A pickup's tow rating does not measure what the truck can physically drag. For makers that follow SAE J2807, it is a calculated trailer weight: the result of a standard set of performance tests and a fixed list of loading assumptions. It is published separately for each configuration of engine, axle ratio, cab, bed and drivetrain.
Key takeaways
- SAE J2807 is an SAE recommended practice that sets minimum performance criteria at the truck's gross combination weight rating (GCWR) and a method to calculate the trailer weight rating. Ford, Ram and Chevrolet each describe their ratings in J2807 terms in the documents cited below.
- Trade and manufacturer summaries from 2014–2016, covering earlier editions of the standard, describe a long highway climb at 40 mph or more with the air conditioning on its highest setting, repeated launches on a 12 percent grade, acceleration limits and handling tests.
- The maximum rating assumes a lightly loaded truck: a 150-lb driver and a 150-lb passenger, no cargo and only the options the rating requires.
- In the 2026 Ram 1500 Tradesman chart, the same engine and cab are rated for 8,510 lb with a 3.21 axle ratio and 11,610 lb with a 3.92 ratio, because the 3.92 row also carries a GCWR 3,100 lb higher.
- The rating for a particular truck is in the manufacturer's towing guide or owner's manual for its model year and exact build. A dealer's or seller's recollection of "the max" is not a substitute.
What J2807 is and who uses it
SAE International, the engineering standards body, publishes J2807 under the title "Performance Requirements for Determining Tow-Vehicle Gross Combination Weight Rating and Trailer Weight Rating." Its scope statement says it sets minimum performance criteria at GCWR and a calculation method for the tow vehicle's trailer weight rating. It covers passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks up to 14,000 lb GVWR. SAE lists it as a Recommended Practice, issued in April 2008, last revised in February 2020 and reaffirmed in November 2024 (SAE MOBILUS, J2807_202411). SAE sells the full text, so the test limits below come from published summaries and manufacturer documents, not from the standard itself.
The original 2008 edition recommended adopting the requirements for vehicles of model year 2011 or later (SAE MOBILUS, J2807_200804). Manufacturers adopted it at different times. A July 2014 report in SAE Media Group's Automotive Engineering said Toyota had applied the standard to its Tundra much earlier than other makers. It also quoted a Ford engineer saying Ford would hold off on its F-250 and heavier Super Duty trucks until their next full redesign (Automotive Engineering, July 16, 2014).
What the manufacturers' own documents say
- Ford: its 2026 RV and Trailer Towing Guide says J2807 defines procedures to determine GCWR and to calculate the trailer weight rating, and that it sets minimum performance conditions for consistent comparisons between similar vehicles. The guide also says "Ford will apply the SAE standard to all vehicles," and its selector charts carry the note "Calculated with SAE J2807 method" (2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide).
- Ram: a July 2014 release said that, beginning with the 2015 model year, Ram would be the first automaker to adopt J2807 across all three full-size pickup segments, the 1500, 2500 and 3500 (Stellantis Media, July 16, 2014). Ram's 2020 Ram 1500 weight and trailer-tow chart is titled "SAE J2807 Compliant" (Ram 1500 MY2020 chart). A June 2025 release on the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 for the 2026 Ram 1500 gives its towing capacity as up to 11,320 lb, marked "(SAE J2807)" (Stellantis Media, June 5, 2025).
- Chevrolet: a September 2022 news release for the 2024 Silverado HD carries the note "All towing capabilities measured using SAE J2807 metrics" (Chevrolet news release, 2024 Silverado HD).
Other makers may follow the standard too, but this article names only those whose own documents were checked.
Is there a federal tow-rating standard?
SAE publishes J2807 as a recommended practice, and the documents above describe the manufacturers' own decision to adopt it. The closest federal statement found is a 2000 NHTSA notice denying a defect petition (DP00-001) about trailer hitch receivers on some GM Suburbans and a Dodge pickup. The notice said there were no Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards applicable to trailer towing hitch equipment and that many hitch makers use the SAE J684 standard (Federal Register, Sept. 25, 2000). That notice concerns hitch equipment and is more than 25 years old, so on its own it does not settle whether any current federal rule governs how a vehicle's tow rating is set.
