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35-643: The Chevrolet Bison was discontinued after 1980 as GM ended the marketing of Chevrolet heavy trucks. In 1986, General Motors entered a joint venture with Volvo to produce heavy trucks, leading GMC to end production of the General conventional and Astro cabover in 1987. The GMC General and Chevrolet Bison were assembled in Pontiac, Michigan at Pontiac Central Assembly (alongside the Chevrolet Bruin and GMC/WhiteGMC Brigadier). As of current production,

70-530: A European driving licence include (among others) B for general motor vehicles, C for large goods vehicles, D for large passenger vehicles (buses), and are limited by the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and number of passenger seats. The general categories are further divided as follows: For the "trailer" categories, a separate driving test is generally required (e.g., "C", and "CE" require separate tests). The classifications used on

105-468: A 1-ton Dodge Van or a 1 ⁄ 2 -ton GMC Suburban), medium duty trucks (e.g. the 1 1 ⁄ 2 -ton Ford F-550 ) and some military vehicles, like the ubiquitous deuce-and-a-half . Some pickup trucks may be marketed as heavy duty (eg Ram Heavy Duty ), super duty (eg Ford Super Duty ) or simply "HD". This is not to be confused with the truck classification of class 7 and 8 being heavy duty. The Class 8 truck gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)

140-544: A 702-cubic-inch GMC V12 gasoline engine, the truck was available with the Detroit Diesel 6-71, 6V71, 8V71, and 12V71 engines. Along with single-axle or tandem-axle configurations, the GMC Crackerbox was available with a sleeper cab . In the late 1960s, as American truck manufacturers introduced updated designs for cabover trucks, design work began on an all-new Class 8 cabover. Expanding the product line to

175-493: A CDL for any vehicle with three or more axles that has a gross vehicle weight rating of over 6,000 pounds. When light-duty trucks were first produced in the United States, they were rated by their payload capacity in tons : 1 ⁄ 2 (1000 pounds), 3 ⁄ 4 (1500 pounds) and 1-ton (2000 pounds). Ford had introduced the "One-Tonner" in 1938 to their line of trucks. The "Three-quarter-tonner" appeared in

210-433: A CDL for these vehicles under their discretion. A CDL is also required to operate any vehicle that transports at least 16 passengers (including the driver) or hazardous materials requiring placards under federal and state law regardless of the weight of the vehicle. States may extend CDL requirements for additional vehicles, for example, New York requires a CDL to operate a stretched limousine and California requires

245-600: A day cab, a 34-inch sleeper cab was offered, along with a walk-in sleeper cab (introduced in 1985). While no gasoline engines were available, several diesel powerplants were available, with the Detroit Diesel 6-71 (later replaced by the 6V92) as the standard engine. Alongside the 6-71, a buyer could choose the Cummins N-series, or Detroit Diesel 8V71 and 8V92. Following its introduction in the GMC Astro,

280-605: A dealership. Following the launch of the product line, the GMC General quickly overtook the Chevrolet Bison in sales and market share. In 1981, General Motors ended sales of heavy trucks by the Chevrolet Division, leading to the cancellation of the Chevrolet Bruin, Bison, and Titan. A major factor leading to the cancellation was lack of product support by Chevrolet dealers. In contrast to other GM brands,

315-401: A joint venture with General Motors in heavy-truck production, with Volvo taking an 85% stake. Having acquired White Motor Company in 1980, the joint venture would do business as Volvo GM Heavy Truck Corporation, selling trucks under the combined WhiteGMC product badge. Under the joint venture, GMC trucks were phased out in favor of White-designed Volvo GM products. In 1987, the final GMC General

350-523: A key requirement of GMC franchisees of the time was the ability to sell and service the entire GMC product line. In addition to light trucks, this meant a potential GMC franchise needed the ability to support medium-duty trucks, heavy-duty commercial trucks, the GMC motorhome , P-chassis, and school bus chassis . For a typical dealership, this meant dedicating profitable space that would have otherwise gone to selling passenger cars. In 1986, Volvo AB entered into

385-530: A separate system of emissions classifications for trucks. The United States Census Bureau also assigned classifications in its Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey (VIUS) (formerly Truck Inventory and Use Survey (TIUS)). United States federal law requires drivers to have a commercial driver's license (CDL) to operate heavy-duty vehicles (Class 7 and 8) in commerce, with the exception of emergency vehicles and vehicles strictly used for recreational and/or agricultural purposes, though it allows states to require

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420-484: Is a vehicle with a GVWR exceeding 33,000 lb (14,969 kg). These include tractor trailer tractors, single-unit dump trucks of a GVWR over 33,000 lb, as well as non-commercial chassis fire trucks; such trucks typically have 3 or more axles. The typical 5-axle tractor-trailer combination , also called a " semi " or "18-wheeler", is a Class 8 vehicle. Standard trailers vary in length from 8 ft (2.4 m) containers to 57 ft (17 m) van trailers, with

