What is Payload Capacity? How It Works
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When you purchase a car, there’s already a lot to consider. One of the last things that might cross your mind is the payload capacity, especially if you’re not even sure what it is and what it’s used for. That’s why we’re here with a look at what it is and what you can do with it, helping you understand a bit more of the car talk you’ll hear when shopping for a car.
What is Payload Capacity?
Payload capacity has to do with the amount of weight that your truck can handle. It looks at the gross weight that you can load on while still safely operating it at legal speeds. There are a lot of drivers out there that never use the back of their trucks, not really needing a specific payload capacity.
Others, however, may tow things here and there that need to know. It’s important to consider your payload capacity before loading your truck bed up, making sure that you can safely put things in without putting the bed at risk for breaking your suspension.
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What’s Payload Capacity For?
While you may think that your truck can haul whatever you put in it, that’s actually far from true. You’ll have to determine how much weight your truck can carry from one place to another to protect your suspension, struts, and springs.
Overloading your truck could result in damages that are really expensive to repair and even prevent you from ever hauling anything off again. That’s why you should keep these numbers in mind and make sure that you’re not going overboard with your loading.
Calculating Payload Capacity
To calculate your payload capacity, you will need to know your Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). Taking that number, you’ll need to subtract it from the weight of your truck without anything in it or on it (curb weight).
Some newer model trucks will have automatic sensors, helping you check out your payload capacity and how it changes as you load more stuff on it. In that way, you should have safe driving no matter what you have loaded, just as long as you don’t overdo it and go past the recommended amount.
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Payload Capacity Vs. Towing Capacity
If you are someone that needs to carry around lots of stuff, you need to know two things about your truck. That’s your payload and towing capacity. While your payload is there to take a look at how much weight you can put in the bed of your truck, the towing capacity is there to determine the amount of weight you can tow.
To determine how much weight your truck can tow, you’ll have to do a similar calculation to the payload capacity, using both the GVWR and the curb weight. Before you calculate the two, you’ll have to determine the GVWR in both your truck and the trailer that you’re attempting to hook up to it.
From there, you can calculate the amount of weight that you can tow, which is typically somewhere around 18,000 to 20,000 pounds. There are several factors that can change both your payload and towing capacity, including the size of your bed, the type of truck that you have, and even who you have in your car.
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Pro Tips to Get the Most out of Your Payload
When you find out your truck’s payload, you may want to start piling up the weight and seeing what it can take. Though you might have figured out the number, you should still pay attention to logistics and get your load right.
If you’re a rookie or just looking for some tips to help you improve your load, consider these tips the next time you load up.
1. Never overload – Try and leave a little room for error and try to stay away from getting too close to your max load. Don’t get too close to your max load, especially if you have a long way to go. It’s better to take more trips than one that could damage your truck.
2. Heavy stays low – Once you start loading, keep the heaviest items at the lowest point. This will prevent extra weight and keep things from falling all over the place while you’re driving.
3. Make it even – If you have lots of stuff, don’t just pile it up in one spot. Spread everything around your bed evenly.
4. Don’t go overboard – It can be tempting to just throw whatever you can into the bed of the truck but, don’t go overboard. Keep everything to a level that doesn’t pass the brim of the bed to keep things from falling out and keep from overdoing the weight.
5. Use straps – If you’re hauling around one big thing, use straps and make sure to put it in the center. Keep things as centered as you can and use straps to keep everything in place to keep from damaging your truck or the item you’re hauling around.
6. Watch your driving – When you know you have stuff in the back, be mindful of your turns and don’t drive crazy. You could drop something or spill something.
7. Keep it Closed – Speaking of liquids, keep liquids you’re hauling around nice and sealed.
Know What Your Truck is Capable Of
Owning a truck it can be fun to load it up and see what you can do with it. From hauling things around to traveling to moving your stuff around, you can do it all with a truck. Though you can move things, you’ll still need to know how much you can haul and how you can haul it.
If you frequently tow or load, consider the amounts before you purchase a vehicle. If you have a truck and are hoping to load it up, then take a second to consider the weight. Keeping your truck in good health is key to making it last longer and keep you driving, towing, and loading longer.
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