The tests behind the number
The limits in the table come from a 2016 article in SAE Media Group's Automotive Engineering, which described the J2807 requirements while reporting on Ford's test equipment for the Super Duty (Automotive Engineering, May 31, 2016). That report cites the February 2016 edition (J2807_201602). SAE revised the standard again in February 2020, so read the figures as a dated description of how the tests work, not as current pass marks. Ram's 2014 release gives the same 40 mph and 35 mph minimums for the Davis Dam climb.
| Test | What it checks | Limit as reported in 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Long highway climb that replicates the Davis Dam grade | Engine, transmission and cooling under sustained load, with the air conditioning on its highest setting | At least 40 mph for single-rear-wheel trucks; 35 mph for dual-rear-wheel trucks |
| Launch on a 12 percent grade | Starting a loaded combination uphill, forward and in reverse | Move 16 ft uphill from a standstill five times within five minutes |
| Acceleration, level road | Ability to get a loaded combination up to speed | 0 to 30 mph in under 12 s; 0 to 60 mph in under 30 s; 40 to 60 mph in under 18 s (dual-rear-wheel trucks are allowed extra time) |
The 2014 Automotive Engineering report and Ram's 2014 release both list two handling tests as well: a constant-radius understeer test with increasing speed and a sway maneuver using aggressive steering input. SAE's own scope statement says the minimum criteria apply at GCWR. In other words, the tests are run with the combination at its maximum combined weight, not with an empty truck and a light trailer.
As these summaries describe them, the criteria are minimum limits that the loaded combination must meet. The resulting number is therefore not a measurement of peak pulling force. It is the heaviest trailer the tested combination is rated to handle at its GCWR.
Why one truck gets many ratings
Ford's towing guide tells readers to pick the cab design and drive system (4x2 or 4x4), then read down the column to the engine and axle-ratio combination, and to check the GCWR column for that combination. Ram's chart works the same way. The table below reproduces the rows of the 2026 Ram 1500 Tradesman chart for the 3.0L inline-six twin-turbo Hurricane (SO) engine. Each cell is printed as 4x2 / 4x4, trailer weights are in pounds, and "NA" appears as shown in the chart.
| Axle ratio | GCWR | Quad Cab, 6'4" bed | Crew Cab, 5'7" bed | Crew Cab, 6'4" bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.21 | 13,900 | 8,510 / NA | 8,390 / NA | 8,320 / NA |
| 3.55 | 13,900 | NA / 8,270 | NA / 8,100 | NA / 8,120 |
| 3.92 | 17,000 | 11,610 / 11,370 | 11,490 / 11,200 | 11,420 / 11,220 |
Recomputing the chart shows three things:
- Axle ratio and GCWR move together. For the Quad Cab 4x2, the 3.92 ratio raises the maximum trailer weight by 3,100 lb over the 3.21 ratio (11,610 minus 8,510), about 36 percent. GCWR rises by the same 3,100 lb (17,000 minus 13,900).
- A different ratio at the same GCWR does not lift the rating. The 3.55 row carries the same 13,900-lb GCWR as the 3.21 row, and its 4x4 ratings stay in the 8,100 to 8,270 lb range. The jump to over 11,000 lb comes only in the row where GCWR also rises.
- Body and drivetrain move the rating by hundreds of pounds, not thousands. At the 3.92 ratio, the 4x4 versions are 200 to 290 lb below the matching 4x2 versions, and the three body styles at the same ratio and drivetrain span less than 200 lb.
The chart does not explain how each cell was set, but the numbers follow a clear pattern. For every cab and drivetrain, GCWR minus maximum trailer weight is the same at both axle ratios where it is rated: 5,390 lb for the Quad Cab 4x2, 5,630 lb for the Quad Cab 4x4 and 5,800 lb for the Crew Cab 5'7" 4x4. That fits Ford's definition of the maximum as a trailer weight based on a minimum towing-vehicle weight (GVW). Seen that way, a heavier body or a 4x4 drivetrain trims the rating by its own weight, while the large axle-ratio gap comes from the higher GCWR that the 3.92 combination carries.
Ford's 2026 guide also ties its top ratings to specific equipment. Its F-150 required-equipment box says that gas F-150 pickups towing more than 11,600 lb, and F-150 Hybrids towing more than 10,800 lb, need the Tow/Haul Package (53T) and the optional Max Tow Axle. The guide adds that the standard 2-inch hitch receiver is rated at 11,600 lb, while the Max Tow Axle includes a reinforced receiver rated at 14,000 lb. Ram's 2026 chart also states that weights may change due to a product audit or product change.
Why the maximum is a narrow case
The number in an advertisement is the top of the chart. It comes from the rows with the most towing equipment and the lightest assumed load. The 2016 Automotive Engineering report said J2807 testing of vehicles under 8,500 lb GVWR assumes a 150-lb driver and a 150-lb passenger, with 100 lb of equipment added for heavier vehicles. The manufacturers' charts state similar assumptions in their own words:
- Ford: its maximum loaded trailer weight assumes mandatory options only, no cargo, and a 150-lb driver and a 150-lb passenger. The guide says the weight of additional options, passengers, cargo and hitch must be deducted from it.