455-683: The Chevrolet Titan ) is a heavy-duty ( Class 8 ) cabover truck that was manufactured by the GMC Truck and Coach Division of General Motors from the 1969 to 1987 model years. Succeeding the F/D-series "Crackerbox" cabovers, the Astro was marketed by Chevrolet as the Titan, serving as the largest cabover truck ever produced by General Motors. Following the 1980 model year, Chevrolet exited

490-570: The gross trailer weight rating (GTWR), and can vary among jurisdictions. In the United States, commercial truck classification is determined based on the vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). The classes are numbered 1 through 8. Trucks are also classified more broadly by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which groups classes 1 and 2 as light duty , 3 through 6 as medium duty , and 7 and 8 as heavy duty . The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has

525-470: The 13-class system from the United States' Federal Highway Administration —sometimes with modifications, or in Ontario's case, for limited purposes. British Columbia and Ontario also distinguish between short- and long-combination trucks. In accident reporting, eight jurisdictions subdivide trucks by GVWR into light and heavy classes at approximately 4 500 kg ( 9 921 lb ). Vehicle categories on

560-652: The 1987 GMC General and Brigadier are the final Class 8 conventional-cab trucks produced by General Motors. In 1966, GMC Truck and Coach introduced its first dedicated heavy-duty trucks, moving away from trucks adapted from the smaller C/K line . The division introduced two lines using a common cab, the H/J-Series (93-inch BBC) and the C/M-Series (112-inch BBC). Using a longer hood, the C/M-series trucks were designed to accommodate larger diesel engines, such as

595-631: The Astro/Titan were marketed exclusively with diesel engines. The base engine was the Detroit Diesel 6-71N, with the Detroit 8V71 and Cummins N-Series diesel engines as options. In 1972, the Detroit 12V71 became available as an option; though rarely ordered, the V12 engine would remain through 1978. Although Detroit Diesel had developed a gas-turbine version of the GMC Astro in the early 1970s, fuel-economy concerns would keep it out of production. In 1977,

630-529: The Caterpillar 3406 was introduced in 1982. When introduced in 1977, the Bison/General were available from dealers as vehicle gliders . Essentially a complete truck with the exception of the engine, transmission, and rear axles, the incomplete vehicles were designed for a dual purpose: to either reinstall an existing powertrain in a new truck or to allow for further customization not available from

665-674: The Chevrolet Bison and GMC General in 1977, with the H/J range renamed the Chevrolet Bruin/GMC Brigadier in 1978. Similar in layout to the Ford LTL-9000 , International Harvester Transtar 4300 , and Mack Super-Liner , the Chevrolet Bison and GMC General are Class 8 conventional trucks. Produced with an all-aluminum cab built by Budd , the trucks were available in many different combinations. Two hood configurations were offered (108-inch or 116-inch BBC); along with

700-541: The Chevrolet brand, the replacement for the GMC Crackerbox sought to expand interior space, visibility, and driver ergonomics. For the 1969 model year, the GMC Crackerbox was replaced by the GMC Astro, while the Chevrolet Titan was unveiled for the 1970 model year. The GMC Astro and Chevrolet Titan are Class 8 cabover-engine (COE) trucks, sold in both single and tandem rear axle configurations. In contrast to

735-419: The Chevrolet division, leading to the cancellation of the Chevrolet Bruin, Bison, and Titan. A major factor leading to the cancellation was lack of support for heavy-duty trucks by Chevrolet dealers. In contrast to other GM brands, a key requirement of GMC franchisees of the time was the ability to sell and service the entire GMC product line. In addition to light trucks, this meant a potential GMC franchise needed

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770-518: The Crackerbox, the cab of the Astro was lengthened nearly six inches into a 54-inch BBC length with two sleeper cab configurations available. In what would be a distinguishing feature of the vehicle, the Astro/Titan was produced with a wraparound dashboard; the speedometer and tachometer were placed directly in the line of sight of the driver while most secondary gauges were placed off to the side, based on their level of use. In stark contrast to

805-521: The Cummins KT450 and Caterpillar 3406 became options; the larger engines required the addition of a larger radiator. In 1979, the 6-71 was replaced by the 6V92, making all available Detroit Diesel engines V-type engines; the 6V71 was discontinued after 1980. Following the launch of the cabover product line in 1969, the GMC Astro quickly exceeded the Chevrolet Titan in sales and market share. In 1981, General Motors ended sales of heavy trucks by

840-648: The Cummins NH and Cummins V903, and the Detroit Diesel 8V71. The center-hinged "butterfly" hood of the H/J-series was replaced on the C/M by a front-hinged fiberglass hood. Following the introduction of the medium-duty C/K in 1973, the 112-inch BBC truck was consolidated to the M-Series. During 1977 and 1978, GMC Truck and Coach further split its heavy-duty truck range. The Chevrolet M90/GMC M9500 were replaced by

