Load range letter to ply rating to typical maximum pressure for truck and trailer tyres — load range B through F — and the one thing it does not tell you: the weight.
People mix up load range with load index all the time. The load range letter sets how the tire is built and the pressure it holds; the load index number sets the actual weight it can carry. This chart maps the letters to ply and pressure, then shows you how to read a load-range tyre’s capacity from its load index.
Ply rating is an equivalent-strength rating, not a literal layer count. Pressures shown are typical maximums for the load range — your tyre’s actual maximum cold pressure and its load are molded on its own sidewall. This is a generic industry reference, not a size-specific load or inflation table.
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The capacity number is not on this page — on purpose. A load range tells you the build and pressure, never the exact weight. For the weight a tire can carry, read its load index and look it up on the tire load index & speed rating chart.
Tire load range, ply rating & max pressure chart
This is the generic, widely-published correspondence between a tyre’s load range letter, its equivalent ply rating, and the typical maximum cold inflation pressure. It is a real, selectable table — not a gated PDF or an image — covering the load ranges you see on truck and trailer tyres. Tap a row to load it above.
Tyre load range to ply rating to typical maximum cold pressure (generic industry reference).
Load range
Ply rating
Typical max pressure
Common use
Each step up the alphabet historically added two plies, so the ply rating rises in twos: B = 4, C = 6, D = 8, E = 10, F = 12. Modern tyres hit these ratings with one or two layers of stronger cord, so it is an equivalent strength rating rather than a literal count of plies.
Load range vs load index — the weight lives in the index
This is the distinction that catches people out, so it is worth stating plainly: load range sets construction and pressure; the load index sets weight. Two tyres can both be load range E yet carry different weights, because their load indexes differ. So “load range E weight capacity” has no single answer — you have to read the load index.
To find what a load-range tyre actually carries:
Find the service description on the sidewall, e.g. LT265/75R16 123/120R.
Read the load index — the number, here 123 (and 120 as a dual).
Look that number up on the load index chart for the weight in kg and lb.
The load range letter (E in that example) confirms it is a stiff, high-pressure truck tyre — but the number is what tells you the kilograms.
LT vs ST — light-truck and trailer tyres
Two families use these load ranges, and they are not interchangeable:
Marking
Meaning
Notes
LT
Light Truck
For pickups, vans and SUVs that haul or tow. Carries its full marked load index. Driven, steered and braked, so it is built for traction and cornering as well as load.
ST
Special Trailer
For trailer axles only — not driven or steered. Stiffer sidewalls for sway control, and usually run at the sidewall maximum pressure when loaded. Often speed-limited.
P
Passenger
Standard car tyre. If fitted to a truck or SUV, its load capacity is de-rated (about 91%) for the heavier duty.
Load range & pressure for towing
For trailer tyres, a few facts matter more than the load range letter itself:
Run them at sidewall max cold pressure when loaded. ST tyres reach their rated load only at their stamped maximum pressure, and underinflation is the leading cause of trailer-tyre failure. Set it cold, before you tow.
Watch the speed rating. Many trailer tyres are derated to a lower speed (commonly around 65 mph / 105 km/h) unless the sidewall says otherwise. Heat from speed plus load is what kills them.
Match the load index, not just the range. A higher load range does not automatically mean enough capacity — confirm the load index against your loaded axle weight. Work that out with the towing capacity calculator, and balance the trailer with the tongue weight calculator.
Is a higher load range better?
Only if you need it. A higher load range tyre is stronger and holds more pressure, which is what you want under a loaded truck or trailer. On a light vehicle the same tyre rides harshly and can wear unevenly because it is stiffer than the load requires. Match the load range and load index your vehicle calls for on its placard rather than over-building.
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For the actual weight number
This page is the letter, ply and pressure side. The capacity in kilograms and pounds comes from the load index — decode it on the tire load index & speed rating chart. Sizing a tow rig? Use the towing capacity calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between load range and load index?
They are not the same, and mixing them up is the most common tyre-spec mistake. The load range is a letter (B, C, D, E, F) describing how the tire is built and the pressure it is rated for. The load index is a separate number giving the exact maximum weight it can carry. Two tires can share a load range yet have different load indexes, so the capacity always comes from the load index, never the letter alone.
What is the weight capacity of a load range E or load range C tyre?
The load range itself does not give a weight. Load range E is built like a 10-ply tire and typically rated to about 80 psi; load range C is built like a 6-ply tire and typically about 50 psi. For the actual weight, read the tyre’s load index — the number in its service description — and look it up. A load range E tire might carry anywhere from roughly 1,500 to over 1,700 kg depending on its load index.
What ply rating is load range D, E or F?
Load range is the modern name for the old ply rating, so they line up directly: B is 4-ply, C is 6-ply, D is 8-ply, E is 10-ply and F is 12-ply. Modern tyres reach these ratings with one or two layers of stronger cord rather than that many literal plies, so it is an equivalent strength rating, not a layer count.
How should I inflate trailer (ST) tyres for towing?
Special Trailer (ST) tires are generally run at the maximum cold pressure on the sidewall when the trailer is loaded, because they carry their rated load only at that pressure and underinflation is the main cause of trailer-tyre failure. Set the pressure cold, before towing. Many ST tires are also speed-rated lower than car tyres, often around 65 mph unless marked otherwise, so check the sidewall and slow down on long hot runs.
Is a higher load range always better?
Not always. A higher load range tyre is stronger and holds more pressure, which helps when you carry or tow heavy loads, but on a light vehicle it rides harshly and can wear unevenly because it is stiffer than needed. Match the load range and load index your vehicle requires rather than over-building; the placard and original tyre spec give the minimum.