About the Truck Payload Capacity Calculator
This truck payload capacity calculator shows how much weight your pickup, van or SUV can still carry. Payload is everything the vehicle carries on top of its own curb weight — driver and passengers, cargo in the bed or cabin, aftermarket accessories such as a toolbox, bed cover or hitch, and the tongue weight of any trailer you tow. The total must stay at or below the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).
It is built for truck owners loading for a trip, buyers comparing trims, and anyone hitching a camper whose heavy tongue weight is about to eat most of the payload. Payload, not the tow rating, is very often the limit that stops a half-ton truck from pulling a large travel trailer safely.
You can calculate payload from GVWR minus curb weight, or enter the exact figure from the yellow Tire and Loading Information sticker on the driver’s door jamb, which accounts for the options on your specific vehicle. Weigh your loaded truck at a public scale for the most accurate answer.
With the default inputs, the payload remaining is 160 lb. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the truck payload capacity calculator
- 1Choose whether to use GVWR minus curb weight or the payload on your door-jamb sticker.
- 2Enter the combined weight of the driver and passengers.
- 3Add cargo and any aftermarket accessories.
- 4If towing, enter the loaded trailer weight and its tongue percentage.
- 5Check payload remaining and the status, and unload if you are over.
Formula and method
Payload capacity is the difference between the gross vehicle weight rating and the vehicle’s curb weight (empty, with full fluids). The door-jamb sticker gives the same figure for your exact build, including factory options, so it is usually more accurate than a brochure curb weight. Everything you add counts against it: occupants, cargo, accessories and the share of the trailer that rests on the hitch.
Tongue weight is the trailer weight multiplied by the tongue percentage. The maximum trailer weight that payload allows is the payload left after people, cargo and accessories, divided by the tongue percentage. Your real towing limit is the lowest of this, the manufacturer tow rating and the GCWR; axle ratings (GAWR) and tyre load ratings also apply.
- GVWR
- Maximum allowed loaded weight of the vehicle
- Curb weight
- Empty vehicle weight with fluids
- Tongue %
- Share of trailer weight carried by the hitch
- GVW
- Actual loaded vehicle weight
Worked examples
Half-ton truck with family and a 6,000 lb camper
Payload is 7,000 − 5,100 = 1,900 lb. Passengers (520), cargo (400), accessories (100) and a 12% tongue weight of 720 lb add up to 1,740 lb, leaving 160 lb — 91.6% used. With this load, payload would allow a trailer up to 880 ÷ 0.12 ≈ 7,333 lb.
Using the door-jamb sticker with a fifth-wheel
A 9,000 lb fifth-wheel at 20% puts 1,800 lb on the hitch. Add 820 lb of people, cargo and accessories and the truck is carrying 2,620 lb against a 1,650 lb sticker payload — 970 lb over. A heavier-duty truck or a much lighter trailer is needed.
Work truck hauling gravel, no trailer
A 3/4-ton truck with a 10,000 lb GVWR and 6,400 lb curb weight has 3,600 lb of payload. Two workers, 2,500 lb of gravel and a 300 lb toolbox and rack use 3,200 lb, leaving 400 lb.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my truck’s payload capacity?+
Look at the yellow Tire and Loading Information sticker on the driver’s door jamb: it states that the combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed a given number of pounds. That is the payload for your specific truck. You can also subtract curb weight from GVWR.
Does tongue weight count against payload?+
Yes. The weight a trailer puts on the hitch is carried by the truck, so it is part of payload. A 7,000 lb travel trailer at 12% adds 840 lb — roughly half the payload of many half-ton pickups.
What is the difference between payload and towing capacity?+
Payload is how much weight the truck itself can carry, including tongue weight. Towing capacity is how heavy a trailer it can pull. You must respect both, and payload is frequently the tighter limit when towing campers.
What happens if I exceed payload?+
Overloading raises braking distances, overheats brakes and tyres, strains suspension and can make handling unstable. It can also void warranties and create liability in a crash, so stay at or under the GVWR.
Do aftermarket parts reduce payload?+
Yes. Bed covers, toolboxes, steel bumpers, winches, lift kits and larger wheels all add weight that is not in the factory curb weight, so they reduce the payload left for people and cargo.