How Much Does a Small Pickup Truck Weigh? A Guide By Class
There are benefits to owning a small pickup truck. Like better gas mileage and the ability to transport large items. But how much does a small pickup truck weigh? Small pickup trucks can make excellent utility vehicles that can be used on the job site, to help support your small business, and that can provide excellent fuel efficiency. Heavy-duty trucks with higher tow capacities have their purpose as well, but for many Americans, it may be a bit overkill to simply drop off a bed full of parcels to the USPS distribution center at the end of the day.
Table of Contents
- About how much does a small pickup truck weigh?
- What classes are there for small pickup trucks?
- What trucks are considered Class 1 and Class 2a – Light Trucks?
- Other truck classes
About how much does a small pickup truck weigh?
The smallest pickup trucks on the market are classified as “Class 1 – Light Trucks” according to J.D. Power. Class 1 small pickup trucks typically weigh anywhere from 4,000 to 4,700 pounds. This class includes the Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma, GMC Canyon, and the Chevy Colorado.
These trucks typically have a weight limit of 6,000 pounds. For pickup trucks that are typically used for non-commercial uses, the class system includes the Class 1 – Light Trucks, Class 2a – Light Truck, Class 2b – Light/Medium Truck, Class 3 – Medium Truck, and the Class 4 – Medium Truck.
Once you get into classes 5, 6, 7, and 8, you are getting into commercial transport vehicles, dump trucks, tow trucks, fuel tankers, and other types of trucks that are typically only used for commercial and industrial purposes. Let us focus on the smaller pickup trucks classified as Class 1 and Class 2a – Light Truck and take a look at what their classification indicates as well as what kind of weight limits and towing capacities the top-selling pickup trucks from each class have to offer.
To gather all the necessary information about the different classifications of pickup trucks based on size and weight limits, we followed the trusted and reputable guidelines set by J.D. Power and Associates. J.D. Power is one of the most trusted and influential consumer analysis companies in the world. To gather all the different pickup truck specifications for the top-selling brands in each class, we went directly to the truck manufacturers’ websites as well as Edmund’s to find towing capacity, weight limit, and fuel economy statistics.
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What classes are there for small pickup trucks?
Small pickup trucks are classified as either Class 1 – Light Truck or Class 2a – Light Truck. Here are some of the main distinctions between these two classes.
Class 1 – Light Truck
Class 1 – Light Trucks have a weight limit of up to 6,000 pounds and an average curb weight between 4,00 and 4,700 pounds. Curb weight is defined as the weight of the truck including a full tank of fuel and all the standard equipment. Curb weight excludes the weight of passengers, cargo, and after-market equipment.
Class 2a – Light Truck
Class 2a – Light Trucks have a weight limit of up to 8,500 pounds and an average curb weight between 5,000 and 5,500 pounds.
What trucks are considered Class 1 and Class 2a – Light Trucks?
Class 1 and Class 2a – Light Trucks are among some of the most popular pickup trucks purchased and driven in the United States. These two classes include some of the top-selling brands from Chevy, Ford, GMC, Toyota, Ram, and Nissan. Here are some vehicle specifications for these Class 1 and Class 2a – Light trucks.
Class 1 – Light Trucks
Ford Ranger
The 2022 Ford Ranger XLT has a payload of 1,905 pounds. The base curb weight of the Ford Ranger is between 4,145 and 4,571 pounds with a towing capacity of 7,500 pounds.
Toyota Tacoma
The 2022 Toyota Tacoma has a towing capacity of 6,400 pounds and a payload of 1,155 pounds. The base curb weight of the Toyota Tacoma is 4,445 pounds.
Nissan Frontier
The 2022 Nissan Frontier has a towing capacity of 6,720 pounds and a payload of 1,600 pounds. The base curb weight of the Nissan Frontier is 4,343 pounds.
Chevy Colorado
The 2022 Chevy Colorado has a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds for the 2.5L V4, up to 7,000 pounds for the 3.6L V6, and 7,700 pounds for the 2.8L Duramax Turbo-Diesel. The payload is 1,716 pounds and the base curb weight of the Chevy Colorado is 3,935 pounds.
GMC Canyon
The 2022 GMC Canyon has a towing capacity of up to 7,700 pounds and a payload of 1,475 pounds. The base curb weight of the GMC Canyon is approximately 4,513 pounds.
Class 2a – Light Truck
Ford F-150
The 2022 Ford F-150 has a maximum tow capacity between 9,400 pounds and 19,400 pounds depending on the engine type. The payload is between 6,000 and 8,000 pounds and the base curb weight of the Ford F-150 is 4,021 pounds for the 4 x 2 and 4,275 pounds for the 4 x 4.
Dodge Ram 1500
The 2022 Dodge Ram 1500 has a towing capacity of up to 12,750 pounds and a payload of 2,300 pounds. The base curb weight of the Ram 1500 ranges between 4,778 pounds and 6,396 pounds depending on the model.
Toyota Tundra
The 2022 Toyota Tundra has a towing capacity of 11,120 pounds and a payload of 1,740 pounds. The base curb weight of the Toyota Tundra is 5,490 pounds.
Chevrolet Silverado
The 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has a maximum convention tow capacity of up to 13,300 pounds depending on the engine size. The maximum payload is approximately 2,181 pounds and the base curb weight of the Chevrolet Silverado is 5,060 pounds.
GMC Sierra 1500
The 2022 GMC Sierra 1500 has a maximum conventional tow capacity of around 9,000 pounds and a maximum payload of 2,240 pounds. The base curb weight of the GMC Sierra is between 4,430 and 4,750 pounds depending on if it is a regular, double, or crew cab.
Nissan Titan
The 2022 Nissan Titan has a maximum conventional towing capacity of 9,320 pounds and a maximum payload of 1,500 pounds. The base curb weight of the Nissan Titan is 5,594 pounds.
If you are trying to decide between a few different truck brands and models before making a purchase, you can use Edmunds to compare vehicles side by side to make it easier for you to decide which vehicle you want to go with.
Other truck classes
The remaining truck classes are Class 2b – Light to Medium Truck, Class 3 – Medium Truck, Class 4 – Medium Truck, Class 6 – Medium Truck, and Classes 7 and 8 – Heavy Trucks.
Class 2b – Light to Medium Truck
The average base curb weight can range between 6,300 and 7,000 pounds. This class includes the Ford F-250, GMC Sierra 2500, Ram 2500, and Nissan Titan XD.
Class 3 – Medium Truck
The average base curb weight is between 6,000 to 7,000 pounds. This class includes the Ford F-350 and F-450, Ram 3500, and the GMC Sierra 3500.
Class 4 – Medium Truck
The average base curb weight is between 6,000 and 8,000 pounds. This class includes the Chevrolet Silverado 4500HD, Ford F-450 Chassis Cab, and the Ram 4500.
Class 5 – Medium Truck
Class 5 medium trucks are typically farm vehicles and tow trucks that can carry up to 19,500 pounds. This class includes the Ford F-550 and Ram 550.
Class 6 – Medium Truck
Class 6 medium trucks can carry up to 26,000 pounds and have an average curb weight of between 8,000 and 9,000 pounds. This class includes the Ford F-650 and the Chevrolet 6500HD.
Classes 7 and 8 – Heavy Trucks
Class 7 and 8 heavy tricks include fuel tankers and dump trucks. Class 7 has a weight limit between 26,001 and 33,000 pounds whereas Class 8 can carry 33,001 pounds or more.