Most of these fact may be obvious to a seasoned trucker, but we find the top 10 pickup truck topics are very often misunderstood by truck buyers. Here they are.
Truck Cab Size
You may have thought that heavy duty trucks have the biggest passenger cabs of all pickups, but in most case the HD cabs are either the same or smaller than half-ton truck cabs. Yes, there is always the Ram HD Mega cab with a huge rear seat space. However, all new Ram HD trucks still use the older style cabs, which are actually smaller than those in the new generation Ram 1500 trucks.
All Trucks Are Long
The crew cab pickup truck is the most popular truck configuration. Even if a truck has a short 5-foot or 5.5-foot bed, it is still one long vehicle that does not have a very good turning radius. If you are driving a crew cab HD truck with an 8-foot bed, then tight maneuvers become even more difficult.
HD Trucks Are Not EPA Rated
Any truck or vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 8,501 lbs or over is not rated for fuel efficiency by the EPA. This includes the tradition 3/4-ton HD, 1-ton HD, and heavier trucks. This is mainly the case because heavy duty truck use cases vary greatly. These trucks serve as snow plows, delivery trucks, construction job haulers, and do a thousand other types of jobs. Fuel economy will vary greatly based on what your are hauling or doing.
We at TFLtruck test all HD truck on our highway MPG loops both empty and with a trailer. We run at 70 MPH on our 66 mile or 98 mile loops.
6,001 Lbs GVWR Tax Advantage
Any vehicle with a GVWR of 6,001 lbs or over can give you tax advantage when used for business purposes. Some trucks like the Toyota Tacoma do not qualify for this. However, others like the Ford Ranger, Jeep Gladiator, and all full-size/HD truck do.
Trucks Are Luxurious (and Basic)
The most basic two-door regular cab 2WD half-ton trucks may start at around $30,000. However, get a fully options crew cab 4×4 with every luxury feature and the MSRP can be over $70,000. The variance in options and equipment is mind boggling, but it’s also why we love trucks.
The Most Engine Choices
The 2020 Ford F-150 has six power-train choices. The 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 currently has seven option for engine/transmission combinations. There is no other passenger vehicle out there with such a choice in engine options.
Watch the video for the rest of the discussion! These Are The Top 10 Important Yet Misunderstood Truck Facts For New Pickup Buyers!
