Max payload calculator
Enter your ratings and empty weights. See how much cargo you can legally carry, and which limit decides it.
Best from a certified scale ticket.
MAX LEGAL PAYLOAD
YOU CAN CARRY UP TO
10,000 lb
- Limit that decides it
- GVWR
- Gross at full payload
- 26,000 lb
Axle weight limits, the bridge formula and state rules can lower the legal load further. Spread the weight so no axle is over its rating.
Your truck can legally carry 10,000 lb. We keep your ratings on file and only book loads that fit.
Get loads that fit my truckHow the max payload is calculated
For a straight or box truck: payload = GVWR - empty weight. On interstate highways the 80,000 lb federal gross limit also applies, though few straight trucks get near it.
For a truck and trailer, the calculator takes the smallest of three numbers:
- GCWR - (truck empty + trailer empty)
- Trailer GVWR - trailer empty (a conservative check, since part of the trailer's load rides on the truck)
- 80,000 lb - combined empty weight, on interstate highways
Empty weight should include fuel, the driver and any equipment you carry: straps, a pallet jack, a liftgate or a reefer unit. A certified scale ticket is the only reliable source.
SOURCE:eCFR, 23 CFR 658.17, OCT 2026;eCFR, 49 CFR 383.5, OCT 2026
EXAMPLE 26 FT BOX TRUCK
Truck payload capacity chart: what moves the number
| Truck | What sets the payload | What eats into it |
|---|---|---|
| Box truck under the CDL line | GVWR, often 26,000 lb or less | Liftgate, reefer unit, heavy body, full tanks |
| Hotshot (pickup + gooseneck) | GCWR, trailer GVWR, and the CDL line if you stay non-CDL | Heavy trailer, toolboxes, fuel tanks |
| Tractor-trailer | 80,000 lb gross and axle limits on interstates | Sleeper, aluminum vs steel, fuel, trailer type |
Two trucks of the same size can differ by thousands of pounds of payload because of their bodies and equipment. Read your own labels and scale tickets rather than a brochure.
Axles and the bridge formula
Staying under the gross limit is not enough. On interstate highways, a single axle is capped at 20,000 lb and a tandem at 34,000 lb, and the bridge formula limits weight by axle spacing. A load that is legal in total can still be illegal if it sits too far forward or back. Load heavy freight over the axles and check each axle group at the scale.
See our guides on box truck weight and truck classes. For space rather than weight, use the trailer cube calculator; to see whether a heavy load pays, try the load profitability calculator.
Every load we book is checked against your truck's ratings first. See box truck dispatch.
Questions about this calculator
Q-01What is payload capacity in a truck?
Payload is the weight of cargo a truck can legally carry: its gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) minus its empty weight with fuel and driver. For a truck pulling a trailer, the combination rating (GCWR), the trailer's own rating and road weight limits can all cap it, whichever is lowest.
Q-02How much weight can a semi truck carry?
On interstate highways, federal rules cap gross weight at 80,000 lb, with 20,000 lb on a single axle and 34,000 lb on a tandem, plus the bridge formula. Payload is that gross minus the tractor and trailer's empty weight. A tractor and trailer weighing 34,000 lb empty can carry about 46,000 lb.
Q-03Where do I find my truck's GVWR?
On the manufacturer's label, usually on the driver's door frame. It lists the GVWR and the gross axle weight ratings. Trailers have their own label, usually on the front left side. The empty weight is not on the label; get it from a certified scale with the truck fueled and the driver on board.
Q-04Does more payload mean I need a CDL?
The CDL line follows the rating, not the cargo: a single truck rated or weighing 26,001 lb or more needs a CDL. Overloading a 26,000 lb truck breaks the weight rules and can also put the driver over the CDL line at the scale. Stay under the rating.
Ryan, TruckSwing dispatch desk
UPDATED OCTOBER 2026 · EDITORIAL POLICY
Loads that fit your ratings, every time
We keep your truck's ratings on file and only offer loads that fit. You approve every load.