"The pickup-truck market can be intimidating and a little complicated. Trucks come in hundreds of permutations, with different bed lengths, cab sizes, engine and transmission combinations, 4x4 or 2WD, single rear wheels or dual, plus multiple trim levels, tire sizes, and option packages. The new 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty pickup is much simpler. It's about heavy loads. It offers all the above choices and more, but in the end, the Ram 3500 and 2500 are built for handling the heaviest loads around...."

"Braking is handled via 14-inch discs, front and rear. They are the kinds of brakes meant for slowing a heavy truck on a steep downhill grade, while towing a 15,000-pound trailer. Driving the Ram empty, they bring the Ram to a straight stop with light pedal pressure. And with the Cummins, there is an exhaust brake that controls speed on downhills, just like a big rig...."

"And it's a truck that puts down enough torque to ripple the roadway. The standard Hemi is rated at 400 pound-feet of torque, the Cummins, at 650. Combine that with gear ratios as low as 4.10:1 and axles strong enough to carry 5000 pounds apiece, and you get a big, strong truck that moves out readily at part throttle.

It's hard to tax a truck with these kinds of ratings, but people do it all the time. Think of 40-foot trailers; hauling a backhoe to a construction site; plowing wet, heavy snow; or picking up a couple pallets of bricks or stone. Think about a walk-in cab-over camper, with all your gear in it. That's what this truck is for, and it's built to handle it all day long...."

The full review here