What Is a Dually Truck?

Russ Heaps 04/04/2024 8:00am

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?

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, as well. You can easily recognize a dually pickup by its wider rear stance, flared rear fenders, and, of course, its two-wheels-per-side rear axle.

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.

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.

PRO TIP: 1500, 2500, and 3500 classes of trucks are also referred to as half-ton, three-quarter ton, and one-ton. Whether defined by number or tonnage, the designations indicate an ascending level of capability.

For example, the maximum towing (13,300 pounds) and hauling or payload (2,030 pounds) capacities of a Chevy Silverado 1500 Crew Cab with the 3.0-liter turbodiesel 6-cylinder engine pale when compared to the maximum towing (20,000 pounds) and hauling (3,368 pounds) numbers for a Silverado 3500 Crew Cab with the 6.6-liter turbodiesel V8. Opting for the dually 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 31,450 pounds. The dually package boosts maximum hauling to 5,926 pounds.

Pros of a Dually Pickup Truck

Tows 20,000 pounds or more.
Can haul more payload than a conventional four-wheel 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.