- Ram: its 2026 1500 chart says trailer weight capacities include a passenger weight of 300 lb, and that trailer weight and payload ratings are mutually exclusive, so a truck cannot reach both maximums at once (2026 Ram 1500 payload and towing chart).
- Both: Ford and Ram footnote their maximums as applying to a "properly equipped" truck. Ford adds that the rating varies with cargo, vehicle configuration, accessories, option content and number of passengers.
A crew cab with a full back seat and a loaded bed is already past those assumptions. Ford also counts tongue load or king pin weight as cargo weight, so it has to fit inside the payload. The way occupants, cargo and tongue weight use up the door-jamb figures is a separate calculation, covered step by step in how payload and towing limits work together. Whether a given trip is within limits depends on the truck's actual weight, the trailer's actual weight, and the vehicle's GVWR and axle ratings, which Ford says are on the Safety Compliance Certification Label.
This article is educational and does not replace the figures in a specific vehicle's manual or advice from a qualified dealer or technician.
Frequently asked questions
Is J2807 the current edition, and does it still apply?
SAE's page for J2807_202411 lists the document as a Recommended Practice that was reaffirmed on November 21, 2024. Earlier editions date from 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016 and 2020, and SAE shows the February 2020 revision as the most recent one with changes. A pass mark quoted from a 2016 summary may therefore differ from the current text.
Does a manufacturer apply J2807 to every truck it sells?
Ford's 2026 guide says Ford will apply the standard to all vehicles, and Ram's 2014 release said it would cover its 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups from the 2015 model year. Adoption was staggered: in 2014, Ford said it would wait to apply the standard to the F-250 and heavier Super Duty trucks until their next redesign. To confirm, check the towing document for the specific model year and truck.
Does J2807 cover the heaviest pickups and chassis cabs?
Not all of them. The current scope covers vehicles up to 14,000 lb GVWR, and the 2008 edition's scope said 16,000 lb. For a truck rated above the current limit, check the manufacturer's chart notes to see how its figures were set.
Can a published rating change during a model year?
Yes. Ram's 2026 1500 chart states that weights may change due to a product audit or product change. A towing guide downloaded early in a model year may not match a later version, so check the document's date and the build.
Does the tow rating cover the truck's brakes?
Not for the full combination. Ford's guide says the towing vehicle's brake system is rated for operation at the GVWR, not the GCWR. It says separate functional brake systems should be used for trailers weighing more than 1,500 lb when loaded.
Finding the rating for one truck
Use the manufacturer's document for the exact model year, and match it to the truck's actual build rather than to the model name.
- Get the truck's model year, engine, axle ratio, cab, bed length, drivetrain and tow package. On Ford trucks, the axle code and the GVWR and axle ratings are on the Safety Compliance Certification Label, which Ford's guide places on the left front door lock facing or the door latch post pillar.
- Open the manufacturer's towing guide or the owner's manual for that model year. Ford's guide points readers to its selector charts or the owner's manual for GCWR, and Ram publishes payload and towing charts for its trucks, such as the 2026 chart cited above.
- Find the row and column that match the build. Read the maximum trailer weight and the GCWR, and note the footnotes about required equipment and assumed passengers.
- Subtract the weight of people, cargo, accessories and hitch hardware beyond the assumed 150-lb driver and 150-lb passenger, as Ford's guide instructs.
- Check the combined weight against the GCWR, and the truck's weight against its GVWR and axle ratings, before relying on the result.
Sources
- SAE MOBILUS: J2807_202411, Performance Requirements for Determining Tow-Vehicle Gross Combination Weight Rating and Trailer Weight Rating
- SAE MOBILUS: J2807_200804 (2008 edition)
- 2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide
- 2026 Ram 1500 payload and towing weight capacities chart
- 2020 Ram 1500 base weight, GCW and trailer tow chart
- Stellantis Media: Ram Truck announces alignment with SAE J2807 towing standards (July 16, 2014)
- Stellantis Media: 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 returns for the 2026 Ram 1500 (June 5, 2025)
- Chevrolet news release: 2024 Silverado HD (Sept. 26, 2022)
- Automotive Engineering (SAE Media Group), May 31, 2016: 2017 Super Duty Brawn Forces Ford to Upgrade Its Dyno Sleds
- Automotive Engineering (SAE Media Group), July 16, 2014: Chrysler Adopts SAE Towing Standard for All Ram Pickups
- Federal Register, Sept. 25, 2000: NHTSA denial of defect petition DP00-001
