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As PickupTrucks.com reported nearly six years ago, the terms originated in the early 1900s when the military and truck manufacturers assigned verified payload capacities to different models. Eventually, three distinct classes of consumer trucks evolved using those terms to identify each class even though the actual payload capacities dramatically exceeded the original weight ratings.
The Ratings Game
Most truck owners — especially those with World War II backgrounds — had no problem identifying consumer pickup classes with those terms, and eventually passed the informal terminology along to the next generation.
Half-ton, three-quarter-ton and one-ton trucks now represent a range of gross vehicle weight ratings to help consumers select the truck that fits their hauling and towing needs. Not wanting to confuse those buyers, truck manufacturers started branding those three weight classes with their own designations: GM and Ram use 1500, 2500 and 3500, while Ford uses 150, 250 and 350. For extreme trailering applications, the automakers now make their once-commercial-only 4500 and 450 medium-duty trucks available to the general consumer market.
However popular the half-, three-quarter- and one-ton terms are with the pickup enthusiasts, automakers no longer recognize them in their promotional or dealer-training materials.
What Dealers Say
"Today's truck customers are much more sophisticated and educated on the capability of the truck," said Brian Rathsburg, Ford Super Duty marketing manager. "We educate with the facts — configurations first, then drive-specific payload and towing requirements."
"Those terms don't come up as much, except [with] some of the older buyers who have been around trucks all their lives," agreed Travis Theel, assistant sales manager at Liberty Superstores, a Ram dealership that serves a large ranching region in western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. "We ask what they're pulling and how they use their truck before making a recommendation. Most of the customers are already knowledgeable about what they need."
Theel said some veteran truck buyers from his agriculture-heavy region routinely asked for a new one-ton or 3500 truck because that was the only model that could pull their livestock trailers 10 or 15 years ago.
"They didn't realize that the new 2500 models can handle their needs while offering a better ride unloaded," Theel added.
What About Outlier Loads?
When the market supported lightweight pickups like the Datsun 520, the term quarter-ton truck was occasionally used to distinguish them from full-size pickups even though payload ratings for those vehicles were as much as 1,000 pounds or more. However, the growing popularity of the 4500/450 series (some might want to call them 1.5-ton trucks) for consumer use in towing large travel trailers has yet to generate a complementary term using the nostalgic expressions.
"That terminology is unscientific and irrelevant in today's truck," Rathsburg confirmed. "Based on official GVWR classification, the [Ford] F-450 is a Class III pickup with a GVWR under 14,000 pounds, so it competes with similar products."
Where We Are Today
As noted in our 2012 story, designating specific payload ratings was an important milestone in the historical development of today's pickup truck. Moving away from colloquial terms that are often confusing to first-time buyers is a positive step. It won't be long before the actual payload and the vehicle's recommended limitations will be common information on dashboard displays, so there won't be any driver uncertainty. Until then, automakers and dealers need to be more candid with shoppers regarding actual payload capacities well before they purchase a vehicle.
Most marketing materials advertise a maximum payload capacity for an entire family of pickups, such as a 1500 lineup. However, we know that maximum payload numbers are generally assigned only to one or two low-volume specific configurations — usually a two-wheel-drive, regular-cab long bed with a heavy-duty suspension and gearing package. The much more popular configurations, like the four-wheel-drive, crew-cab short bed with a more comfortable base suspension, is likely to have a much lower payload rating.
To avoid any deception, misleading recommendations or improper purchases, it might be more informative to advertise a payload range for each class of pickup, instead of just the maximum payload weight across the lineup. Who knows? Maybe someday the actual payload or towing capacity of a given pickup will be written across the windshield along with its price.
Cars.com photos by Mark Williams, Christian Lantry
Comments
TNT-agree. One thing to note, the article states that dealers educate with facts. I completely disagree with this. most dealers will tell you you can tow anything with the truck you are looking at, then you find out thats not true. I know the quote was from the marketing guy at Ford, but the dealers most of the time do not have a clue. Similarly, if you go to a camper show they put pictures of half ton trucks on campers showing buyers you can tow with X size truck. Also, there is so much to towing you need to learn before you know if that is true or not.
-CT
Dealers have no idea what they're selling unless they specialize in commercial customers where there are strict legal requirements.
They'll try and sell you anything so long as you'll sign today. They do not have the customers needs in mind.
[referring to car dealers] They do not have the customers needs in mind....Posted by: Tom S | Feb 12, 2018
@Tom S
You probably have no idea how stupid that remark makes you sound.
Tom S: So true. It is imperative that the customer self-educates prior to setting foot onto dealer property.
The sales staff's number one priority is to SELL, period. That is reality based on how the automobile business is structured. From what I've experienced, it's a rarity to find sales personnel who truly understand their product.
