What does load range E mean on a tire?

Load range E is a light truck rating with a ply rating equivalent of 10 and a maximum inflation pressure of 80 psi. It is not ten physical plies - it is the strength ten plies of the old cotton cord construction gave.

What is the difference between load range and load index?

The load range letter describes the construction grade and the pressure the tire is built to hold. The load index is a code that maps to a specific mass in a published table. A tire has both, and they answer different questions.

Is an XL passenger tire the same as load range E?

No. XL is a passenger tire designation meaning the load index is certified at a higher reference pressure than standard load. Load range E is a light truck rating on a different scale entirely. They are not interchangeable.

Load range letters and ply ratings

The letter on a light truck tire, the ply rating it stands for, and the maximum inflation pressure where two sources agreed on one.

Letters: 12
With a pressure: 5

The scale

Load range letters, ply ratings and maximum pressures
Load range	Ply rating equivalent	Maximum inflation	Sources
A	2	not published	2
B	4	35 psi	4
C	6	50 psi	4
D	8	65 psi	4
E	10	80 psi	4
F	12	95 psi	4
G	14	not published	3
H	16	not published	2
J	18	not published	2
L	20	not published	2
M	22	not published	2
N	24	not published	2

There is no I and no K in the scale. A blank pressure is a stated gap, not a missing figure: Maximum inflation pressure is published here only for load ranges B to F, where two or more of the sources consulted agreed. For A and for G upward the sources consulted either disagreed or gave nothing, so those cells are left empty rather than filled in from the pattern. The tire's own sidewall states its maximum pressure, and that is the figure to use.

Ply rating is not a ply count

The ply rating is an equivalence, not a count. A load range E tire is not built from ten plies; it is built to the strength ten plies of the old cotton cord construction gave. Counting layers in a cut tire will not produce this number.

The passenger tire scale is a different one

Standard load and extra load describe the reference pressure a passenger tire's load index is certified at. They are not steps on the load range scale.

Passenger tire reinforcement designations
Marking	Name	Reference pressure
SL	Standard Load	35 psi
XL	Extra Load (also marked Reinforced or RF)	41 psi
LL	Light Load	not published
HL	High Load	not published

Common questions

What does load range E mean on a tire?: Load range E is a light truck rating with a ply rating equivalent of 10 and a maximum inflation pressure of 80 psi. It is not ten physical plies - it is the strength ten plies of the old cotton cord construction gave.
What is the difference between load range and load index?: The load range letter describes the construction grade and the pressure the tire is built to hold. The load index is a code that maps to a specific mass in a published table. A tire has both, and they answer different questions.
Is an XL passenger tire the same as load range E?: No. XL is a passenger tire designation meaning the load index is certified at a higher reference pressure than standard load. Load range E is a light truck rating on a different scale entirely. They are not interchangeable.
Why does this table stop giving pressures after F?: Maximum inflation pressure is published here only for load ranges B to F, where two or more of the sources consulted agreed. For A and for G upward the sources consulted either disagreed or gave nothing, so those cells are left empty rather than filled in from the pattern. The tire's own sidewall states its maximum pressure, and that is the figure to use.

Where these figures come from

Published values here were read from 7 independent sources:

Tire code - Wikipedia, revision read 27 August 2026 (read 2026-08-27)
Load range letters and ply ratings, M+S definition, sidewall marking glossary
Load Range - CJ Tire, undated reference chart (read 2026-08-27)
Load range letters A to N with ply rating equivalents
Tire Load Ranges: Complete Guide (B Through F) - TireGrades, updated 24 June 2026 (read 2026-08-27)
Load range letters B to F with ply ratings and maximum inflation pressures
Tire Load Rating Chart - Your Auto Vision, page dated 21 April 2026 (read 2026-08-27)
Load range letters B to G with ply ratings and maximum inflation pressures
Tire code - Wikipedia, revision read 27 August 2026 (read 2026-08-27)
Service type letters, construction letters, load range letters and ply ratings, sidewall marking glossary
Load Index & Weight Ratings - rimlist, undated reference article (read 2026-08-27)
LT against P-metric fitment, ST trailer tires, SL, XL and HL reference pressures
Tire Load Ranges: Complete Guide (B Through F) - TireGrades, updated 24 June 2026 (read 2026-08-27)
Load range letters with ply rating equivalents and maximum inflation, LT against passenger designations

These are independent publishers, not independent measurements. Each one reproduces a table originally set by a standards body, so agreement between them shows a value was transcribed correctly, not that the underlying table is right. Where a figure is safety relevant, check it against the tire manufacturer's own data before relying on it.

Left out on purpose

Maximum inflation pressure for load ranges A and G through N. Fewer than two of the sources consulted published a figure. Of the charts that do publish one for G, the source consulted here gives 105 psi while other charts in circulation give 110 psi, so nothing is published for it.