Truck towing capacity: pickups compared inside their class
Choose a pickup and a model year in the tool for its best and weakest rating; below, each class of pickup is compared on its own terms.
2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 maximum towing capacity
13,300 lb
| Reached by | Duramax 3.0L I-6 · 4x2 Double Cab Standard Bed · Max Trailering Package and 20" Wheels |
| Lowest rating printed | 8,700 lb (Duramax 3.0L I-6 · 4x4 Crew Cab Short Bed) |
| Configurations in the table | 50 |
| Source | 2026 Chevrolet Trailering Guide, p. 26-27 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · Sources and method · makers’ towing documents read October 20 to 21, 2026
Pickups fall into four classes with little overlap. Heavy duty three-quarter-ton trucks lead, with the Ford F-250 Super Duty rated up to 22,000 lb on a conventional hitch. The half-ton pickups follow, from 11,530 lb for the Ram 1500 to 13,500 lb for the Ford F-150 at their best. The midsize trucks top out at 7,700 lb (Chevrolet Colorado), and the compact Ford Maverick at 4,000 lb. Inside each class, the top figure always needs something extra: a tow package, a particular axle ratio, sometimes a specific cab and wheelbase. Without it, the same badge can be rated far lower: a Ford Maverick without its tow package is rated 2,000 lb, and a Chevrolet Colorado fitted with the accessory hitch instead of the Trailering Package 3,500 lb. Pick the class for your trailer first, then the configuration inside it.
Every pickup, grouped by class
The table keeps the classes apart, because comparing a compact pickup with a heavy duty one tells a buyer nothing. Within each class the trucks are sorted by their best conventional rating for the latest model year read. The last column names the engine that reaches it.
| Class | Pickup | Year | Best | Weakest | Engine of the best row |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy duty pickup | Ford F-250 Super Duty | 2026 | 22,000 lb | 13,800 lb | 6.7L V8 H.O. Turbo Diesel |
| Heavy duty pickup | Ram 2500 | 2027 | 20,000 lb | 10,530 lb | 6.7L Cummins HO turbo diesel I6 |
| Half-ton pickup | Ford F-150 | 2026 | 13,500 lb | 7,400 lb | 3.5L GTDI V6 |
| Half-ton pickup | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 2026 | 13,300 lb | 8,700 lb | Duramax 3.0L I-6 |
| Half-ton pickup | Toyota Tundra | 2026 | 12,000 lb | 8,300 lb | 3.4L i-FORCE twin-turbo V6 |
| Half-ton pickup | Ram 1500 | 2027 | 11,530 lb | 6,330 lb | 3.0L Hurricane twin-turbo I6 |
| Midsize pickup | Chevrolet Colorado | 2026 | 7,700 lb | 3,500 lb | 2.7L TurboMax® 4-cylinder |
| Midsize pickup | Ford Ranger | 2026 | 7,500 lb | 5,510 lb | 2.3L EcoBoost I4 |
| Midsize pickup | Toyota Tacoma | 2026 | 6,500 lb | 3,500 lb | 2.4L i-FORCE turbo I4 |
| Compact pickup | Ford Maverick | 2026 | 4,000 lb | 2,000 lb | 2.0L EcoBoost I4 |
Half-ton pickups: close at the top, apart at the bottom
The Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Toyota Tundra and Ram 1500 land within 1,970 lb of each other at their best, so the headline rarely decides between them. Their weakest rows differ more: 7,400 lb for the Ford F-150, 8,700 lb for the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 8,300 lb for the Toyota Tundra and 6,330 lb for the Ram 1500. On the Silverado, the Duramax 3.0L I-6 and the 6.2L EcoTec3 V8 are both near the top, while the TurboMax® stops at 9,500 lb. On the Ram 1500, the 3.0L Hurricane twin-turbo I6 leads at 11,530 lb, and the axle ratio does much of the sorting, which the axle ratio page details. On the F-150, Ford asks for the Tow/Haul Package and the optional Max Tow Axle above 11,600 lb (Ford guide, p. 19). On the Tundra, the grade does the sorting: Toyota rates every SR at 8,300 lb, whatever the cab or bed, because it gives the SR a GCWR of 15,204 lb against 17,250 lb for the SR5 that reaches 12,000 lb (Toyota sheet, p. 6).
The real ceiling of a half-ton is usually its payload, not its trailer rating. A trailer near the top of the range puts well over a thousand pounds on the hitch, and that comes out of a payload that family, gear and hitch hardware already share.
Heavy duty pickups: the hitch type joins the rating
The Ford F-250 Super Duty (22,000 lb) and Ram 2500 (20,000 lb) are the only trucks here rated for trailers that size. Ford requires the High-Capacity Axle Upgrade Package for conventional towing above 18,200 lb on the F-250, and prints separate fifth-wheel and gooseneck ratings, up to 23,000 lb with a gooseneck. Ram's chart notes require a fifth-wheel hitch above 23,000 lb and a gooseneck above 30,000 lb (Ram notes). How the two compare with a half-ton beyond the trailer rating is the subject of the half-ton versus three-quarter-ton page.
Midsize and compact: the package or the grade is the rating
On the smaller trucks, the option sheet decides more than the engine. Ford's Maverick needs the 4K Tow Package for trailers over 2,000 lb, so a Maverick bought without it is a 2,000 lb tow vehicle. The Ranger may not exceed 3,500 lb towing from the bumper only, and needs its Trailer Tow Package above that. The Colorado's lowest row, 3,500 lb, requires the accessory hitch and wiring harness, per the footnote of the guide, and Chevrolet caps its tongue weight at 770 lb (Chevrolet guide, p. 41). On the Tacoma the grade takes the place of the package: Toyota footnotes the SR at 3,500 lb in every cab and drive, while the other gasoline grades read 6,400 lb to 6,500 lb (Toyota sheet, p. 8). A buyer who wants the advertised figure on a used midsize or compact pickup should look for the package code, or on a Tacoma the grade, on the window sticker before anything else.
Hitch class your trailer calls for
Minimum hitch class for this trailer
Class III
| Class name | Heavy-Duty |
| Hitch types | conventional or weight-distributing |
| Class I | up to 2,000 lb |
| Class II | up to 3,500 lb |
Choosing the class for a trailer
Start from the trailer, loaded as you travel, and the people who ride along. If the trailer sits within the weakest row of a class, any truck of that class fits it, and the choice comes down to payload and comfort. If it sits between the weakest and the best rows, the configuration matters and you should read the vehicle's page line by line. If it sits above the best row of a class, step up a class: no aftermarket part raises a maker's rating. The towing checker tests your own combination, and the year-by-year chart helps with a used truck.