If you are in the market for a new truck, knowing its capabilities is an essential part of the shopping process. This is especially true if you are going to be using it for work or if you have trailers you want to tow. With the right truck, you can go almost anywhere and get your jobs done without worrying about whether or not it will be underpowered. A big part of this is knowing what half-ton, three-quarter-ton, and one-ton means. 

When manufacturers design and build trucks, they want to be sure that the people buying them know what they are capable of. The weight rating classification is a good way to decide if a truck will be right for what you want to do. By understanding what these classifications mean, you can choose the right pickup truck for your needs and hit the road knowing that it will be able to handle whatever you happen to throw at it. 

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### What Does Gross Vehicle Weight Rating Mean? 

![chevrolet-colorado-towing](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/170IstMnykEveysFJ34biZ/4005b262c1c7a5a8baa457b287be8f1b/chevrolet-colorado-towing.jpg)

The GVWR of a vehicle is the maximum amount of weight that it can carry, including the weight of the vehicle itself. This includes things like passengers, payload, and any other items that might be __in__ the vehicle. It is every pound that sits on the frame of the vehicle and contributes to the overall weight. 

All cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks have a GVWR but since most smaller vehicles don’t have the room for large payloads, you most likely won’t be thinking about it unless you have a pickup truck. Since trucks are meant to do heavy-duty hauling and towing, the weight rating will be more important when purchasing one. Knowing what this rating means for a truck’s capabilities can help you decide if one will be right for you and your needs. 

### Why Gross Vehicle Weight Rating Matters
![ram-1500-towing](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/6jaIIa8cdEdkOQE1dkTu8r/8b045a0050fa63fdb320ea64cba2fb7b/ram-1500-towing.jpg)

GVWR should be a major consideration when choosing a truck. This is especially true if you are buying a pickup for work or hauling. The GVWR will determine what you can do with the truck and how much weight you can put on the frame without causing damage. It will also help you keep your truck running smoothly since adding too much weight can cause serious drivetrain damage that will be incredibly costly to fix. 

GVWR is also important because it will dictate some things like fuel economy and engine options. If you need a vehicle that can handle more pounds of payload and has a high GVWR, that vehicle will generally need to have a more powerful engine, which will, in turn, burn more fuel. Knowing your payload capacity needs before you start shopping for your new pickup truck is a great way to make the right choice at the dealership. 

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### How is Payload Capacity Determined?

![ram-2500-towing](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/k5PPXaeBI6kcgOveHYaW4/acd1a14bb2d5293842907e47966c5535/ram-2500-towing.jpg)

In order to fully understand the importance of a pickup’s GVWR and payload capacity, you must know how it is determined and what that means for the vehicle’s performance. A truck’s payload capacity is the GVWR minus the curb weight. A truck’s curb weight is the weight when there are no passengers or items in it and it is sitting on flat ground. Because the GVWR includes the curb weight of the truck, anything left over will be the amount of additional weight it can carry. 

For example, if you have a Ram 1500 that is on the lightest side, it will have a curb weight of 4,765 pounds. That same Ram 1500 will also have a GVWR of 6,010 pounds. When you subtract these numbers, you get a payload capacity of 1,245 pounds. This will most likely put it into the half-ton pickup truck category, which is usually an approximation of the payload capacity. However, these ratings have gotten looser over the years and have a different definition than they used to. 

### GVWR Vs. Towing Capacity 

![sierra-3500-towing](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/ks50Bm1PEJpUcbw0mXum3/590744df23c6008fb39ef4eff35d4e2a/sierra-3500-towing.jpg)

While your vehicle’s GVWR is not the same thing as its towing capacity, it will contribute to the amount of weight that the truck can tow. The GVWR is the weight that can sit on the actual frame of the truck. This will not only include any passengers or items in the bed, but it will also include the tongue weight of any trailer you are thinking of hauling. 

In general, you can count on a vehicle that has a higher GVWR also having a higher towing capacity. Heavy-duty trucks will have higher-quality leaf springs, stronger V8 engines or diesel engines with more horsepower, and higher-capacity automatic transmissions that can handle heavier loads. A full-size pickup truck with a high maximum payload capacity will also have a higher max towing rating and the ability to tow more trailer weight than a light-duty pickup with a smaller V6 engine. 

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### Modern Truck Classifications and GVWR

For many years, truck classifications like half-ton, three-quarter-ton, and one-ton were how the payload capacity was expressed. A half-ton truck could carry 1,000 pounds, a three-quarter-ton truck could carry 1,500 pounds, and a one-ton truck could carry 2,000 pounds. However, as time went on and trucks got more powerful and got higher payload capacities, these classifications became less specifically about the payload and more about the general size and power of the pickup. 

Whereas these classes used to be the real-world capacity of the vehicle and frame, they are now more of a spectrum of hauling ability. Today’s trucks are capable of hauling much more weight than they used to, so these classifications aren’t as meaningful. Instead, they will give you a vague idea of the power and capabilities so you can decide what your needs are and find a truck that will fit your requirements. 