875-543: The Ford truck lineup in 1939. Over time, payload capacities for most domestic pickup trucks have increased while the ton titles have stayed the same. The 1948 Ford F-1 had a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 4700 pounds. The truck was marketed with a "Nominal Tonnage Rating: Half-Ton." The actual cargo capacity had increased to 1450 pounds. Ford adopted this promotional nomenclature in 1948 to assist buyers, sellers, and users. The now-imprecise ton rating has continued since

910-604: The White GMC and Western Star brands (the WhiteGMC WH and Western Star Cabover; both versions of the White Road Commander II ), the GMC Astro was never directly replaced by Volvo GM, Volvo, or General Motors. Truck classification Truck classifications are typically based upon the maximum loaded weight of the truck , typically using the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) and sometimes also

945-483: The ability to support medium-duty trucks, heavy-duty commercial trucks, the GMC motorhome, P-chassis, and school bus chassis. For a typical dealership, this meant dedicating profitable space that would have otherwise gone to selling passenger cars. In 1986, Volvo AB entered into a joint venture with General Motors in heavy-truck production, with Volvo taking an 85% stake. Having already acquired White Motor Company in 1980,

980-452: The boxy Crackerbox, the exterior of the Astro/Titan featured rounded body corners and wraparound windshield glass. In 1975, GMC introduced a Dragfoiler roof spoiler as an option. In an option that became standard a year later, in 1979, GMC and Chevrolet offered the SS (Special Series) package. Featuring a (much) larger radiator grille, improvements to exterior and interior trim, the SS package

1015-516: The entire production run, the trucks were assembled in Pontiac, Michigan by the Pontiac Central Assembly facility. In 1959, GMC introduced its Class 8 cabover trucks, replacing the previous " Cannonball " fixed-cab cabovers. Distinguished by its boxy appearance, it earned the nickname "Crackerbox." Available in a 48-inch BBC (bumper to back of cab) length, the truck was produced with an all-aluminum fully tilting cab. Alongside

1050-607: The heavy-truck segment; thereafter, alongside the Brigadier and General conventionals, the Astro was marketed solely under the GMC brand. In 1986, General Motors created the Volvo–GM joint venture with Volvo Trucks, leading to the discontinuation of the Astro in 1987. As of current production, GM has not marketed another Class 8 cabover truck (as the configuration has effectively ended production in North America). Throughout

1085-428: The joint venture would do business as Volvo GM Heavy Truck Corporation, selling trucks under the combined WhiteGMC product badge. Under the joint venture, GMC trucks were phased out in favor of White-designed Volvo GM products. The GMC Astro ceased production after the 1987 model year (coincidentally, two years after Chevrolet launched a van with the same name ). Although Volvo GM would continue sales of COE trucks under

GMC General - Misplaced Pages Continue

1120-841: The most common length being the 53 ft (16 m) trailer. Specialized trailers for oversized loads can be considerably longer. Commercial operation of a Class 8 vehicle in the United States requires either a Class-B CDL for non-combination vehicles, or a Class-A CDL for combination vehicles (tractor-trailers). Industries that generally use Class 8 trucks are long-distance freight transportation, construction, and heavy equipment moving. Vehicle classifications vary among provinces in Canada, due to "differences in size and weight regulations, economic activity, physical environment, and other issues". While several provinces use their own classification schemes for traffic monitoring, Manitoba , Ontario , Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan have adopted

1155-925: The post World War II era to compare standard sizes, rather than actual capacities. In 1975, a change in U.S. emission laws required any vehicle under 6000 pounds GVWR to burn unleaded fuel. U.S. pickup truck manufacturers responded with a "heavy half" pickup of over 6000 pounds GVWR. The F-150 had a capacity of over 2000 pounds, compared to 1500 pounds for the F-100. This has led to categorizing trucks similarly, even if their payload capacities are different. The Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500, Ford F-150, Nissan Titan, Ram 1500, and Toyota Tundra are called "half-ton" pickups ( 1 ⁄ 2 -ton). The Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500, Ford F-250, and Ram 2500 are called "three-quarter-ton" pickups. The Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 3500, Ford F-350, and Ram 3500 are known as "one ton" pickups. Similar schemes exist for vans and SUVs (e.g.

1190-532: Was meant to market the Astro/Titan towards owner-operators . In 1983, the Aero Astro option package was released, largely as an effort to improve fuel economy. Along with the Dragfoiler roof spoiler, the option package included body extension panels between the cab and trailer, an air dam below an extended bumper and an optimized radiator grille. In a major change from precedent, when introduced in 1969,

1225-728: Was produced, followed by the Brigadier in 1988 (badged as a WhiteGMC); the withdrawal of the latter marked the exit of General Motors from the Class 8 truck segment. Following the GMC General, Volvo GM focused on the WhiteGMC WC/WI Class 8 conventional. Originally introduced in 1980 as the White Road Boss 2, this model line was produced through 2000 in various forms with either White, WhiteGMC, Autocar, or Volvo badging. GMC Astro The GMC Astro (also known as

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