Free tool
Truck payload calculator
How much can your truck really haul? Subtract your passengers, cab gear, tonneau cover and accessories from payload to see the cargo weight you've actually got left in the bed.
What actually counts as payload
Most owners think payload is just what's in the bed. It isn't — it's everything you add to the empty truck. Here's where it goes.
People first
Every passenger counts, driver included. Five adults can be 750+ lb of your payload before anything goes in the bed.
The bed setup
Tonneau cover, bed liner, toolbox and rack all have real weight — easily 150–300 lb together on a kitted-out truck.
Tongue weight, if towing
A trailer presses 10–15% of its weight onto the hitch, and that lands on payload — not just your towing number.
Payload terms, in plain English
- Payload
- The total weight your truck can carry: passengers, everything in the cab, everything in the bed (cargo, toolbox, bed liner, tonneau cover) and a trailer's tongue weight. Your door-jamb sticker shows your exact figure.
- GVWR
- Gross Vehicle Weight Rating — the most the loaded truck can weigh. Payload is simply GVWR minus the truck's own curb weight.
- Curb weight
- What the truck weighs empty, with fluids but no people or cargo. Heavier trims (4x4, crew cab, diesel) weigh more, which lowers payload.
- Tongue weight
- The part of a trailer's weight that presses down on the hitch — and it counts against payload, not just towing. Roughly 10–15% of a conventional trailer.
- Tonneau / accessories
- Bed add-ons have real weight: a soft cover is ~40 lb, a retractable can top 130 lb, plus toolboxes and liners. They quietly reduce what you can haul.
Payload capacity — frequently asked
How do I calculate my truck's available payload?
Take your payload capacity from the door-jamb sticker, then subtract everything already on the truck: passengers, cab gear, bed accessories like your tonneau cover and toolbox, and any trailer tongue weight. What's left is the cargo weight you can still put in the bed. This calculator does the subtraction for you.
Does a tonneau cover reduce my payload?
Yes, a little. A cover's weight counts as payload like anything else in the bed — a soft roll-up is around 40 lb, a heavy retractable can be 120–130 lb. It rarely matters for everyday loads, but it adds up alongside a toolbox, bed liner and rack.
Do passengers count toward payload?
Yes — everyone in the cab counts, including the driver. Payload is everything you add to the empty truck, so five adults can use 700–900 lb of payload before you load a single thing in the bed.
What's the difference between payload and towing capacity?
Payload is what you carry in or on the truck; towing capacity is what you pull behind it. They're linked: a trailer's tongue weight counts against payload. Use this tool for hauling and the towing calculator for trailers.
Are the prefilled payload numbers exact for my truck?
No — they're the best-case maximum for that generation, and a loaded 4x4 crew cab will be well below it. Always use the exact payload figure printed on your driver's door-jamb sticker for a true result.
