2026 Ram 3500 Tradesman

Upgrading to the 2026 Ram 3500 Tradesman Crew Cab with the 6.7L Cummins Turbo Diesel completely changes the truck's DNA.While the 6.4L gas engine is a great tool for carrying heavy materials directly in the truck bed, swapping it for the Cummins flips the equation: you sacrifice a bit of payload capacity (because the heavy iron-block diesel engine weighs roughly 1,000 lbs more than the V8), but your towing capacity skyrockets. Powertrain OutputFor 2026, Ram pairs the standard output and high-output variations of the 6.7L Cummins Inline-6 with an updated 8-speed TorqueFlite heavy-duty automatic transmission, making the powertrain smoother and quieter than older generations. Standard Output: 370 horsepower and 850 lb-ft of torque.High-Output (HO): 430 horsepower @ 2,800 RPM and a best-in-class base diesel 1,075 lb-ft of torque @ 1,800 RPM. Diesel Capability BreakdownHow much you can pull depends heavily on whether you configure the Crew Cab as a Single Rear Wheel (SRW) or a Dual Rear Wheel (DRW/Dually) dually setup:ConfigurationMax Towing CapacityMax Payload CapacityCrew Cab 4x4 (SRW)~14,500 20,000 lbs~4,200 4,440 lbsCrew Cab 4x4 (DRW)Up to 36,610 lbsUp to ~6,050 lbsThe Towing Trick: To actually utilize that monstrous ~36,000 lb limit, you must order the truck as a Dually (DRW) with the High-Output engine and the optional Max Tow Package (which includes a 4.10 axle ratio and fifth-wheel/gooseneck prep). A standard SRW diesel Tradesman is usually structurally limited to a conventional towing maximum closer to 15,000 lbs. Tradesman Diesel SpecificsOpting for the diesel engine on the base-tier Tradesman trim brings a few specific, mandatory equipment changes:Smart Diesel Exhaust Brake: Comes standard with the engine. It uses the variable-geometry turbocharger to create backpressure, saving your actual wheel brakes from overheating when descending steep grades with a heavy trailer.Dual Batteries: The diesel requires immense cranking power, so it automatically upgrades the electrical system to dual 730-amp maintenance-f