Dually Pickup Truck Quick Facts
- A dually truck costs more and uses more fuel than a conventional truck.
- The defining trait of a dually truck is four wheels on the rear axle.
- A dually pickup truck can pull and haul more weight than a conventional truck.
As you follow behind a dually pickup truck with its rear fenders flared to accommodate two extra wheels on its rear axle, you might think: What’s the point?, right. Why would anyone need or want two wheels on each side of the rear axle? Ponder no more. We will explain the logic behind the dually truck and why a driver might need one.
- What Is a Dually Pickup Truck?
- What Are the Advantages of a Dually Pickup Truck?
- Dually Trucks By the Numbers
- Our Take
What Is a Dually Pickup Truck?
A dually truck is a dual-rear-wheel (DRW) pickup truck providing a pair of wheels on each side of the rear axle. It is almost always an optional feature on a brand’s heavy-duty pickup truck, such as the Ford F-350 or Chevy Silverado 3500. Ram and GMC offer dually versions of their heavy-duty 3500 trucks (long bed), as well. You can easily recognize a dually pickup by its wider rear stance, flared rear fenders, and, of course, its four rear tires.
PRO TIP: The 1500, 2500, and 3500 classes of trucks are referred to as 1/2-ton, 3/4-ton, and full-ton, respectively. Whether defined by number or tonnage, the designations indicate an ascending level of capability.
MORE: 1/2-Ton, 3/4-Ton, and 1-Ton Trucks: What’s the Difference?
PRO TIP: Ford drops the second zero, referring to its full-size pickups as the F-150 (1500), F-250 (2500), and F-350 (3500). Ford also offers an F-450 pickup. Moreover, Ford bucks the trend by referring to its heavy-duty trucks as Super Duty.
RELATED: Towing Capacity Guide: Everything You Need to Know
What Are the Advantages of a Dually Pickup Truck?
The simple answer to the advantages of such a pickup truck is greater towing and hauling capabilities. However, to grasp the reason a driver might need (or want) a dually pickup requires first understanding the purpose of the 3500 heavy-duty truck that offers the dual-rear-wheel configuration. Heavy-duty trucks are all about increased towing and hauling. In other words, heavy-duty trucks can outwork their lighter 1500 siblings.
| Chevy Silverado 1500 Crew Cab with 3.0-liter turbodiesel 6-cylinder engine | Chevy Silverado 3500 Crew Cab with 6.6-liter turbodiesel V8 | Chevy Silverado 3500 Crew Cab with 6.6-liter turbodiesel V8 Dually |
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Opting for the DRW package on the Silverado 3500 Crew Cab with the turbodiesel V8 doesn’t affect the conventional maximum towing; it remains 20,000 pounds. However, the 3500 also offers the fifth wheel gooseneck towing option with a maximum towing of up to 31,440 pounds. The dually package boosts maximum hauling (payload) to 5,667 pounds. Note: These numbers somewhat vary from the charts below because these are specific examples rather than overall maximums.
PRO TIP: A gooseneck hitch is one mounted in the bed of the truck rather than a conventional ball hitch mounted on the rear of the truck.
Pros of a Dually Pickup Truck
- Tows 25,000 pounds or more.
- Can haul more payload than a conventional 4-wheeled truck.
- Provides improved traction and stability.
Cons of a Dually Pickup Truck
- Adds to the price of a standard 3500-class truck.
- Inflates the truck’s weight.
- Reduces fuel economy.
- Makes it difficult to find parking in urban areas.
- Eliminates using drive-up windows at banks, fast-food restaurants, and so on.
Dually Trucks by the Numbers
The simplest way to illustrate the huge difference between a typical full-size truck and a heavy-duty dually is to compare their capacities to work. We’ve assembled the numbers of the four brands — Chevrolet, GMC, Ford, and Ram — that offer DRW configurations of their full-ton (3500) pickup trucks. In each case, we’ve maximized the numbers by measuring the work capability when using a gooseneck hitch. As is always the case with truck capacity limits, these numbers are manufacturer estimates and reflect the maximum capacity regardless of cab configuration or cargo box size.
Chevrolet
| Year, Make, and Model | Max Towing | Max Payload |
| 2025 Chevy Silverado 1500 | 13,300 pounds | 2,260 pounds |
| 2025 Chevy Silverado 2500 | 20,000 pounds | 3,689 pounds |
| 2025 Chevy Silverado 3500 | 22,420 pounds | 4,502 pounds |
| 2025 Silverado 3500 Dually | 36,000 pounds | 7,234 pounds |
GMC
| Year, Make, and Model | Max Towing | Max Payload |
| 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 | 9,700 pounds | 2,260 pounds |
| 2025 GMC Sierra 2500 | 20,000 pounds | 3,900 pounds |
| 2025 GMC Sierra 3500 | 22,070 pounds | 4,590 pounds |
| 2025 GMC Sierra 3500 Dually | 36,000 pounds | 7,290 pounds |
Ford
| Year, Make, and Model | Max Towing | Max Payload |
| 2025 Ford F-150 | 8,200 pounds | 2,440 pounds |
| 2025 Ford F-250 | 23,000 pounds | 4,246 pounds |
| 2025 Ford F-350 | 27,600 pounds | 4,844 pounds |
| 2025 Ford F-350 Dually | 38,000 pounds | 8,000 pounds |
| 2025 Ford F-450 Dually | 38,600 pounds | 6,482 pounds |
Ram
| Year, Make, and Model | Max Towing | Max Payload |
| 2025 Ram 1500 | 11,600 pounds | 2,370 pounds |
| 2025 Ram 2500 | 20,000 pounds | 4,420 pounds |
| 2025 Ram 3500 | 26,080 pounds | 5,200 pounds |
| 2025 Ram 3500 Dually | 36,610 pounds | 7,590 pounds |
Our Take
If you need to pull or haul the levels of tonnage a dual-rear-wheel truck is uniquely qualified to handle, there simply is no substitute. On the other hand, if you don’t require the capability of a dually, there is no sound reason to shoulder the added purchase, insurance, and fuel costs that a dually entails. In other words, it’s silly to buy more truck than you need.
RELATED: Maximum Towing Capacity For Every Truck