That's right. Dealers will tell you what you want to hear so they can make a buck. When you're test driving a King Ranch F150 they'll tell you F150 can haul 3,100 lbs. I know dealers have to make money, but don't lie to me. That I don't like. Papa is a dealer so you can just ignore everything he says and
of course he is going to take offense to being exposed.
Not the real Jeff S
@papajim-This is the real me. Are you really you?
more FAKE Jeff S I can tell that you're fake and you don't understand why.
Yep, I bet the dealer educated the millennium that bought the F250 Ford 4x4 and pulls an 8 foot trailer with 2 push mowers on it. Yep, he lives 3 houses down and he mows lawns for a living, does not do anything else with his 3/4 ton, opps F250
Too much sales pressure placed on the sales staff or not enough emphasis placed on educating the sales staff on the product and it's capabilities. Too often the wrong truck gets sold that doesn't meet the customers needs.
Frequently, the customer knows more about the product then
the salesperson. Sad.
My 2010 Tacoma 4x4 is a 1 ton!
I have 200 lbs. coils up front and 500 lbs. over stock 10-leaf pack springs in the rear with heavier duty Fox shocks!
Factory payload is 1,300 lbs. and I added 700 lbs. of load capacity! Simple to do and simple to operate!
>that being said, any consumer who does not know the true facts about the commodity their shopping for deserves fail
Anyone in ANY kind of sales will deceive at some point to benefit self. Human Nature.
Due diligence is always required for any major purchase. Relying on a salesman for a buy/pass decision is asking to be duped.
Treat every contract like a Deal with the Devil and knowledge is your best armor.
Auto sales probably has the most unanchored salesforce of all.
Salespeople cant know everything about every vehicle they sell. Many would rather say what you need to hear than tell you; "I don't know" and risk a no-sale.
If I sound cynical, ask me about my BIL.
My 2010 Tacoma 4x4 is a 1 ton!
I have 200 lbs. coils up front and 500 lbs. over stock 10-leaf pack springs in the rear with heavier duty Fox shocks!
Factory payload is 1,300 lbs. and I added 700 lbs. of load capacity! Simple to do and simple to operate!
Posted by: oxi | Feb 12, 2018 10:35:59 AM
No your Jap scrap is not a 1 ton, all you really did was lower your real pay load by adding heavier leaf springs You stupid libtard snow flake.
@papajim--You don't know me well enough then. Half of the posts you claim are not mine are mine.
@Tom--My granddad gave me some advice that you should head. Dealers are not there to help you but help themselves to your money. Dress like you have no money and you'll get a better deal.
Johnny, other than the snide comment, I agree with you for once. A common misconception is adding more leafs increases payload, and that is the exact opposite. Must of learned that from a dealer.
-CT
It has been suspected that papajim's false statements and misrepresentations are financially motivated.
Remember, Trucker is watching.
@ johnny doe,
Looks like you lack any basic education!
I would also ask you to refrain from your racist attacks, before we would have to ban you from here! Stop being a child and professed Toyota hater!
I have an expedition styled truck, that is built stronger to handle winch and winch bumpers, heavy tire carrying bumpers, real skid plates underneath and all of our gear to move overland!
My coil springs up front are as big as full-size trucks and my leaf springs are rated to carry more weight over stock!
You do not know anything about trucks, so I am going to stop because you are a child living at home!
@ crunchtime,
It is not adding leafs, these are custom built leaf packs rated to carry more weight than the factory springs, hello, learn basic 4x4 build ups please!
I have an expedition styled truck, that is built stronger to handle winch and winch bumpers, heavy tire carrying bumpers, real skid plates underneath and all of our gear to move overland!
My coil springs up front are as big as full-size trucks and my leaf springs are rated to carry more weight over stock!
You do not know anything about trucks, so I am going to stop because you are a child living at home!
OXI, please explain. You are saying custom leaf packs. There is no such thing as carry more weight than the stock truck, if the stock truck manufacture did not update the sticker on your door than all you did was waste money. IOW, sure you can do all that but if you exceed the sticker from the manufacture that is what sells in court, and you are screwed. Please go get an education before posting.
-CT
Looks like you lack any basic education oxi! The sticker on your door jam states your payload and that's all you can legally haul on the road stupid libtard!
oxi is a liberal when it comes to trucks.
Don’t tell me..., that top picture of that overloaded truck is actually GMSRGREAT..., yak know he secretly owns a Ford..., sorry man, I couldn’t resist... ????????????
The problem with trucks now a days and why the price has sky rocketed into ridiculous price zones, is that the average person buying a truck now a days isn't using the truck for a truck. It's become the family hauler! That's why in article only people asking about specifics with payload are the older truck guys.