I think the terms 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, and 1 ton are old and obsolete. All of them have a higher payload than that name suggests right? I have an 11 F350 that my company provides and it has a payload of like 5500 lbs. I have had 5800 in the bed(80 golf cart batteries), it set lower but level and drove like a dream. I would have preferred to leave them in there from a ride comfort stand point.