What Does 1500 Mean On A Truck? (And How It's Different From 2500 And 3500 Models)
Trucks are a celebrated part of American automotive heritage, and few things distinguish a modern truck as quintessentially American like the four-digit numbering system — think the 1500, 2500, and 3500s of this world. But have you ever wondered what these common truck names, as used on the GMC Sierra 1500, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, or Ram 1500, actually mean? Well, the 1500 in truck names is a numerical for half-ton, which references the payload capacity of the various trucks with this designation.
Back in the day, full-size trucks were categorized into half-ton, three-quarter ton, and one-ton. Half-ton trucks had around 1,000 pounds of payload capacity, while three-quarter-ton trucks had approximately 1,500 pounds of payload capacity, and one-ton models referred to heavier-duty trucks that could carry about 2,000 pounds of weight. As time went on, however, pickup trucks started to increasingly grow in size and automakers began to move away from the conventional ratings to the point where half-ton trucks like the Ram 1500 now carry a maximum payload of 2,320 pounds when equipped with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 eTorque engine.
How much payload does a half-ton truck typically carry?
Half-ton pickup trucks have a maximum payload capacity of between 1,710 and 2,445 pounds. The 2025 Ford F-150, which doesn't carry the 1500 numeric designation, is the modern half-ton pickup with the most payload capacity at 2,445 pounds. Do keep in mind, however, that you can only unlock such a payload by selecting the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine for the F-150, in which case it makes the truck slightly more capable than the Ram 1500, given the latter's max payload rating of 2,320 pounds.
The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is yet another competent hauler, evidenced by its 2,260-pound maximum payload capacity with the 2.7-liter TurboMax four-cylinder engine under the hood. In its most capable configuration, the GMC Sierra 1500 has a maximum payload capacity of 2,240 pounds, while the Toyota Tundra is good for up to 1,940 pounds of payload. That leaves the Nissan Titan as the least capable half-ton truck, with a max payload rating of 1,710 pounds.
How's the 1500 different from the 2500 and 3500 models?
Trucks labeled 1500 are typically light-duty models, and as a result, tend to have lower payload and towing capacity than the three-quarter-ton pickups (2500) and one-ton (3500) models, which are heavy-duty in nature (or Super Duty in Ford-speak). As you may have guessed from the numeric designations, the 2500 models are "lighter" in their capabilities than the higher-rated 3500 versions. For example, a 2024 Ram 2500 has a maximum towing capacity of 19,990 pounds when equipped with the torquey 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel inline-six engine. Its max payload is also pretty impressive at 4,000 pounds (with the 6.4 HEMI V8).
By comparison, the 2024 Ram 3500 tows up to 37,090 pounds and carries a max payload of 7,680 pounds in its bed, making it a great truck for easily completing big jobs. To provide even more context, the 2024 Chevy Silverado 3500 boasts a maximum towing capacity of 36,000 pounds and a 7,290-pound maximum payload. That's 13,500 pounds more towing capacity and 3,209 extra pounds over what an appropriately equipped 2024 Chevrolet 2500 could handle, considering its 22,500-pound tow rating and 4,081 pounds of max payload.