Which Heavy-Duty Truck Is Right for You?

When it comes to heavy-duty pickup trucks, there truly isn’t a bad one on the market, and all deserve to be the truck of choice for all of the hard workers out there, whether you own a business, work for one, or are a heavy-duty pickup truck enthusiast to your core. However, you’re likely only buying one model when you visit a truck dealership near Wilmington, so let’s break it down a bit and tell you what each truck offers you. Which one is the best for towing? Which one has the most features? We’ll tell you everything you need to know, so let’s get started.

Chevy Silverado HD

Chevy has two heavy-duty trucks under its belt: the Silverado 2500 HD and Silverado 3500 HD. For the 2024 model year, both trucks come standard with a 6.6L V8 gasoline engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, but each truck can also be paired with a 6.6L V8 turbo-diesel engine with the same transmission. While both engines output the same horsepower and torque ratings for the Silverado 2500 HD and Silverado 3500 HD, the two trucks do not have the same towing and payload capacities. If you stick with the V8 engine that sips regular gasoline, you will get 401 hp and 464 lb-ft of torque. With the diesel-powered engine, your heavy-duty Chevy truck puts out 470 hp and 975 lb-ft of torque––a modest 17% increase in horsepower and a vast 110% increase in torque output.

As we mentioned, the main difference between the Silverado 2500 HD and Silverado 3500 HD are metrics like towing and payload capacities. By purchasing the 2024 Silverado 2500 HD equipped with the standard 6.6L V8 engine, you’ll have a maximum towing capacity of 18,700 lbs and a 3,689 lb max payload capacity. With the turbo-diesel engine, the 2024 Silverado 2500 HD’s max towing capacity is increased to 22,500 lbs––a 20% improvement.

If you purchase the 2024 Silverado 3500 HD, you’re in a separate league of towing performance. If you’re a small business owner and you need reliable transportation for tools, cargo, or passengers, the Silverado 3500 HD is the perfect work vehicle. With the base engine in your 2024 Silverado 3500 HD, you’ll have a max towing capacity of 19,080 lbs, which is a welcomed increase. However, the 2024 Silverado 3500 HD truly shines if you pair it with the available turbo-diesel V8 engine, as the towing capacity is increased to a stunning 36,000 lbs––an 89% increase.

No matter where in the Wilmington area you have to take your truck, your business can truly thrive. No matter which Silverado HD model you buy, you’ll be able to handle heavy gooseneck and fifth wheel trailers with ease. We also mentioned how the Silverado 3500 HD has upgraded payload capacities, which is true: the turbo-diesel V8 engine has a max payload capacity of 6,638 lbs, while the 6.6L V8 gasoline engine provides a max payload capacity of 7,234 lbs, which is a 96% increase over the Silverado 2500 HD.

GMC Sierra HD

We’d like to mention the GMC Sierra HD models, including Sierra 2500 HD and Sierra 3500 HD. The Sierra HD trucks are easy to recommend, but why is that? Everything we mentioned about the Chevy Silverado HD models also goes for the Sierra HD trucks. Chevy and GMC are both GM brands and fall under the same automotive umbrella. This results in vehicles like the Silverado HD and Sierra HD sharing many of the same features. The key difference is that the GMC trucks are more upscale.

With the 2024 Sierra HD, you’ll find the same 6.6L V8 engines––one gas and one diesel––as the Silverado HD, with identical horsepower and torque numbers. The Sierra 2500 HD provides the same max towing capacity of 18,700 lbs, but the Sierra 2500 HD does have a slight edge with its payload capacity of 3,759 lbs. Both GM one-ton trucks cap out with an excellent towing capacity of 36,000 lbs, but the Sierra 3500 HD can support 56 more lbs of towing––well within the margin of error.

Combined with identical cargo capacities and bed sizes––not to mention similar cabin features––the Sierra HD is close enough to the Silverado HD that there’s no wrong answer. What are the bed sizes if they’re identical? In either the Sierra HD or the Silverado HD, the smallest bed size is 6.9 feet long, with a maximum cargo capacity of 69.5 cu.ft. The lengthier option is an 8.2-foot bed with 83.5 cu.ft. of space. If you’re using your truck bed to transport cargo around Wilmington, the Sierra HD––and, by extension, the Silverado HD––is perfect for the task.

Ram Heavy Duty

The Ram Heavy Duty differs from the Silverado HD and the Sierra HD, with Ram trucks being developed and produced by Stellantis. There are some similarities between the Ram and the GM trucks––they’re all marketed at the same types of drivers: enthusiasts and business owners. If you live in Wilmington and your livelihood requires you to tow or haul heavy loads, you can’t go wrong with any truck we’ve mentioned thus far. However, there’s something to be said for the Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 because they manage to squeeze ahead of the competition in some interesting ways.

With the Ram Heavy Duty, you get a standard 6.4L HEMI V8 engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain produces a respectable 410 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque, providing a maximum towing capacity of 17,730 lbs and a max payload capacity of 4,000 lbs in the Ram 2500. The HEMI V8 is also the standard engine in the Ram 3500. However, its max towing and payload capacities increased by 3% and 92%, with towing and payload coming in at 18,210 lbs and 7,680 lbs, respectively.

Like the Sierra HD and Silverado HD models, there’s a turbo-diesel engine available for the Ram Heavy Duty. The available powertrain includes a 6.6L Cummins turbo-diesel I-6 engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, which gives both trucks 370 hp and 850 lb-ft of torque. When placed in the Ram 2500, the turbo-diesel I-6 engine can tow a maximum of 19,990 lbs and can haul a payload of 3,150 lbs. Placed in the Ram 3500, the turbo-diesel I-6––in its standard form––increases its max towing and payload capacities to 22,670 lbs and 6,840 lbs, respectively.

Why do we say “In its standard form” when discussing the turbo-diesel engine? The Ram 3500 also offers a high-output variant of the 6.7L turbo-diesel I-6 engine, which produces an excellent 420 hp and a monstrous 1,075 lb-ft of torque. With the high-output engine, the payload capacity tops out at 6,570 lbs, but it’s coupled with a towing capacity of 37,090 lbs. If you want the ultimate towing experience in Wilmington, the Ram 3500 may give you what you’re craving.

A Heavy-Duty Decision

Choosing a heavy-duty truck is a decision that holds great weight because you’re buying a vehicle that’ll make you a better worker or more efficient business owner, ultimately assisting you in achieving a healthy livelihood. We believe the current lineup of heavy-duty trucks across the market is fascinating, and each model has its unique strengths. We hope we’ve given you some insight into what type of power you’ll be pulling with when you purchase a new heavy-duty truck. Regardless of which model you buy, we are sure that you will enjoy the capability upgrade.