Payload Capacity Calculator
Works out what a vehicle can still carry after the people, the accessories and any trailer tongue weight are counted against its gross weight rating.
Share sends a link that reopens these numbers. Copy details pastes the full breakdown as a list.
The formula
payload = GVWR − kerb weight − occupants − accessories − tongue weight
Everything the vehicle carries counts against one number: the gross weight rating. People, bolt-on accessories and the trailer’s tongue weight all use it up before any cargo goes in.
What to watch out for
Where payload disappears:
- Options and accessories. A canopy, a towbar, a steel bumper and a winch can be 200 kg before anyone gets in.
- Tongue weight. A 3,000 kg trailer at 10% puts 300 kg on the vehicle — a third of a typical pickup’s payload.
- The driver. Brochure payload often includes a 75 kg driver and nothing else.
Being over GVWR is a legal offence in most places and voids insurance in many; it is also where brakes, tyres and suspension were never designed to go.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate payload capacity?
Gross vehicle weight rating minus the actual weight of the vehicle — then subtract people, accessories and any tongue weight. A 3,000 kg GVWR vehicle weighing 2,200 kg has 800 kg of rated payload; two adults, 50 kg of accessories and no trailer leave about 590 kg.
Does towing reduce payload?
Yes, by the tongue weight. A 2,500 kg trailer at 10% uses 250 kg of the vehicle’s payload before any cargo is loaded.
Is the payload on the sticker accurate?
It is for the vehicle as it left the factory. Every accessory fitted since — and any option the sticker predates — reduces it. The only reliable figure comes from a weighbridge.