How do you read a truck payload sticker?

Use the sticker on the actual truck. It is usually on the driver's door jamb and says how much combined weight of occupants and cargo the truck can carry. That payload number includes people, tools, hitch weight, bed cargo, aftermarket parts, and trailer tongue or pin weight. If a fifth-wheel hitch weighs 200 pounds and passengers weigh 500 pounds, that comes out of payload before the trailer is even connected. Online ratings can be useful for research, but they are not enough. Trim, cab, bed length, engine, 4x4, wheels, packages, and options all change payload. A loaded diesel crew cab may have much less payload than a basic gas work truck. Do not accept a verbal payload number if the sticker says something different. For towing, the sticker is one of the first things to check. It tells you whether the truck can carry the load, not just pull it.