Thanks Mike. A Ford engineer has basically solved discussion and answer is what I figured. Deduct passenger weight (Ford uses a standard 150lbs per person) from Cargo Load on sticker, remainder is for your cargo – hogs, feathers or truck campers with their supplies.
The problem that nobody it seems wants to deal with, maybe because I think the form that caused my doubts is a standard gov’t form has a very incorrect text about Total Cargo Load and Cargo Weight Rating. IF you do the math the text suggests for my truck about 1000 lbs of payload vanishes into thin air, but only when you put a TC on the truck!
THE END.