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### Truck Classifications 

While truck classifications don’t necessarily dictate the payload capacity anymore, they are a good tool for determining how powerful a truck will be and how much weight it will be able to haul. The classifications will usually have a range of weights that they can haul instead of a specific number. By understanding which trucks fall into which categories, you can narrow down your choices based on what you will need to do with your new pickup. 

##### Midsize Truck
![toyota-tacoma-towing](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/1LDlB5cw596qG4pV0VDpWS/cac2f1bff4303540617bd3bea203e560/toyota-tacoma-towing.jpg)

Midsize trucks don’t necessarily have their own classification but they are quickly becoming a popular segment. If you need a little bit more power and performance than what a compact pickup can offer but don’t necessarily need the power or size of a half-ton truck, a midsize pickup could be a good middle ground. 

They will be more than sufficient for people who need to haul around small amounts of construction materials or a recreational vehicle like a dirtbike. 

##### Half-Ton Truck
![chevrolet-silverado-1500-towing](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/6rjYWcHzxDF5OMizFlis6f/1496af6b4efd2cf6a688ecff25d28eef/chevrolet-silverado-1500-towing.jpg)
Half-ton pickups are some of the most popular work trucks due to their relatively small size and fairly heavy-duty capabilities. In fact, most pickup trucks that you find on the market will be in the half-ton category unless you are specifically shopping for a heavy-duty vehicle for serious hauling. These trucks will usually be able to haul anywhere between 1,000 and 3,000 pounds depending on the make and model. 

Some of the popular pickups that fall into this category include the GMC Sierra 1500, the Ram 1500, Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and Toyota Tundra. Seeing as the F-150 is the best-selling truck of all time, it is safe to say that most people will find a half-ton truck to be sufficient for their needs. 

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##### Three-Quarter-Ton Truck:
![chevrolet-silverado-2500-towing](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/60jzqsRxNtF7j12MZzUxbc/2b9e9bece20b59f68ebbbd3849586f0c/chevrolet-silverado-2500-towing.jpg)

Three-quarter-ton pickup trucks are much more capable when it comes to what they can haul and how much power the engine has. These trucks can carry much more than three-quarters of a ton with most of them having a payload capacity of well over 4,000 pounds as long as the load is distributed evenly. For most people, this will be more than they will ever need unless they are hauling large construction materials or towing massive trailers. 

Some of the most popular and best-selling three-quarter-ton trucks include the Ram 2500, Chevy Silverado 2500, and the Ford F-250. These trucks have gas or diesel engines and they will have heavy-duty automatic transmissions that are designed to put out many pound-feet of torque. 

##### One-Ton Truck:

![ram-3500-towing](https://www.autolist.com/6tuem73u73an/1uoAcpbHsV5p4aCPrZS5TX/1ad615a490096f11d1e4f9484f9881fb/ram-3500-towing.jpg)
One-ton trucks are by far the heaviest-duty pickups on the market and they can have massive payload capacities. As long as these trucks have a powerful enough diesel engine, they can carry loads of up to 6,000 pounds. This is equal to three tons, which is one of the reasons the ton classification system is no longer as relevant as it once was. 

One-ton trucks are the biggest trucks available on the consumer market. They will always have high-torque diesel engines and dual rear wheels to be able to haul the most weight. You may need a commercial truck driving license in order to drive one of these heavy-duty pickups. Trucks like the Ram 3500, Ford F-350, and GMC 3500 are all one-ton trucks. 

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### How to Find Your Truck’s Payload Capacity

The easiest way to find your truck’s payload capacity is to look in your vehicle owner’s manual. It should be listed along with other important information like the curb weight and towing capacity. However, if you no longer have your owner’s manual or you bought the truck used, there is another way to find out how much weight it can haul. 

Take your pickup truck to a weighing station to see how much the curb weight is. Empty out the truck but stay in it as you weigh it. This will give you the curb weight with your weight included, which will be necessary if you are going to be doing any hauling. Once you have the curb weight, look inside your door panel for the GVWR on a metal plate. Then, subtract the curb weight from the GVWR and you will have your truck’s hauling capacity.

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### Final Thoughts

Finding the right truck for you and your needs can be difficult if you don’t know what the different classifications mean. While the ton classification isn’t as specific as it used to be, it is a good guideline to help you decide if a pickup will have too much power or not enough. Picking the right one will allow you to save money on fuel while still being able to haul what you need and get your jobs done. 

What's the difference between 1/2-ton, 3/4-ton, and 1-ton trucks? And what does each mean in terms of towing or payload? Check out our complete guide to light, medium, and heavy-duty pickup trucks to find out. 

What Does 1/2 Ton, 3/4 Ton, and 1-Ton Mean on Trucks?

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