Owners Say These Are The Best Dually Trucks For Heavy-Duty Jobs

There are a number of pros and cons to driving a dually truck. But when it comes to doing heavy-duty jobs in a pickup, a dually — a truck with dual-rear-wheels — is a better option than a single-rear-wheel pickup. Reddit user uabeng asked the r/Diesel community about the advantages of a dually truck for towing heavy trailers and found they overwhelmingly agree that for heavy-duty jobs, a dually truck is best. 

Popular American automakers such as General Motors, Ford, and Ram offer heavy-duty dually trucks. Like other automotive comparisons, it's possible to find loyal owners of each brand on nearly any forum or street corner. Some dually owners on another r/Diesel thread say they prefer Ford and GM HD trucks over Ram due to the different cab size and bed length combinations. While Ram offers the spacious Mega Cab, it only comes on trucks equipped with a relatively short 6-foot 4-inch truck bed. The Mega Cab Ram's shorter bed is at a disadvantage compared to other dually trucks when towing fifth-wheel campers, with some owners experiencing clearance issues. 

Other owners on Reddit threads say that even though Ford and GM crew cabs are larger than the Ram version, the interiors in those trucks aren't as nice as the Ram's. Reddit user LeastCriticism3219 says the Ram has "comfortable seats, nice leather, not as much hard plastic, [and the] absolute best sound systems" compared to the others. This doesn't matter much for heavy-duty jobs themselves, but they make a difference for the driver performing them.

The strength of a dually comes at a cost, with one such version of the GMC Sierra 3500HD starting at over $100,000. It manages to boast the strongest rear axle weight rating at 10,400 pounds, compared to 10,300 pounds for the F-350 and 9,750 pounds for the Ram 3500. However, the dually 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD and GMC Sierra 3500HD both have lower maximum tow ratings than Ford or Ram HD pickups. GM HD pickups have a tow rating of up to 36,000 pounds when the truck is configured as a two-wheel drive, regular cab, long bed, WT-model equipped with the "Max Trailering Package" and a gooseneck hitch.

In response to jasonmpt's request for guidance selecting a heavy-duty dually truck to tow a 17,000-pound toy hauler on the Diesel Place forum, ryanryan says to "stick with GM." The suggestion includes positive praise for the GM 3500HD dually's stability and braking. 

Owners of the Chevrolet 3500HD rate it at both ends of the spectrum at Edmunds. With 26 total reviews, the 3500HD gets 4- and 5-star ratings for 61% of the reviews and 39% 1- and 2-star ratings. Owners on the positive end of the scale tend to appreciate its safety and performance, while some give lower ratings for the truck's reliability, technology, and value. Many dissatisfied owners reported that their brand-new trucks have spent more time at the dealer for warranty repairs than in their possession. A dually can't do heavy-duty jobs if it's in the shop.

Ford lists the maximum towing capacity of its dually F-Series Super Duty at 40,000 pounds, a cool 4,000 pounds more than the HD GM dually trucks. Like GM and Ram HD dually trucks, the Super Duty achieves its maximum tow rating when properly equipped. In this case, the most capable models are powered by a diesel engine: the 6.7-liter Ford Power Stroke diesel.

Owners of the 2022 Ford F-350 Super Duty Crew Cab give it a 4.6-star rating at Kelley Blue Book with 28 reviews. However, opinions on its heavy-duty capabilities aren't so positive. In Kelly Blue Book reviews for the 2020 model, Richard says that hauling "just a few hundred pounds" dropped its fuel economy down to 7.2 mpg. He also mentions that "hips on the dually wiggle" and the rear wheel shrouds started to sag. It can handle a bigger load than GM's offerings, but the F-350 dually might not hold up well in the long run.

The Ford F-450 is another option for consumers. In a YouTube video review of their F-450, Renovations and Repair highlighted some of the reasons he chose the F-450 over an F-350. The primary factors swaying his decision were the pickup's 7.5- to 8-foot smaller turning radius and larger brakes. While the smaller turning radius is nice, the F-450's larger brakes are what make it better for doing heavy-duty jobs.

In its ranking of "Trucks With the Best Towing Capacity" for 2025, Car and Driver slotted the Ram HD, with its 36,610-pound maximum tow rating, between trucks from Ford and GM. However, in a separate review, the magazine listed the Ram at the top of its list of "Best Diesel Trucks." Compared to the other heavy-duty pickups mentioned before, Car and Driver raves about the Ram 3500's interior, putting it above Ford and GM in that regard. 

Ram 3500 owners are generally positive about its interior. Others mention that it doesn't ride great when unloaded, but that means things are better when actually doing those heavy-duty jobs. On the other hand, older Ram dually trucks might be more worthwhile for some. JDM-TIM, an r/Cummins subreddit user, says the 2025 Ram 3500 Laramie feels "like a downgrade honestly from last gen Laramie" with the removal of features like the tow haul buttons. That sentiment echoed through the thread with owners of older Ram trucks, including 1st-gen models, chiming in. Redditor RoyalCPT proclaims the "2017/2018 [model years] were the golden years as of late."

While the Ram 3500 doesn't have the strongest rear axle or the highest towing capacity, it's still a dually pickup that's capable of pulling heavy loads and carrying substantial payloads. A comfortable interior might not be the first thing that springs to mind with considering these trucks to do heavy-duty jobs. However, most of those jobs don't end with putting the truck in park, increasing the importance of a comfortable, restful drive.