HRD, the receipt you see in the post is with a cargo of about 2,500-3,000 lb, which in itself doesn't add much to the front axle, so it's not empty.
Since putting the pipeline truck bed on, I haven't weighed the deuce empty, but it should be about 17,500 just by itself.
The HIAB crane weighs just under 4,000 lb.
By comparison, the M756A2 pipeline truck weighs almost 17,000 lb empty.
By moving the crane boom over the bed, I can reduce the front axle load by about 750 lb. Don't know if the Grove crane offers that option.
My truck came with a winch, but because of the front axle loading, it was removed. The larger 1100 tires also help handle the extra load.