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-free batteries. Supplemental Cabin Heater: Because diesel engines take longer to warm up than gas engines, standard Tradesman diesels include an electric heating element to pump hot air into the cab almost immediately on freezing mornings.