Is My Truck A Half-Ton & What Does That Mean

So you've sprung for that new boat or camper and now you might be wondering what kind of towing essentials are needed to get you to your vacation destination. To find the proper towing hitches and equipment, you need to know a little bit about your truck... "is my truck a 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton or 1 ton... and what does that mean?

The term "half-ton" refers to your pickup trucks payload capacity. The naming of the 1/2 ton truck started years ago when the half ton truck was literally built to handle a 1,000 pound load. Many modern trucks actually have a payload capacity that is greater than 1,000 pounds, but labeling trucks as a "half-ton" is still being used today. The terms now are more a generalization of how much a pickup truck can safely haul due to the suspension and drive-train setups of today's trucks. A majority of trucks on the road now days are 1/2 tons... popular examples of these are the Ford F150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Dodge Ram 1500 and the Toyota Tundra. The payload capacity of a truck is not the same as the trucks towing capacity, which vary greatly between different models. Half-tons are generally knows as a "light-duty truck" while 3/4 and 1 ton trucks are called "heavy duty trucks". Its always safe to check the weight of what you are towing and be sure that your truck is properly equipped to operate in that towing range.

Curt has many great products to help you have a safe towing experience, you can find many of these great products here at SharpTruck.com.