Read your door sticker in 60 seconds
Every truck sold in the US has a Tire and Loading Information sticker on the driver's door jamb (the part of the body the door latches to). It lists the payload capacity for your specific truck — accounting for its trim, options, and equipment. The brochure number is a maximum for a configuration you probably don't own. The sticker is the truth.
What to look for
- "The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs" — that XXX is your payload. This is the number that matters most. Write it down.
- GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) — the max your loaded truck can weigh, truck + everything in/on it.
- GAWR front / rear — max weight on each axle. Useful if you're close on payload and want to check axle balance at a CAT scale.
- Tire pressures — run the sticker pressures when towing; underinflated tires overheat under load.
Where the tow rating lives
The door sticker does not show tow rating — that's in your owner's manual, in the towing section, in a table by engine, axle ratio, cab, and drivetrain. Find your exact configuration's row. If you have the max-tow or trailering package, make sure you're reading the right column — the packages change the numbers.
Why this beats the brochure
A brochure "max payload" of 2,445 lbs might belong to a regular-cab 2WD work truck. Your crew-cab 4x4 Lariat with the panoramic roof and running boards could sticker at 1,500 lbs — nearly 1,000 lbs less. Options weigh something, and every pound of option is a pound off your payload. The sticker already did this math for you.
Do this before every towing season
- Photograph your door sticker and save it on your phone.
- Enter the payload and your manual's tow rating into our towing calculator.
- If you've added heavy accessories (bumpers, winch, cap, larger tires), consider a CAT scale visit — accessories eat payload the sticker doesn't know about.