Winner: Ford Super Duty F-250
Runner-Up: Dodge Ram HD
These are the trucks built to do hard work, every day, all year. These aren't sought by casual buyers; these carry the heavy loads, and it's taken for granted that they will be able to do whatever is asked of them. There may be no category, then, where capability is more important, and in this one, the Ford F-250 is tops. While its best-in-class maximum towing capacity is listed as 16,800 pounds (a number we know to be conservative), moving to an F-350 raises that to 18,700, an even more incredible number. That you can get this truck for the lowest base price also shows its value for the money. This category is going to get very interesting in the next few years, as Dodge's new 2500/3500 are right around the corner.
| Work Truck, 3/4-ton 2WD Reg Cab |
| Vehicle | Chevy/GMC 2500 HD Silverado/Sierra | Dodge Ram 2500 | Ford F-250 Super Duty |
| Base price | $27,220/$27,220 | $29,885 | $26,260 |
| Wheelbase | 133.0 in | 140.5 in | 137.0 in |
| Base engine | 6.0L OHV V-8 | 5.7L OHV V-8 | 5.4L SOHC V-8 |
| Opt engines | 6.6L TD V-8 $7195 | 6.7L TD I-6 $6100 | 6.8L V-10 $600, 6.4L TD V-8 $6895 |
| Transmission | 6-speed auto | 6-speed man | 6-speed man |
| Opt transmissions | 6-speed auto $1200 | 5-speed auto $1170, 6-speed auto $1575 | 5-speed auto $1490 |
| Power, SAE | 360 hp (365) | 355 hp (350) | 300 hp (362, 350) |
| Torque, SAE | 380 lb-ft (660) | 395 lb-ft (650) | 365 lb-ft (457, 650) |
| Airbags | Front | Front | Front |
| Brakes, f/r | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS | Disc/disc, ABS |
| Tires | 245/75R16 E | 245/70R17 E | 245/75R17 E |
| Fuel cap | 34.0 gal | 35.0 gal | 38.0 gal |
| Seating cap | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Curb weight | 5997 lb | 6257 lb | 6544 lb |
| GVWR | 9200 lb | 9000 lb | 9400 lb |
| Payload | 3203 lb | 2740 lb | 2856 lb |
| Max towing cap | 13,000 lb | 13,600 lb | 16,800 lb |