Technical note
Reading a residual capacity chart before you compare trucks
Rated capacity is a headline. Residual capacity at your working height, with your attachment and your load centre, is the number that decides whether a truck can do the job.
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Rated capacity is measured at a defined load centre
Manufacturers state capacity at a specific load centre distance and a reference lift height. Move the centre of gravity forward, add an attachment, or lift higher, and the safe working capacity falls. The published load chart shows how much.
Attachments are part of the load
A rotator, side shift, fork positioner or extension adds weight ahead of the front axle and often moves the load centre forward. Both effects reduce residual capacity, and the reduction is documented by the manufacturer for that specific combination.
Match the chart to your top pick
Take the highest beam level the truck must serve and read the chart at that height. Compare trucks at that point, with the same load and attachment assumptions, rather than comparing rated capacities against each other.
Never estimate from a photograph or a data sheet summary
Capacity cannot be inferred from appearance, mast height or a similar model. If a supplier cannot show you the manufacturer's chart for the exact configuration quoted, that quotation is not comparable.