Power Players

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These trucks can fulfill a wide variety of needs for many fleets.

Heavy-duty pickup trucks – the so-called “three-quarter-ton” and “half-ton” models – are likely the most versatile of all vehicles. They can do a solid day’s work for a wide variety of industries that need more than a light-duty truck, and then for owner-operators, can offer the convenience of a personal vehicle that can slip seamlessly into everyday traffic, where a larger medium-duty is strictly for commercial applications.

Only Ford, General Motors, and Ram make heavy-duty pickups, but within that lineup there are numerous engine choices and features to help fleets select the models that are right for the job.

Chevrolet Silverado 2500

The Silverado 1500 morphs into a next-generation model for 2027, but the heavy-duty models will be unchanged, and are expected to stay as-is until model-year 2028. Configurations on the 2500 are a regular cab with long bed; and double cab and crew cab, both with standard or long bed. The WT (Work Truck) and Custom trims are offered in 2WD or 4WD, while all other trims are 4WD-only. The crew cab offers higher trims including the luxury High Country and off-road ZR2.

Chevrolet Silverado 3500

As the Silverado 2500 does, the 3500 comes with two V8 engines in gasoline or diesel. It comes in regular cab or double cab with long bed, and crew cab with standard or long bed, but doesn’t offer the double cab-with-standard-bed available on the 2500. The entry WT trim comes in 2WD or 4WD, while all others are 4WD-only. All but the crew cab with standard bed can be optioned with dual rear wheels, including in 2WD.

Ford F-250

Ford is the “engine-meister” for choice in this segment, offering two V8 gasoline engines, and regular and high-output versions of its Power Stroke diesel engine. It comes in regular cab with long bed, and in SuperCab or crew cab with standard or long bed. The entry XL and XLT trims come in all configurations, with 4x2 optional in most. Upper trims of Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum come only in crew cab, and those two top trims in 4x4-only.

Ford F-350

As with the F-250, the F-350 offers regular cab with long bed, available only on the XL and XLT; and SuperCab or crew cab with standard or long bed, available in those two trims and the only choice on upper trims. Dual rear wheels can be added to the regular or crew cab, and in 4x2 on lower trims, but not on any SuperCab models. Ford’s Super Duty lineup also includes the F-450, in regular or crew cab with long bed on lower trims, and crew-only on upper ones, and all with standard dual rear wheels.

GMC Sierra 2500

The Sierra is a twin to the Silverado, and like it, will also get an all-new 1500 version for 2027, but the heavy-duty models will have to wait. Like the Silverado, the 2500 comes in regular cab with long bed; and in double cab and crew cab, both with standard or long bed. In all configurations, only the entry Pro trim is available in 2WD or 4WD, with all other trims in 4WD-only. The off-road AT4 and luxury Denali trims come only in crew cab.

GMC Sierra 3500

As with the other GM offerings, the GMC Sierra 3500 comes with a gasoline or diesel V8. Configurations are a regular cab and double cab with long bed, plus crew cab with standard or long bed; but the double cab with standard bed, available on the Sierra 2500, isn’t offered on the 3500. The crew cab with standard bed only comes with single rear wheels, as do the AT4 and AT4X crew cab models. All others can be optioned with dual wheels.

Ram 2500

The Ram 2500 comes in regular cab with long bed in its lower trims. There’s no extended cab available; it goes straight to crew cab with standard or long bed, and then, on specific trims, to the Mega Cab, which is longer for extra rear-seat legroom and interior cargo space and has a standard bed. For 2027, the off-road Power Wagon, previously available only with gasoline, will also offer the Cummins diesel.

Ram 3500

Like the Ram 2500, the 3500 also comes in regular cab, crew cab, and Mega Cab, with availability depending on trim. Dual rear wheels are available in 4x2 or 4x4 models. On the 2027 version, the regular cab and the crew with standard bed, when equipped with the 6.4-litre gas engine and 4x4, will offer a maximum GVWR of 11,440 lbs, which increases payload by some 400 lbs over the 2026 versions.