Van Payloads: Do you know your limits?
01/04/2025 Share
Van Payloads: Do you know your limits?
When it comes to buying a new van, there are numerous factors to take into account but if your main purpose of driving one is to hold and transport cargo, then payload limits are something you need to consider.
What Is Payload?
Payload is any load carried by a vehicle, including passengers. So it's important to know what payload your van can handle. Overloading a vehicle can have all sorts of impactful consequences. Not only does it put a massive strain on the engine and transmission, it also places you, your passengers and other road users at risk.
Travelling in a van that exceeds its maximum gross vehicle weight - calculated by combining the weight of the payload and the weight of the unladen vehicle itself - is a serious offence that can leave you with a heavily damaged vehicle or, if it is involved in a crash, could cause greater damage or injury than anticipated by a manufacturer during development.
Because of this, authorities take overloaded vehicles very seriously. Both the police and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) have the power to stop and search any commercial vehicle.
If your vehicle is over the legal weight limit you can be fined and stopped from driving any further, so it is important you understand your vehicle and its limits.
Calculating your vehicle's payload
Only two things are required to work out your van's payload capacity; the GVW (Gross vehicle weight) and its kerbweight. Both of these figures can be found in your vehicle's manual. GVW is the maximum allowable weight of the vehicle, including the vehicle itself, operational fluids like fuel and oil, cargo and passengers. Kerbweight is weight of the vehicle alone.
To calculate your payload capacity, simply subtract your kerbweight from your GVW. Let's imagine we have a van with a GVW of 3000kg. The kerbweight of the van is 2400kg, which means you can safely carry a payload of 600kg.
Recognise the law, understand your vehicle and most of all - know its limits.
Here's a rough guide to typical payloads on different van types:
| Type | Payload Range | Example |
| Small Vans | 600-1085kg | Citroen Berlingo - up to 1059kg |
| Medium Vans | 750kg-1550kg | Ford Transit Custom - up to 1416kg |
| Large Vans | 1000-1900kg | Vauxhall Movano - up to 1495kg |
| Pick-Ups | 1045-1205kg | Isuzu D-Max - up to 1205kg |
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