Jump Starters
The best jump starters for SUVs and trucks
Gas V6 and V8 SUVs and half-tons sit in the most over-served part of this market. Here is what you actually need.
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How we assessed these: picks are selected from manufacturer specifications, current retailer listings and published owner feedback — not from hands-on testing of every unit. Where a figure is not published by the manufacturer, we say so rather than estimate it.
Short answer
A gas V6 crossover is covered by a 1,000-peak-amp pack rated to 6.0 L. A 5.3 L or 6.2 L gas V8 pickup wants the 1,500-amp, 7.0 L class. You only need the 2,000-amp class if the engine is diesel or you want margin for cold.
"For trucks and SUVs" is the most abused phrase in this category, because it spans a 3.5 L unibody crossover and a 6.2 L body-on-frame pickup — engines whose starting current is nowhere near each other. The useful distinction is not the body style. It is displacement and fuel type.
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. Scoring criteria are published in full on our methodology page.
| # | Product | Best for | Our read | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  NOCO Boost Plus GB50 Best for most gas V8s | V6 and small V8 gas engines | 7.0 L gas rating clears a 6.2 L with margin | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · We show no price here; Amazon shows the current one |
| 2 |  NOCO Boost HD GB70 Best margin buy | Diesel pickups and big V8s | 8.0 L gas, and it covers a future diesel too | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · We show no price here; Amazon shows the current one |
| 3 |  NOCO Boost Plus GB40 Enough for a V6 crossover | Most cars and small SUVs | 6.0 L gas covers most unibody SUVs | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · We show no price here; Amazon shows the current one |
| 4 |  GOOLOO GT4000S Cheapest way to a big rating | Maximum claimed amps per dollar | Check the claim language before you rely on it | Check price on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · We show no price here; Amazon shows the current one |
Find your engine, then read across
| Your engine | Typical vehicles | Minimum pack | With cold margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0-2.7 L four / turbo four | Compact crossovers, mid-size pickups | 1,000 A / 6.0 L | 1,000 A is still ample |
| 3.5-3.6 L V6 | Mid-size and full-size crossovers | 1,000 A / 6.0 L | 1,250-1,500 A |
| 5.0-5.3 L V8 | Half-ton pickups, full-size SUVs | 1,500 A / 7.0 L | 2,000 A / 8.0 L |
| 6.2 L V8 | Performance trucks and large SUVs | 1,500 A / 7.0 L | 2,000 A / 8.0 L |
| Any diesel | See the diesel roundup | 2,000 A / 6.0 L diesel | 3,000 A / 7.0 L diesel |
Pack ratings are NOCO's published gas and diesel engine ratings. "With cold margin" is our recommendation, not a manufacturer figure — it is one step up the range, which is what we would buy in a climate with real winters.
If the engine in that last row is yours, stop here and read the diesel roundup — a diesel in a truck body needs roughly double the pack a gas engine of the same displacement does.
Two things that matter on a truck and not on a car
Cable reach. Truck batteries sit further from where you can comfortably stand, sometimes behind a fender liner or under a seat, and some trucks use remote jump terminals rather than the battery posts. Short leads turn a five-minute job into an awkward one. The heavier packs in the range ship longer, thicker cables for exactly this reason.
Where the pack lives. A truck has more places to put a pack and most of them are hot. A pack in a bed toolbox in August is being cooked, and heat is the main driver of permanent lithium capacity loss — see storage and heat. The cab, out of direct sun, is a better home than the bed.
The picks
1. Best for most gas V8s
NOCO Boost Plus GB50
NOCO · Best for v6 and small v8 gas engines
The middle rung: 1,500 peak amps and 35 watt-hours for a quarter-pound more than the GB40, which is the cheapest headroom in the range.
Published specifications
What works
- A full liter more gas headroom than the GB40 for 0.26 lb more weight
- 35 Wh still clears the 100 Wh carry-on limit with room to spare
- Doubles the flashlight output over the GB40 at 200 lumens
What does not
- Overlaps awkwardly with the GBX45, which is lighter and charges over USB-C
- Still short of the 6.0 L diesel rating a modern diesel pickup wants
Skip it if
Skip it if convenience matters more than amps — the GBX45 is lighter and takes USB-C Power Delivery, and the GB50's edge is raw current.
#ad Affiliate link · We show no price here; Amazon shows the current one
Raw specifications: NOCO’s own page for the NOCO Boost Plus GB50.
2. Best margin buy
NOCO Boost HD GB70
NOCO · Best for diesel pickups and big v8s
The one to buy if you drive a diesel: 2,000 peak amps, a 6.0-liter diesel rating and 56 watt-hours, which is the smallest pack with real margin on a cold diesel.
Published specifications
What works
- The 6.0 L diesel rating covers the common 3.0 L and 6.7 L light-truck diesels with margin
- 56 Wh is still comfortably under the 100 Wh carry-on threshold, so it flies as hand luggage
- 12 V 15 A accessory output, and a 400-lumen light that is genuinely usable roadside
- 12 V / 3 A fast charge brings it back in about three hours
What does not
- 4.18 lb — noticeably heavier than the compact packs, and it wants a dedicated spot
- Overkill for a commuter four-cylinder; you are paying for headroom you will not use
Skip it if
Not the one to buy if you only ever start a four-cylinder commuter. Buy diesel headroom when you have a diesel.
