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What Is Payload Capacity? How To Calculate Yours

Andrew Cilio
By: 

Andrew Cilio

 / Apr 18 2023
What Is Payload Capacity? How To Calculate Yours

A truck's payload capacity is the maximum amount of weight it can safely carry–including the weight of the vehicle by itself, any equipment and passengers. 

Whether you use your truck to transport dirt bikes or are the person your friends call when they need help moving, you might often find yourself loading your truck up with hundreds or even thousands of pounds of extra weight. 

However, before you agree to help your friend load up your truck, be sure to note your truck's payload capacity. 

So, what is payload capacity? Continue reading to learn how to calculate payload capacity, safety tips, and more. 

Key Takeaways:

  • Payload capacity is how much weight a vehicle can carry safely. 
  • Towing capacity is the maximum weight a vehicle can safely pull. 
  • To calculate payload capacity, subtract your vehicle's curb weight from the gross vehicle weight.
  • To calculate towing capacity, subtract your vehicle's curb weight from the gross combined vehicle weight rating.
Table of Contents
  1. What Is Payload Capacity?
  2. Payload vs. Towing Capacity: What's the Difference?
  3. How To Calculate Payload Capacity
  4. How To Calculate Towing Capacity
  5. How To Increase and Decrease Payload Capacity
  6. Safety Tips for Arranging Your Truck’s Payload

What Is Payload Capacity?

Payload capacity is the maximum amount of weight a truck can carry while maintaining safety.

Payload is the combined weight of both the cargo and the passengers inside the truck. It's important to note that payload includes the weight in both the truck bed and the cabin, including the weight of passengers, luggage, tool boxes, and whatever else you store in your truck. 

Let's say, for example,  that your truck's payload capacity is 2,000 pounds. If you're carrying four passengers that weigh 200 pounds each, then you should only add 1,200 pounds of additional cargo. 

Illustration of a pick up truck carrying cargo in the truck bed. Payload capacity is the maximum weight a truck can safely carry.

Why Does Payload Capacity on a Truck Matter?

Payload capacity matters because carrying more weight than allowed can damage your vehicle and cause accidents. Not to mention, exceeding payload capacity is illegal in many states. 

If you go above your vehicle's payload capacity, the following can occur:

  • Accidents: Going above the payload capacity can make accelerating, turning, and stopping more difficult, which can cause an accident to occur. 
  • Stress on the frames, suspension, breaks, and tires: Stress on your vehicle can lead to additional wear and tear and structural damage, resulting in costly repairs. 
  • Legal trouble: In some states, exceeding payload capacity is illegal, and you might incur a fine. 
  • Void of warranty: Exceeding payload capacity can legally void your warranty. 

Payload vs. Towing Capacity: What's the Difference? 

Payload capacity refers to how much weight your truck can carry while towing capacity is how much weight you can pull behind your truck, such as with a trailer or a camper. 

Towing capacity is typically much higher than payload capacity. For example, the 2023 Chevy Silverado 1500 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 has a payload capacity of 2,080 pounds and a towing capacity of 11,000 pounds. 

How To Calculate Payload Capacity

Check your owner's manual or the place card on the driver's side door jamb to find your truck's payload capacity. If you can't find it there, you can also calculate payload capacity yourself using this simple formula: 

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating - Curb Weight = Payload Capacity

Gross vehicle weight refers to the maximum amount of weight the vehicle can safely handle. This includes the weight of the vehicle itself plus any cargo or passengers. Curb weight is the weight of just the vehicle itself, a full gas tank, and all necessary equipment.

To calculate payload capacity, subtract your vehicle's curb weight from the vehicle weight rating. 

Illustration of a truck on a scale showing that Gross Vehicle Weight Rating - Curb Weight = Payload Capacity

Let's use the 2023 Ford F-150 as an example. This truck has a gross vehicle weight of 6,010 pounds and a curb weight of 4,465 pounds. Using the above formula, the truck's payload capacity would equal 1,545 pounds. 

How To Calculate Towing Capacity

You can refer to your owner's manual to determine towing capacity, or you can calculate it using the following formula: 

Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating - Curb Weight = Towing Capacity 

The gross combined vehicle weight is the maximum weight of the truck plus its attached trailer. Once you determine this number, subtract the curb weight to get the towing capacity. 

Illustration of pick up truck with trailer on a scale showing how to calculate towing capacity.

For example, if your vehicle has a GCVW of 12,000 pounds and a curb weight of 5,000 pounds. Your towing capacity would be 7,000 pounds. 

How To Increase and Decrease Payload Capacity

While you can't increase your truck's official payload capacity, removing excess weight from your truck can help make the ride more comfortable when carrying loads near your truck's maximum payload capacity.  

Here are a few ways to remove weight from your truck: 

  • Clean out extra items. Consider removing extra items that you store in your truck, such as tool boxes.
  • Limit passengers. Since passengers contribute to payload capacity, it's best to limit the number of passengers when transporting heavy loads. 
  • Remove the back seat. If you're not using the backseat of your truck, removing it can take away roughly 50 pounds of weight. 

Similarly, certain truck accessories like bed liners and truck bed weights can decrease your vehicle's payload capacity. If you're adding these items to your truck, be sure to know how much they weigh so you can factor them in when determining how much payload capacity you have left. 

Safety Tips for Arranging Your Truck’s Payload

In addition to ensuring you stay under your truck's payload capacity, how you arrange your truck's payload is also an important safety factor.

Here are some safety tips to incorporate when hauling cargo:

  • Place down the heaviest items first. Placing heavier items at the bottom makes your cargo less likely to shift. 
  • Tie down cargo with ratchet straps. Use ratchet straps to securely tie cargo down to your truck bed. 
  • Use a cargo net to keep everything in place. Cargo nets keep cargo from shifting or falling off as you drive. 
  • Display a visibility flag. If your cargo sticks out of the back of the truck, be sure to abide by the law and place a red or orange visibility flag on it to alert other drivers. 
  • Drive carefully. When possible, accelerate and break slowly to avoid shifting the cargo. 

Payload Capacity FAQs

Is the Advertised Payload Capacity Accurate? 

Oftentimes, manufacturers and dealerships will calculate a payload capacity based on only the driver in the vehicle and no extra cargo, which is unrealistic for the average truck driver. Be sure to verify your truck's payload capacity with a third-party source, such as the Society of Automotive Engineers.

What is Payload Capacity for a Trailer?

The payload capacity for a trailer is the maximum amount of weight your trailer can safely carry. 

 

More Hauling Safety Guides:

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