Before you begin. This procedure is general reference information, not professional advice. Equipment varies by manufacturer, model, and year. Always follow the documentation supplied with your equipment — where it differs from this page, follow the manufacturer. Verify that you have the tools, the working conditions, and the ability to do this task safely. If anything is unclear, if the equipment is damaged, or if the task exceeds your experience, stop and use a qualified professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for the outcome. This site accepts no liability for any loss, damage, or injury arising from the use of this information.
Specifications marked unverified could not be traced to a manufacturer source. Do not rely on them — obtain the value from your equipment documentation.
Summary
Your vehicle's Tire and Loading Information placard carries more than a tire pressure number. Federal regulation 49 CFR 571.110 also requires two figures about weight: how many people the vehicle is designed to seat, and a line that reads something like ‘The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs.’ That second figure is the one that matters on a trip with a full car, luggage, and maybe a roof box. It sets the ceiling for everyone and everything you put in the vehicle, and it is easy to miss because it shares a label with the tire pressure numbers most drivers already check.
This page will not print a weight limit for your vehicle, because that figure is set per vehicle and per trim by the manufacturer, and a guessed number here is exactly the kind of value this site refuses to publish. Instead it walks through the arithmetic with your own numbers: read the placard figure, total the actual weight of the driver and passengers, subtract that from the placard figure, and what is left is your available capacity for cargo and luggage. Owner's manuals from more than one manufacturer describe this same method, and this page follows it rather than inventing a shortcut. If you tow a trailer, the trailer adds its own weight to the calculation, and the page covers that too.
Necessary equipment
| Item | Note |
|---|---|
| Scale | A bathroom scale gives the weight of a person or a bag. |
| Pen and paper optional | Record each value before you go to a public scale. |
| Flashlight optional | The light at the door pillar is often low. |
Read the placard
Estimated 2 min to 3 min
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
No tier-1 source was found for this value. Take it from the documentation supplied with your equipment.
DO NOT EXCEED THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO VALUE ON THE VEHICLE PLACARD.
Too much weight in the vehicle can cause loss of control and injury.
- Open the driver door.<1mReport a problem with step 1, Read the placard
USE THE VALUE FROM YOUR OWN VEHICLE PLACARD ONLY.
A value from a different vehicle can be wrong and can cause an overload.
- Locate the vehicle placard on the pillar or on the edge of the driver door.<1mReport a problem with step 2, Read the placard
- Some vehicles have the placard on the forward edge of the rear door.
- Locate the words Tire and Loading Information on the placard.<1mReport a problem with step 3, Read the placard
- Read the designated seating capacity from the placard.<1mReport a problem with step 4, Read the placard
- The placard states the total number of occupants and the number for each seat location.
- Read the combined weight of occupants and cargo value from the placard.<1mReport a problem with step 5, Read the placard
- The placard states this value in kilograms and in pounds.
- Write the combined weight of occupants and cargo value on paper.<1mReport a problem with step 6, Read the placard
Weigh the occupants
Estimated 2 min to 6 min
USE THE ACTUAL WEIGHT OF EACH PERSON AND EACH ITEM OF CARGO.
A guessed weight can hide an overload.
- Determine the actual weight of the driver.<1mReport a problem with step 1, Weigh the occupants
- Determine the actual weight of each passenger for the trip.1mReport a problem with step 2, Weigh the occupants
- Use the actual weight of each passenger.
- Do not use an assumed weight.
- Calculate the total weight of the driver and the passengers.<1mReport a problem with step 3, Weigh the occupants
- Write the total occupant weight on paper.<1mReport a problem with step 4, Weigh the occupants
Calculate the available capacity
Estimated under a minute
- Subtract the total occupant weight from the combined weight of occupants and cargo value.<1mReport a problem with step 1, Calculate the available capacity
- Write the result on paper.<1mReport a problem with step 2, Calculate the available capacity
- This is the amount of weight left for cargo and luggage.
