in any danger either. Relax.

Capacity is actually a limit. You may chose to ignore it, but by definition it's a limit not a guideline.

ca·pac·i·ty
noun

1. 1.
   the maximum amount that something can contain.
   "the capacity of the freezer is 1.1 cubic feet"synonyms:volume, size, magnitude, dimensions, measurements, proportions
   "the capacity of the freezer"

You are confusing fear with responsibility. I've driven many of the military's craptastic large vehicles from the 60's, 70's and 80's, an overloaded 150 or 250 would be a dream come true by comparison. And yet, I don't. Having driven a lot more than 500,000 miles does not make it ok for me to ignore the limits. Slowing down does not excuse me from the payload or tow capacities. Neither does not yet having had an accident, feeling I know better than the engineers that set the payload and GCVW limits, or feeling I know better than other drivers.

I do know better than other drivers. Many of them, at least. Knowing better means I have a responsibility to know and work within the capabilities of the vehicle I'm driving at any given time, no matter what the situation may be, or how strongly I may feel about my ability to handle said vehicle.

We are driving the average largest vehicles on the road. We have a responsibility to every other driver out there, every family in their minivan, every college kid in their civic, every newborn in the backseat of their parent's Focus, to be as safe as we can be for them, and that starts with not exceeding vehicle capacity.

If you feel otherwise, you are free to consult your state police on the topic.

You should get a Haul Guage. I saw this the other day. Plugs in to the truck and uses the torque converter to tell how much load in the bed or how heavy the trailer is. Pretty insane.

https://www.haulgauge.com/

neg·li·gence
/ˈneɡləjəns/
noun

1. failure to take proper care in doing something.
   "some of these accidents are due to negligence"
   • LAW
     failure to use reasonable care, resulting in damage or injury to another

That is pretty insane - have you used it? Wonder how accurate it is.

:huh:

That's like saying speed limits are guidelines.

Or the capacity of an elevator is a guideline.

Or the capacity of a fuel reservoir is a guideline.

Or the capacity of a bridge is a guideline...

Well lets not get all crazy. Speed Limits are guidelines...until you get caught