How much should a good work truck be able to tow?

Towing capacity recommendations for your profession 

When looking into your next commercial vehicle, one question you might ask is how much should a good work truck be able to tow. The answer to that depends on your profession, but you can read our towing capacity recommendations for your profession below. Visit Carl Black Roswell in Roswell, GA, for all things work-truck related. 

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Weights of ten items commonly towed by professionals 

First, let’s take a look at the weights of ten items commonly towed by professionals. If you know what you plan on towing, the easiest way to get an accurate estimate of your towing requirements is to add them together. So, if you know you’ll be towing a large flatbed trailer weighed down with a riding mower and gravel for your landscaping business, then you’ll need at least 6,200 pounds of towing capacity for these items on average. It’s a good idea to round up and give yourself some wiggle room.  

Also note that the weights of these items vary, and you can look into the specific weight of the brand you own. 

Towing capacity recommendations for three common jobs 

Our recommendations are estimates based on some of the commonly towed items by each profession. If you work in one of these fields, you can get a more accurate estimate by adding up the weight of your equipment. 

• Construction workers – 15,000 pounds: If you ever need to transport a forklift, you’ll need around 9,000 pounds of towing capacity, but some forklifts will run you even more. With that, you’ll also need a flatbed trailer to tow it on, and most likely, you’ll have heavy materials. Construction can vary a lot, but if you’re running your own company, you’ll want to be prepared for whatever comes your way. 
• Landscaping professional – 10,000 pounds: We did some math above for a riding mower, gravel, and a large flatbed trailer above, but chances are you’ll have more tools than that. A pallet of bricks can weigh a couple thousand pounds. The larger the scale of your projects, the higher capacity you’ll need. 
• Farmworkers and landowners – 9,000 pounds: A fully loaded horse trailer weighs around 8,000 pounds, and we’d recommend going above that at a minimum. However, if you’ll be towing tractors, the weight can vary greatly and should be calculated ahead of time. 

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