Compare the cargo to the available capacity
Estimated 4 min to 17 min
- Determine the actual weight of the cargo and the luggage for the trip.2mReport a problem with step 1, Compare the cargo to the available capacity
- Compare the cargo and luggage weight to the available capacity.<1mReport a problem with step 2, Compare the cargo to the available capacity
- If the cargo and luggage weight is more than the available capacity, remove cargo.1mReport a problem with step 3, Compare the cargo to the available capacity
- Weigh the cargo and luggage again.1mReport a problem with step 4, Compare the cargo to the available capacity
- Repeat until the weight is at or under the available capacity.<1mReport a problem with step 5, Compare the cargo to the available capacity
Add a trailer to the calculation
Estimated 2 min to 6 min
ADD THE TONGUE WEIGHT BEFORE YOU COMPARE THE TOTAL TO THE PLACARD VALUE.
A missed tongue weight can hide an overload.
- If you tow a trailer, determine the tongue weight of the trailer.1mReport a problem with step 1, Add a trailer to the calculation
- A trailer transfers part of its own weight to the vehicle.
- This part is the tongue weight.
- Consult the vehicle owner's manual for the tongue weight limit.
- Add the tongue weight to the total occupant and cargo weight.<1mReport a problem with step 2, Add a trailer to the calculation
- Compare the new total to the combined weight of occupants and cargo value.<1mReport a problem with step 3, Add a trailer to the calculation
Record the result
Estimated under a minute
- Record the date and the available capacity on paper.<1mReport a problem with step 1, Record the result
- Repeat this calculation when the passengers or the cargo change.<1mReport a problem with step 2, Record the result
Terminology
This page uses one term for each item and holds it throughout, as ASD-STE100 requires. Equipment sellers and other guides use the names below for the same parts.
- vehicle placard
- Also called: Tire and Loading Information label, door sticker weight limit, door jamb sticker, yellow sticker on door frame, B-pillar sticker, the sticker inside the driver's door
- combined weight of occupants and cargo
- Also called: vehicle capacity weight, VCW, payload capacity, how much can my car carry, how much weight can my car carry, load capacity
- designated seating capacity
- Also called: how many seats does my car have, seating capacity, number of occupants
- gross vehicle weight rating
- Also called: GVWR, max vehicle weight, total vehicle weight limit
- tongue weight
- Also called: trailer tongue weight, hitch weight, trailer weight on the car
When to use a professional
Stop if you cannot read the placard, or if you cannot find it. Contact the vehicle manufacturer or a dealer for the combined weight of occupants and cargo value.
Stop if the placard value and the owner's manual value do not agree. Do not use either value. Contact the vehicle manufacturer.
Do not guess the tongue weight of a trailer. Consult the vehicle owner's manual for the tongue weight limit.
Find a public vehicle scale if you cannot determine the actual weight of the occupants or the cargo.
Common questions
How much weight can my car carry?
Look at the Tire and Loading Information placard inside the driver's door. It carries a line that reads ‘The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs,’ and the XXX is specific to your vehicle. Regulators call this figure the vehicle capacity weight, and 49 CFR 571.110 is the rule that puts it on the placard. This page does not print a number, because it is different for every vehicle and every trim level, but it shows you how to use the one on your own door.
What is the yellow sticker inside my car door?
Most drivers know it as the tire pressure sticker, but its full name is the Tire and Loading Information placard, and pressure is only part of what it carries. It also states how many people the vehicle is designed to seat and the combined weight of occupants and cargo the vehicle can carry. The label is not always yellow; colour and layout vary by manufacturer. The heading ‘Tire and Loading Information’ and the required content are set by the same federal regulation on every placard.
Do I really have to weigh my passengers and my luggage?
Not on a scale for every trip, but you do need real numbers, not a guess. A 2024 Mazda CX-5 owner's manual and a 2022 Ram 2500/3500 owner's manual both give the same method: total the actual weight of the driver and each passenger, subtract that from the placard figure, and what remains is what you have for cargo and luggage. A rounded-down guess can hide an overload that a glance at the vehicle would never show. When you are close to the limit, a public vehicle scale gives you a real number.
What if I'm towing a trailer as well?
