operators_manual

Emergency Equipment
It is good practice to carry an emergency
equipment kit in your vehicle. One day, if
you have a roadside emergency, you will
be glad the following items are with you:
• window scraper
• snow brush
• container or bag of sand or salt
• emergency light
• warning triangles
• small shovel
• first aid kit
• fire extinguisher
• vehicle recovery hitches
Drivers Checklist
To keep your vehicle in top shape and
maintain a high level of safety for you, your
passengers, and your load, make a
thorough inspection every day before you
drive. You will save maintenance time later,
and the safety checks could help prevent a
serious accident. Please remember, too,
that Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Regulation 392.7 requires a pre-trip
inspection and so do commercial trucking
companies.
You are not expected to become a
professional mechanic. The purpose of
your inspections is to find anything that
might interfere with the safe and efficient
transportation of yourself, any passengers,
and your load. If you do find something
wrong and cannot fix it yourself, have an
authorized dealer or qualified mechanic
repair your vehicle right away.
The following operations are to be
performed by the driver. Performing these
checks and following the maintenance
procedures in this manual will help keep
your vehicle running properly.
Vehicle Loading
Compare your vehicle's load capacity with
the total load you are carrying. If
adjustments need to be made, make them,
do not drive an overloaded vehicle. If you
are overloaded or your load has shifted,
your vehicle may be unsafe to drive.
WARNING!
Do not exceed the specified load rating.
Overloading can result in loss of vehicle
control, either by causing component fail-
ures or by affecting vehicle handling. Ex-
ceeding load ratings can also shorten the
service life of the vehicle. Failure to comply
may result in death or personal injury.
WARNING!
An unevenly distributed load or excessive
load over one axle can adversely affect the
braking and handling of your vehicle, which
could result in an accident. Even if your load
is under the legal limits, be sure it is distrib-
uted evenly. Failure to comply may result in
death, personal injury, equipment or proper-
ty damage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
or the maximum front and rear Gross Axle
Weight Ratings are determined by the
components installed from the factory on to
the vehicle and their designed
specifications. (Axle weight ratings are
listed on the driver's door edge.)
GVWR is the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating. This is the
MAXIMUM WEIGHT your
vehicle is allowed to carry,
including the weight of the
empty vehicle, loading
SAFETY - Vehicle Loading
24 Y53-6096-1A1 (01/17)
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