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    Max payload calculator: how much weight your truck can legally carry

    Pick a starting rig, then enter your own ratings from the door sticker and empty weights from a scale ticket. The calculator finds the lowest cap that applies, your maximum legal payload, and whether the cargo fits.

    Start from

    Starting values only. Ratings are on the door sticker and the trailer's VIN plate; empty weights come from a scale ticket.

    lb
    lb

    Fueled, with driver

    lb

    Federal Interstate, or your state's

    lb

    Maximum legal payload

    10,500 lb

    Limited by the truck GVWR. Your 8,400 lb leaves 2,100 lb to spare. Gross with cargo: 23,900 lb.

    No CDL needed for this vehicle on weight alone (placarded hazmat or 16+ passengers change that).

    Axle limits can bind before the gross does. Check the axle groups and your state's rules, then scale it.

    Weight stack against the cap
    EXAMPLE ratings, use yours
    0cap 26,000 lb
    Pallet cube
    Example
    Cube
    320.0 ft³
    Weight
    8,400 lb
    Density
    26.25 lb/ft³
    Class estimate
    65

    Estimate only: the carrier's tariff and your NMFC item decide. Band from the density scale in NMFC Docket 2025-1, checked 2026-10-10.

    10,500 lb legal payload on these numbers. Our dispatchers check every load's weight against your rig before an offer reaches you, and you approve every load.

    Get loads that fit my payload

    Payload is what's left after the truck weighs itself. This max payload calculator takes your ratings and empty weights and finds which cap binds first: the truck's gross vehicle weight rating, the combination rating, the trailer's own rating, or the legal gross limit. The weight stack shows the empty truck, the empty trailer and the cargo against that cap, with the room left at the end.

    How it is calculated

    • Single vehicle (like a 26 ft box): payload = the lower of the truck's GVWR and the legal gross limit, minus the truck's empty weight.
    • Combination (hotshot or tractor-trailer): payload = the lower of the GCWR and the legal gross limit, minus the truck and trailer empty weights.
    • Trailer check: the cargo on a trailer can't exceed the trailer's GVWR minus its empty weight. If that's lower, it becomes the limit.
    • Left = maximum payload - the cargo you plan to haul.

    The federal gross limit on the Interstate is 80,000 pounds, lower when the bridge formula requires it, and states set limits on other roads. Axle limits apply too, so a load can be legal on gross and still heavy on one axle group.

    Source: 23 CFR 658.17(b), checked October 2026

    The CDL note

    The calculator reads your ratings against the federal CDL groups. A single vehicle rated 26,001 lb or more needs a CDL. A combination needs a Class A when it's rated 26,001 lb or more combined, towing a unit rated over 10,000 lb. That's why many hotshot rigs need a Class A even when the load is light: the ratings decide, not the scale ticket.

    Sources: 49 CFR 383.91, checked October 2026; 49 CFR 383.91(a)(1), checked October 2026

    A worked example

    A 26 ft box truckExample

    1. RATINGGVWR 26,000 lb (non-CDL)
    2. EMPTY15,500 lb from a scale ticket, fueled, with driver
    3. PAYLOAD26,000 - 15,500 = 10,500 lb
    4. CARGO6 pallets, 8,400 lb
    5. LEFT2,100 lb to spare

    These are EXAMPLE figures. Box bodies, liftgates and options change the empty weight a lot, so weigh yours.

    How to read the result

    The name of the binding limit tells you what to do. If it's the truck's rating, the truck itself is the limit: no route changes that. If it's the legal gross limit, a lighter tractor or trailer buys payload. If it's the trailer's rating, the trailer is too light for the freight. When the cargo is close to the limit, scale the loaded truck before you leave the area, because pallet weights on paperwork are often rounded.

    Payload changes during the trip

    Fuel is weight. A full set of tanks adds hundreds of pounds that burn off as you drive, so weigh empty with the tanks about as full as they are when you load. Extra equipment counts too: chains, tarps, straps, a spare and the driver's gear all come out of payload. On a hotshot rig, a heavier gooseneck or a bigger fuel tank can cost a whole pallet of capacity.

    Getting your real numbers

    • Ratings: GVWR on the door sticker; GCWR in the manufacturer's specs; trailer GVWR on its VIN plate.
    • Empty weight: a certified scale with full fuel and the driver aboard, and any straps, chains or tools you carry.
    • Cargo weight: the bill of lading, checked on a scale when it matters.

    Weight and space together

    Payload is only half of what fits. Light, bulky freight fills the box before it reaches the weight limit; the trailer cube calculator shows which runs out first. On loads with several drops, the weight changes stop by stop, which the multi-stop load pay calculator helps you price. For sizes and typical uses of each truck type, see freight truck sizes, and for how much freight moves by truck at all, the US freight shipping statistics (coming soon).

    Hotshot carriers live and die by payload. Our hotshot dispatch team checks every load's weight against your rig's numbers before an offer reaches you, and you approve every load. Send an application.

    Questions about this calculator

    How much weight can a semi truck carry?
    On the Interstate, the federal gross limit is 80,000 lb for the whole rig, lower when the bridge formula requires it, with axle limits too. Subtract the empty tractor and trailer, weighed together on a certified scale with fuel and driver, and what's left is the payload. Sleepers, tanks, trailer type and options all change the empty weight, so your own ticket gives your real number.
    What is payload capacity in a truck?
    Payload capacity is how much cargo a truck can carry without going over its weight rating or the legal limit. It's the gross vehicle weight rating, or the legal limit if that's lower, minus the truck's empty weight with fuel and driver. For a truck towing a trailer, the combination rating and the trailer's own rating also cap it.
    Is there a truck payload capacity chart I can trust?
    Charts give typical figures, but payload depends on your exact truck: its body, options, fuel tanks, sleeper and even the driver. Two trucks of the same model can differ by hundreds of pounds. Use a chart to compare models, then weigh your own truck empty and use the calculator for the real number.
    How much weight can a half ton truck carry?
    The name no longer matches the number: half ton is an old class label, and many modern light pickups are rated to carry well beyond it. The real figure is on the sticker inside the driver's door, often listed as the payload or as the GVWR. Subtract the truck's empty weight from the GVWR to check it.
    Do I need a CDL for my rig's weight?
    Weight ratings decide it, not the actual load. A single vehicle rated 26,001 lb or more needs a CDL. A combination rated 26,001 lb or more, towing a trailer rated over 10,000 lb, needs a Class A. Hazmat requiring placards or carrying 16 or more passengers changes the answer. The calculator shows a note from your ratings.