What Is Payload on a Truck?

You may be excited to buy your first truck, but every truck owner should make sure they know exactly what their truck’s payload capacity is before putting any money down. If you’ve never owned a truck before, we at Rydell Chevrolet Buick GMC have written up this detailed article to help you learn about payload capacity, along with a few other things. Let’s take a look at how payload capacity can affect you as a truck owner, and then explore our new Chevy and GMC trucks to find the best equipped truck for you.

Payload Capacity

The total weight you can load into your truck and onto the bed of your truck safely is the payload capacity, also known as the gross load weight. It’s incredibly important not to forget to include yourself and anyone else who may be riding in the cab when you calculate the total weight you’re expecting your truck to carry, and to keep in mind how the truck’s cab style may affect payload.

If you go over the payload capacity, you run the risk of breaking your truck’s suspension and even voiding your warranty. Thankfully, there is a way to calculate exactly how much weight your truck can handle, known as the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating

The gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) refers to the absolute amount your truck can weigh while still operating safely and without damaging its infrastructure. You can find your truck’s payload capacity by subtracting the curb weight of your truck from the GVWR. The result is your truck’s payload capacity.

Now, your truck’s curb weight is simply the full weight of your truck, which includes all fluids like gas, radiator fluid, and oil, without anything or any passengers inside the truck. This also means that the weight of the driver is excluded from the curb weight. Typically, you can find your truck’s curb weight and even the GVWR in the truck manual or even on the manufacturer’s website.

Payload Capacity Importance

The payload capacity is an important metric for truck owners as it helps you to ensure that you don’t overload your truck and damage it in the process. Overloading your truck’s payload capacity can result in service and repair costs that could have been avoided altogether. For example, if you were to load too much weight into the interior and bed of your truck, that could result in the premature breakdown  of not only the truck’s suspension struts and springs but also the buckled points on the frame. The drivetrain could fail, too, simply because of the immense weight crushing it.

Payload Arrangement Tips

Determining your truck’s payload capacity isn’t the only thing you need to know to be a responsible truck owner. The way you arrange the payload in your truck is also vitally consequential. This may seem odd, but even the unbalanced weight distribution of your truck’s payload can cause the breakdown of parts — or worse, put you and your passengers in danger.

A great way to ensure a safe trip with your cargo is to make sure you are within your truck’s payload capacity. You will always want to position the heaviest items at the lowest point of your truck’s bed. If you happen to have large loads, simply spread the cargo across the truck’s bed as evenly as possible. If you have single yet heavy items, like a large piece of furniture, for example, make sure you strap each item down with ratchet straps in the center of the truck bed. You should always  double-check that any containers in the bed are closed tightly.

Another rule of thumb is to avoid filling the bed of your truck past the bed rail capacity. Of course, if it can’t be helped, always secure your load with ratchet straps or a tarp if you have loose items in the bed.

Hauling liquids is another matter entirely. Unlike, say, a strapped down table, any liquids you haul will constantly be in motion as you drive your truck along the road. As your truck accelerates for green lights or slows for a turn, your liquid haul will be constantly sloshing around. The best tactic to ensure a safe drive is to be conscious of your driving and to avoid any sudden or aggressive movements that could upend your haul. Defensive driving can help you not only keep your haul secure but also help to avoid any dangerous occurrences as you drive.

Be aware of the hauling regulations in your state, too. Many require drivers to attach an orange or red flag to any items in the bed that surpass the length of the truck’s bed. This is to help other motorists be aware of the object and warn them not to follow too closely, in case the item becomes loose and falls out.

Truck Payload vs. Towing Capacity

It’s extremely important to make a note that your truck’s payload is not the same thing as your truck’s towing capacity. While the payload capacity determines how much weight your truck can carry, towing capacity refers to how much weight your truck can safely tow behind it without causing any harm to your vehicle.

You can figure out how much your truck can tow with another simple equation. First, you’ll need to determine your truck’s curb weight and then find the gross combined vehicle weight rating (GCVWR). The GCVWR is a combination of the truck’s GVWR and the GVWR of the trailer. GCVWR’s are often generalized by truck manufacturers since trailers from various companies may look nearly identical but have a different GVWRs. For example, the 2021 Chevy Silverado 1500 can tow up to 9,700 pounds depending on the options you chose when you bought the vehicle.

Bear in mind that the truck’s payload affects the towing capacity, as well. If you add more weight to your truck’s bed, you will increase the strain put on your truck and will reduce the amount that you can tow safely.

Contact Rydell Chevrolet Buick GMC

As you’ve read, knowing your truck’s payload capacity is vital to making sure that you don’t overload your truck and cause damage to it. We at Rydell Chevrolet Buick GMC hope this comprehensive piece has cleared up any confusion you may have had about what payload capacity is and how it can affect your truck. If you still have questions, get in touch or stop by and see us. We look forward to helping you find the best truck for your needs.

Tags: Chevy Trucks, GMC Trucks, Truck Payload
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