Towing & Payload Calculator

Tow rating (or GCWR minus truck weight) is how much weight the truck can pull behind it. Payload is how much weight the truck can carry in and on it - including passengers, cargo, and tongue weight of the trailer. A truck can have a high tow rating but low payload. You must stay within both limits simultaneously.

Tongue weight is the downward force the trailer hitch ball exerts on the truck's rear. That weight is physically borne by the truck's frame, suspension, and axle - it is cargo weight, not trailer weight. The truck must support it within GVWR. A 10,000 lb trailer at 15% tongue weight puts 1,500 lb of downward force on the truck before any people or gear are loaded.

The legally binding payload for your specific truck is on the yellow sticker inside the driver's door jamb. It already accounts for your truck's specific equipment (engine, cab configuration, bed length, options). Do not use the maximum payload advertised in brochures - that applies to a minimally equipped version. Your truck's sticker number is what you must not exceed.

Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) is the maximum weight each individual axle can bear, listed on the same door-jamb sticker. A heavy tongue weight can push the rear axle beyond its GAWR even if GVWR is not exceeded. Weighting tongue too heavily can also lift the front axle to below its minimum load, causing steering loss. A weight-distribution hitch redistributes tongue weight to the front axle on larger trailers.