Tare Weight
What tare weight means and how it is used to calculate a household-goods shipment's net weight.
Published 4 Sep 2026 · Updated 5 Sep 2026. Sources, scope and corrections
TRE Dictionary
Tare Weight
Tare weight is the reference weight of the moving vehicle without the shipment being measured, with the required transport equipment accounted for.
In plain English
It is the measured reference subtracted from loaded gross weight. “Empty truck weight” is shorthand; it does not mean every pad, dolly or ramp is removed, and a manufacturer’s advertised empty weight is not automatically the required scale measurement.
Why it matters
Under 49 CFR 375.509, covered interstate origin weighing uses the same vehicle before and after loading. Back weighing uses the loaded gross weight and the same vehicle’s tare after unloading. Required equipment must be present, people must be off the vehicle, and the specified fuel conditions must be followed at both weighings.
For example, 24,600 pounds gross minus 18,200 pounds tare gives 6,400 pounds net. A mismatched reference weight can produce a misleading shipment weight.
Responsibility and handoff
Connect the signed tare and gross records through vehicle and shipment identifiers. Billing should use the resulting net weight and the applicable tariff and estimate rules, keeping any billing minimum distinct from the measurement.
TRE common-language definition
Tare Weight: The reference weight of the vehicle without the shipment being measured, established under the applicable weighing procedure.
Related terms
Gross Weight · Net Weight · Certified Weight Ticket · Weight · Tariff
Put it into practice
Use the Shipment Weight guide for weighing, reweigh rights and the path from scale records to charges.
Sources & Evidence
49 CFR 375.509 — Weighing methods and controls · 49 CFR 375.519 — Weight tickets
Federal requirements described here concern covered interstate household-goods moves. Other move types may follow different rules.
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