Can I Load a Pallet of Sod Into my Car or SUV?
The short answer is no. The long answer depends on your vehicle’s payload, but even though it still may be best not to.
“But it’s just some grass…how heavy can it be?”
An average pallet of sod can weigh anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 pounds, and if it has rained recently, it can weigh even more!
This is why it is so important to plan how you intend to transport your newly purchased sod ahead of time. A car or SUV, no matter the size, is simply not equipped to haul anything of this weight. Many pickup trucks cannot handle this much weight either.
“I’m not convinced….”
Still, think your Explorer can handle it? First, check out its payload rating. That’s what tells you how much weight your vehicle can carry, including all passengers and cargo. This is different from your vehicle’s towing capacity, which is how much weight your vehicle can pull behind it.
For example, on a 2021 Ford Explorer, the max payload capacity is 1,815 pounds. So right off the bat, there’s no way it can haul a 3,000-pound pallet of sod, even if the sod was bone dry. Plus, that sod isn’t going to drive itself home, so you’ll need to add in the weight of at least one driver, which might be the last straw for a vehicle already loaded down with almost double its maximum payload capacity.
No other SUV or passenger car fares well either. The max payload capacity in pounds of several other popular 2021 SUVs and passenger cars are:
- Ford Expedition – 1,758
- Chevrolet Suburban – 1,884
- Chevrolet Tahoe – 1,927
- Cadillac Escalade – 1,877
- GMC Yukon XL – 1,867
- Toyota Sequoia – 1,370
- Nissan Altima – 1,120
- Hyundai Sonata – 1,234
- Kia Forte – 931
“Okay, but I can borrow my neighbor’s pickup…that’ll work, right?”
Think a light-duty pickup truck can handle the job? Think again. Even the Ford F-150, which has the highest payload capacity of any light-duty pickup on the market, maxes out at 2,238 pounds, falling way short of what is needed. Try hauling even one pallet of sod in any car, SUV, or light-duty pickup, and you’re risking severe damage to your suspension system, motor, and transmission.
There is no need to risk damaging your vehicle when here at Fresh Sod; we have all the equipment necessary to deliver your new sod quickly and safely.
Let the experts here at www.freshsod.com help you find the right sod and deliver it right to your door!