#ad Affiliate link · We show no price here; Amazon shows the current one
Raw specifications: NOCO’s own page for the NOCO Boost HD GB70.
3. Enough for a V6 crossover
NOCO Boost Plus GB40
NOCO · Best for most cars and small suvs
The default answer for a four- or six-cylinder car: 1,000 peak amps, 24 watt-hours, and light enough that it actually stays in the trunk.
Published specifications
What works
- 24 Wh sits far under the 100 Wh carry-on threshold, so flying with it needs no airline approval
- 2.45 lb and pocketable — the size that decides whether a tool is still in the trunk six months later
- IP65 enclosure, so a wet shoulder in the rain is not a problem
- Reverse-polarity protection means a backwards clamp does not spark
What does not
- 1,000 peak amps runs out of headroom above a 6.0 L gas engine
- The 3.0 L diesel ceiling rules out most modern diesel pickups
- 24 Wh is a small reserve — it is a jump starter, not a power bank substitute
Skip it if
Not the one to buy if you drive a diesel pickup or a big V8. You would be at the edge of its rating on a cold morning, which is exactly when you want margin.
#ad Affiliate link · We show no price here; Amazon shows the current one
Raw specifications: NOCO’s own page for the NOCO Boost Plus GB40.
4. Cheapest way to a big rating
GOOLOO GT4000S
GOOLOO · Best for maximum claimed amps per dollar
A high-claimed-amp budget pack. Worth a look on price, but read the rating language closely — peak-amp claims in this tier are not stated the way the majors state them.
This manufacturer does not publish a full specification table for this model on its own site. Rather than repeat figures we cannot source, the assessment below is limited to what the product category and the retailer listing genuinely establish.
What works
- One of the cheapest routes to a large-engine rating
- Usually ships with a case, cables and a wall adapter in the box
What does not
- Budget-tier peak-amp claims are not directly comparable to a major brand's published rating
- Support and warranty handling is the usual weak point against NOCO or DEWALT
- Capacity is often quoted in mAh rather than watt-hours, which obscures airline legality
Skip it if
Not the pick if the pack is your only plan for a remote breakdown. For that, pay for a published rating and a warranty you can actually use.
#ad Affiliate link · We show no price here; Amazon shows the current one
The upgrade case
There is one genuinely good reason to buy above your engine's rating here: if there is any chance your next vehicle is a diesel, the 2,000-amp class covers both, and a jump pack outlasts a vehicle. That is a real argument. "Bigger is safer" for a 5.3 L V8 you will own for ten years is not — you would be carrying 1.7 lb of unused headroom for a decade.
Key takeaways
- Body style tells you nothing. Displacement and fuel type tell you everything.
- A gas V6 crossover is a 1,000-amp job; a 5.3 L V8 wants 1,500 amps.
- Add one step up the range if you live with real winters.
- Check cable length — truck batteries are further away and sometimes hidden.
- Store the pack in the cab, not a bed toolbox, if you want its capacity to last.
How we sourced this
Every figure on this page came from one of the following. Where a manufacturer or regulator does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate it.
Common questions
- What size jump starter do I need for an SUV?
- For a V6 unibody crossover, a 1,000-peak-amp pack with a published 6.0 L gas rating is enough. For a full-size body-on-frame SUV with a 5.3 L or larger V8, move up to the 1,500-amp, 7.0 L class, and to 2,000 amps if you want margin for cold mornings.
- Will a jump starter for a car work on a truck?
- If the truck's engine is within the pack's published gas rating, yes. A 1,000-amp pack rated to 6.0 L gas genuinely covers a 3.5 L V6 pickup. What it will not cover is a diesel of the same displacement, because diesel ratings run about half the gas figure.
- Does a V8 need more amps than a V6?
- Yes, because the starter has more displacement to turn and more cylinders to compress. It is displacement rather than cylinder count that the manufacturer rating tracks, which is why the published figure is in liters.
- Where should I store a jump starter in a truck?
- In the cab, out of direct sunlight — not in a bed toolbox. Sustained heat permanently reduces a lithium pack's capacity, and a metal box in the sun is the hottest place on the vehicle. If the pack must live in the bed, check its state of charge before any trip you are relying on it for.
More in Jump Starters
A jump pack is the one trunk tool that turns a tow truck into a five-minute inconvenience. This is how to size one, and which ones are worth the space.
Read next
Guide
What Size Do I Need?
The sizing table by engine displacement and fuel type, using ratings manufacturers publish and warrant rather than peak-amp marketing.
Best for Diesel Trucks
For Diesel Trucks
Packs with a published diesel rating that actually covers a 3.0 L to 6.7 L light-truck engine, with margin for a cold morning.
Review
NOCO GB70 Review
2,000 peak amps, 56 Wh, 4.18 lb, rated to 6.0 L diesel. The right pack for a diesel pickup or a big V8.
Guide
Storage and Heat
Why a hot trunk permanently costs a lithium pack capacity, where to store it instead, and the one case where lead-acid genuinely wins.
Found something out of date, or a figure you can source better than we did? Tell us — corrections get read first. Our methodology explains how picks are made, and contact is one click away.