In the early days of what we call pickup trucks, rating them based on their payload capacity was a practical way to ensure they were capable of doing the job required. These days you will see truck models with 1500, 2500 and 3500 badges which means ½, ¾ and 1 ton trucks without worrying about actual capacity. With one-ton truck payload capacities exceeding 3.5 tonnes, it’s probably best to keep the naming system simple.

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If you could buy a truck dedicated to towing heavy trailers like fifth wheels or construction equipment, it would be hard to beat a 1 ton truck with dual rear wheels (DRW)also known as Dually. However, most people don’t buy a heavy-duty truck just for towing and find that a ¾ ton truck has enough towing capacity for their needs while also being a better daily driver.

One factor that limits a truck’s towing capacity is its gross combined weight rating, or GCWR. You can find a particular truck’s GCWR on a sticker, usually located inside the driver’s side door. The GCWR is the total weight of the truck, equipment, passengers, fuel and trailer combined.. Fortunately, most automakers make the calculations easier by providing towing guides for the trucks they sell that contain all, or at least most, relevant numbers. Ford, Chevrolet, GMC and Ram offer the best ¾ ton trucks for towing. However, the Nissan Titan XD is considered a heavy-duty truck that could meet the needs of some truck buyers.

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The ¾ ton Ford F-250 Super Duty has a GCWR of up to 31,000 pounds when configured with the 6.7L Power Stroke V8 Turbo Diesel, Trailer Towing Package and axle ratios of 3.31:1 or 3.55 :1. With this equipment, the F-250 Regular Cab can tow a gooseneck trailer weighing up to 23,000 pounds or up to a 20,000 pound trailer with a conventional receiver hitch. For comparison, Ford F-250s with larger cabs and four-wheel drive have reduced towing capacities.

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Ford is building the F-250 in several configurations and trim packages for 2025. The base F-250 XL and XLT trims are the only trims to offer an eight-foot truck bed with Regular and SuperCab configurations. Opting for the F-250 Crew Cab offers more options, including the 6.75-foot truck bed and premium trim levels.

The mid-range Ford F-250 Lariat starts at $80,000 when equipped with the high-output 6.7L Power Stroke turbodiesel capable of producing up to 500 horsepower and 1,200 lb-ft of torque. It includes towing-friendly features like Pro Trailer Backup Assist, Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, Trailer Reverse Guidance, and a trailer brake controller.

The 2024 GMC Sierra 2500HD offers up to 30,300 pounds GVWR in the rear-wheel-drive Crew Cab Long Box configuration equipped with the Max Trailering Package. This combination allows towing trailers up to 20,000 pounds and gooseneck or fifth wheel trailers up to 22,070 pounds. Towing gooseneck and fifth wheel trailers weighing up to 22,430 pounds is available with the Sierra 2500 HD Regular Cab. In either case, the highest towing capacities come with the 6.6L Duramax V8. turbodiesel engine providing 975 lb-ft of torque.

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As with the Ford F-250, the Sierra 2500 HD’s towing experience is enhanced by technology. In addition to monitoring trailer tire pressure and creating custom trailer profiles, GMC’s trailering technology provides a Trailer Angle Indicator with Jack Alert, Trailer Side Blind Spot Alert, and Trailer Side Blind Spot Alert. gross combined weight (GWR).

The mid-range 2024 GMC Sierra 2500 HD SLT costs around $74,000 after selecting the diesel engine option and towing package. Both of these are key to getting Sierra’s highest towing capacity.

As you would expect from another offering from General Motors, the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD has towing specifications that closely resemble those of the GMC Sierra. With a GVWR of approximately 30,000 pounds, the Silverado 2500 HD Regular Cab Long Box is equipped with the 6.6L Duramax engine and Max Trailering Package. can tow fifth wheel and gooseneck trailers weighing up to 22,430 pounds. Opting for four-wheel drive brings the capacity to 22,050 pounds for the same basic configuration.

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The Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD uses the same 6.6L Duramax Turbo Diesel as the GMC Sierra to deliver the highest towing ratings. Likewise, it produces 975 lb-ft of torque and up to 470 horsepower, plus comes with a diesel exhaust brake to slow your roll on steep hills without using your brake pedal.

The mid-range 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD LT with the available 6.6L Duramax engine and Max Trailering Package carries an MSRP of approximately $69,000. Although the Work Truck (WT) version is less expensive, there’s no provision on the website to add the Max towing package, and with the Duramax it’s still priced over $60,000.

The Ram 2500 has the lowest GCWR among the ¾-ton trucks we’ve listed so far, at 27,977 pounds. Ram introduces its highest towing capacities for Regular and Crew Cab models equipped with 6.7L Cummins Turbo-Diesel engine vs. 6.4L HEMI engine, peaking at 20,000 poundsbut does not specify a difference between towing methods such as conventional, gooseneck or fifth wheel.

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The Cummins six-cylinder available for the Ram 2500 produces 370 horsepower and 850 lb-ft of torque. If that seems low, you might be thinking of the HO Cummins available in the Ram 3500 with its 420 horsepower and 1,075 lb-ft of torque. Sorry, it’s not available in the Ram ¾ ton, but you can always opt for the Ram 3500 Single Rear Wheel (SRW) to get the best of both worlds.

People who frequently tow heavy trailers will appreciate the easy-to-find towing features on the Ram 2500. The extra range between fuel stops offered by the 50-gallon fuel tank is a good start, but you’ll have to opt for the Tradesman version with crew cab, long bed configuration. You’ll also find some models with self-leveling rear air suspension and trailer reverse steering controls.

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A 2024 Ram 2500 Tradesman Regular Cab, rear-wheel drive with the optional Cummins and Towing Package brings the price to just over $61,000. While this truck gets the job done, there are nicer options available for a little more money.

If you’re not familiar with Nissan pickup trucks, you might be surprised to learn the Titan XD formerly offered a Cummins diesel engine option. Although this option was discontinued in 2019, the Titan XD continues to offer at least mediocre towing capacity, with its 400-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 producing 413 lb-ft of torque. Sure, that doesn’t sound like much compared to the turbo-diesel engines offered in other ¾-ton pickups, but it’s on par with the gasoline engines provided in other base models.

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To get the 2024 Nissan Titan These configurations will allow the Titan XD to tow up to 11,050 pounds of gooseneck trailers or 10,900 pounds conventionally..

The good news is that a 2024 Titan XD equipped for towing costs around $58,000. At this price, you’ll get a nine-speed transmission with tow mode, trailer sway control, and an optional trailer brake controller.