What Is A Half-Ton Truck And How Much Can It Tow?

Pickup trucks have evolved over the years, but the need to clearly designate a truck's capacity for work has been around for generations. Ford produced the F-1 pickup truck starting in the late 1940s. Chevrolet added a zero to its pickup trucks, dubbing them C10 for two-wheel drive models and K10 for four-wheel drive versions in 1960. And Dodge upped the ante with another zero added to its D100 pickup in 1961.

Historically, half-ton trucks literally had half-ton or 1,000-pound payload capacities, but as new models with more payload capacity came to production, the numbers used to identify them changed. Currently, "light-duty" full-size Ford pickup trucks wear the F-150 badge while Ram (formerly a Dodge model) and Chevrolet use 1500 for trucks in the same class. In addition, models like the Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan go without a numbering system. But what does 1500 (or 150) mean on a truck? While we generally refer to 150- and 1500-class pickups as "half-ton trucks," today, does that mean they can haul 1,000 pounds, half of a ton, in their truck beds? And what does any of that have to do with how much it can tow?

Heavy-duty trucks, three-quarter and one-ton models, are typically the best trucks for maximum towing capacity, but today's half-ton trucks can tow surprisingly heavy loads when properly equipped. Similar to calculating a half-ton truck's payload capacity, maximum towing capacity relies on the truck's configuration, equipment, and GVWR.

The 2025 Ford F-150, for example, leads the pack with a conventional (connected to a receiver hitch located under the truck's rear bumper) towing capacity of 13,500 pounds. Selecting the right configuration and add-on packages, such as Ford's Max Tow/Haul Package, are essential considerations to get the maximum tow-rating. The F-150 configuration with the highest tow rating includes a SuperCrew cab, four-wheel drive, the standard 6.5-foot truck box, a 3.55:1 axle ratio, and Ford's 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine. This combination gives the truck a 19,400-pound GVWR.

The 2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has a maximum towing capacity of 13,300 pounds, followed closely by its GM stablemate, the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 with 13,200 pounds of maximum towing. GM trucks offer multiple configurations to achieve maximum tow ratings with options including two- or four-wheel drive and gasoline or diesel power.

The bottom half of the half-ton truck max-towing list contains the Toyota Tundra, rated at 12,000 pounds, the Ram 1500, at 11,550 pounds, and the Nissan Titan, with its 11,050-pound maximum tow rating. Each manufacturer is quick to note that these values are for comparison purposes and safe towing depends on multiple factors.

While many people still often refer to F-150 or other 1500 badged pickup trucks as half-tons, payload capacities, or the amount of weight a truck can carry, have advanced far beyond the 1,000-pound mark. In fact, even midsize trucks like the Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, Jeep Gladiator, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma boast payload capacities exceeding 1,600 pounds.

One major consideration when thinking about how much weight a half-ton truck can carry is that its payload includes everything added to the truck, including factory installed options in some cases. That means a half-ton pickup such as a 2024 Toyota Tundra, for example, could have a payload capacity ranging between 1,575 pounds and 1,940 pounds. Most automakers include the vehicle's actual payload on a sticker inside the door and/or in the owner's manual. The value is typically as simple as subtracting the curb weight from the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).

For clarification, consider a half-ton truck with a payload capacity of 1,800 pounds. If the driver and three passengers weigh a total of 600 pounds, plus a 50-pound dog, and an additional 250 pounds of gear want to take 1,000 pounds of firewood camping, the truck would be overloaded, especially considering the 30 gallons of fuel in the fuel tank.

When people begin considering how much a half-ton truck can tow, they naturally turn straight to the towing capacity section of their owner's manual. However, recognizing the truck's payload capacity is a crucial step in towing safely. Most trailer and truck manufacturers recommend that between 10 and 15 percent of the trailer's weight rest on the truck's trailer hitch when level.

That means a 3,000-pound trailer should have between 300 and 450 pounds on the hitch while a 8,000-pound camper could have nearly 1,000 pounds of tongue weight. Fifth-wheel and gooseneck trailers typically have heavier pin weights but it must all be counted as payload since it rests on the truck. Proper load distribution for trailers is critical as demonstrated by the video from U-Haul shown above.

Fortunately for people wanting to haul some payload and tow a trailer, modern half-ton trucks have payload capacities range up to 2,445 pounds in the Ford F-150, 2,240 in GM half-tons, just over 1,900 pounds in the Toyota Tundra and Ram 1500, and the Nissan Titan with 1,607 pounds. Drivetrain options could lower these values if heavier components are used such as a V8 engine or four-wheel drive.