A towed trailer transfers part of its own weight to the vehicle towing it. That part is called tongue weight, and it counts against the same combined weight of occupants and cargo figure. Ram's owner's manual is explicit about this: consult the vehicle's documentation for how much of the trailer's load reduces the available cargo capacity. Work out your occupant and cargo total first, then add the tongue weight before you compare the total to the placard figure.
What actually happens if I go over the limit?
The regulation behind the placard, 49 CFR 571.110, states its purpose is to prevent tire overloading. Ram's owner's manual is direct about the result, stating: ‘Overloading of your tires is dangerous. Overloading can cause tire failure, affect vehicle handling, and increase your stopping distance.’ A vehicle's tires, brakes, and suspension are built around a maximum weight, not an unlimited one. Going over the limit does not always produce an immediate, obvious symptom, which is why the arithmetic matters more than a feeling that the car seems fine.
Is the combined weight of occupants and cargo figure the same as my GVWR?
No. Gross vehicle weight rating, or GVWR, is the maximum total weight of the whole loaded vehicle, including the vehicle itself. The combined weight of occupants and cargo figure on the placard is a smaller number: federal regulation defines it as the vehicle's rated cargo and luggage load plus 68 kilograms for each seating position the vehicle is designed for. Ram's owner's manual gives a worked metric example built on that same 68 kilogram figure: five 68 kg passengers subtracted from a 635 kg combined weight limit leaves 295 kg for cargo. Gross axle weight rating, the separate limit for the front and the rear axle, is a different figure again, and this page does not walk through it.
Related procedures
- How to read a tire sidewall and find out how old your tires are
- How to check if your spare tire is there, in good shape and has enough air
- How to check your tire pressure and put the right amount of air in your tires
- What the tire pressure light on my dashboard means and what to do about it
- How to check tire tread depth and know when you need new tires
- How to find your car's maintenance schedule and record what maintenance is actually due
Sources
Every specification on this page is traced to one of these sources. Tier 1 is a manufacturer document, a published standard, or a government safety authority. See Standards for the full tiering rule.
- Tier 149 CFR 571.110 — FMVSS No. 110, Tire selection and rims
- Tier 1Tire Information (U.S.A.) — Steps for Determining the Correct Load Limit — 2024 Mazda CX-5 Owner's Manual
- Tier 1Loading — Steps For Determining Correct Load Limit — 2022 Ram 2500/3500 Owner's Manual
Revision history
Current version 1 · updated 2026-08-04 · next review due 2027-08-04
- v1 · 2026-08-04First draft. Both weight figures on the placard — the combined weight of occupants and cargo and the designated seating capacity — publish as consult-the-placard per rule 1, because both are per vehicle and per trim. 49 CFR 571.110 S4.3(a) and S4.3(b), read 2026-08-04 through the eCFR versioner API (the reader-facing eCFR URL 302-redirects an automated request to a block page), are the source for what the placard must carry and for the exact placard wording quoted on this page. The load-limit arithmetic (read the placard figure, total the actual weight of the occupants, subtract, compare cargo to what remains) follows the method given independently in a 2024 Mazda CX-5 owner's manual and a 2022 Ram 2500/3500 owner's manual — two manufacturers, the same method — rather than an invented shortcut; a fresh worked example was written for this page's FAQ rather than reusing either manufacturer's own numbers. The trailer tongue-weight step follows the Ram manual's instruction to consult the vehicle's documentation for the reduction; no tongue-weight number is printed. No number in this record is invented: every one is either quoted from a source read on the date given or is an instruction to consult the vehicle's own documentation.
Corrections to this page are listed in the public corrections log. Reports that are credible and not yet verified are listed in the public errata register, and an open one renders above the step it concerns.
Comments and corrections
Found an error? A correction with a manufacturer source is applied and logged publicly. You can also write to corrections@fixchecklist.com.
Every step above carries its own report control, which tags the report with that step so a correction reaches the right place. For anything about the procedure as a whole — the order of the sections, a step that is missing, something that did not match your equipment — use this: report something about this whole procedure.