Towing & Payload Calculator
Check payload, tongue weight, GVWR, GCWR and trailer rating before you hook up.
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Numbers are only as good as the inputs. Weigh the loaded rig at a certified scale before a long tow, and never exceed any single rating, including tires and hitch receiver.
How to use the towing and payload calculator
- Read your door-jamb labels. The certification label lists GVWR and axle ratings. The yellow Tire and Loading Information placard lists the maximum weight of occupants and cargo, which is your payload. Curb weight is GVWR minus that payload number.
- Find GCWR and the trailer rating for your exact truck. They're in the owner's manual or the manufacturer's towing guide, and they depend on cab, bed, engine, axle ratio and tow package.
- Add everything you'll carry. Every passenger, the gear in the bed, the bed rack, the cooler and the dog all count against payload.
- Enter the loaded trailer weight and choose the trailer type. The calculator estimates tongue or pin weight and adds it to payload.
Each gauge turns amber within 10% of a rating and red when you're over. The ratings that most often run out first are payload and rear axle weight, not the headline towing number.
Weigh it for real
Estimates are only as good as your inputs. Before a long trip, weigh the loaded truck and trailer at a certified truck scale, and never exceed any rating, including your tires, hitch receiver and ball mount.
Full explanation: towing capacity explained.