[motto]

I know little of the pre 1942 Chevrolet trucks and am somewhat surprised that the army classed these vehicles as 3 ton.
The 42 model we know as the lend/lease Chev was basically the same truck with different sheet metal and was rated at 1-1/2 ton by the U.S. military and by Chevrolet themselves though in this country in civilian life at least they were generally considered to be 3 ton trucks.
I have a copy of TM 10-1677 for Chevrolet models 4403, 4408, 4409 and 4412 dated June 1, 1943. Stuck (glued) on the front cover is a strip of paper printed in red with the following information.
SPECIAL NOTICE The 160" Wheelbase CHEVROLET TRUCKS imported by the Commonwealth Government for essential civilian users are equipped with:-
HEAVY 10" x 5/16" FRAME REINFORCEMENTS,AUXILIARY SPRINGS, 7" WHEELS, 7-7.50 X 20 TYRES AND HAVE A GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF 14,300 lbs
TARE WEIGHTS ARE- CHASSIS AND CAB 4,368 lbs. TRUCK WITH PLATFORM BODY 5,068 lbs, TRUCK WITH DROPSIDE BODY 5,348 lbs, WITH STAKESIDES BODY 5,488 lbs.
Subtracting the dropside truck tare weight from the allowable gross vehicle weight gives 8952 lbs or just under four tons.
It seems the rating figures were a bit rubbery and depended on who you were dealing with. The different load ratings that have you puzzled Lionel could refer to the same vehicle.

David