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18 Types Of Pickup Trucks To Know [ 2022 Updated ]

18 Types Of Pickup Trucks To Know [ 2022 Updated ]

Many pickup trucks are available in the motor vehicle market these days. Each truck type is unique and is endowed with different qualities and uses.

If you are considering buying a pickup truck for your firm but are confused between different styles and aren’t sure which one to go for, then check out this article to get an overview of the famous types of pickup trucks available in the market.

This article attempts to differentiate between the different kinds of pickup trucks in a more straightforward vocabulary.

Continue reading this article to get acquainted with different types of pickup trucks and choose the one that best suits your needs. We have tried to address the concerning details in the article.

Different types of Pickup Trucks

Here are the other pickup trucks you’ll find in the market.

  1. Diesel Pickup Trucks
  2. Chassis Cab Pickup Trucks
  3. Car-Based Pickup Trucks
  4. Compact Pickup Trucks
  5. Single Cab Pickup Trucks
  6. Double Cab Pickup Trucks
  7. Crew Cab Pickup Trucks
  8. Light Duty Pickup Trucks
  9. Medium-Duty Pickup Trucks
  10. Hybrid Pickup Trucks
  11. Full-Size Pickup Trucks
  12. One-Ton Pickup Trucks
  13. Three-Quarter Ton Pickup Trucks
  14. Half-Ton Pickup Trucks
  15. Extended Cab Pickup Trucks
  16. Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks
  17. Luxury Pickup Trucks
  18. Electric Pickup Trucks

These are discussed at length below:

1. Diesel Pickup Trucks

The first in the list of types of pickup trucks are the Diesel Pickup Trucks. These are pickup trucks that run on diesel. These trucks involve the technology of the compression ignition engine, unlike the conventional gasoline-fuel engine.

Diesel engines have a build that enables them to last longer than other fuel-based engines. Many heavy industries rely on diesel pickup trucks to transport raw materials and finished goods. Diesel-run engines are primarily suitable for heavy-duty pickup trucks.

Diesel Pickup Trucks are comparatively more expensive than other options. Some famous Diesel Pickup Trucks are Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel Inventory, Ford F-150 Inventory, Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Inventory, Chevrolet Colorado Inventory, etc.

2. Chassis Cab Pickup Trucks

Another famous type of pickup truck available in the market is Chassis Cab Pickup Trucks. These are regular or extended cab-type pickup trucks without a load box. The vehicle’s chassis is exposed where the load box is usually placed.

These trucks facilitate the placement of aftermarket equipment on the chassis instead of a regular load box. This gives it much flexibility in terms of the shapes it can take and the materials it can carry.

For instance, it could become like a flatbed, or a tank bed for transporting liquids could be used for lifting cranes or carrying tow truck equipment.

Chassis Cab Pickup Trucks are more suitable for commercial and agricultural use than suburban or general public use. Thus, Chassis Cab Pickup Trucks could be a good option if you are seeking a pickup truck for commercial services.

3. Car-Based Pickup Trucks

Car-Based Pickup Trucks are our third pick in the list of different types of pickup trucks available in the market. These refer to the pickup trucks similar to cars in their look.

These pickup trucks have four doors and four windows but typically have less space for a loading bay. Consequently, these trucks could be used for carrying smaller loads only. They are more suited for families going out for vacations.

4. Compact Pickup Trucks

Compact Pickup Trucks are another favorite type of Pickup truck whose meaning and definition change with changing geographical location.

For instance, in some places, you might have heard the term ‘Compact Pickup Truck’ to describe a pickup truck with a tiny load bay and a huge passenger compartment.

They look more like a sedan from the front rather than a pickup truck.  In other places, the term might refer to a highly light pickup truck with a sedan-car model, intentional urban use, and limited ground clearance.

These Compact Pickup Trucks usually have a small petrol engine, ranging between 1600-1800 cc. They have a two-wheel drive, primarily front-wheel drive instead of rear-wheel drive. These characteristics indicate that this vehicle is designed for use in urban areas.

They are thus the minor variant of pickup trucks and are used for small parcel deliveries or transport very light loads. Also, if you are interested in outdoor sports, which require a lot of equipment, like surfing or mountain biking, you can go in trucks.

With time, however, the popularity of these trucks has declined in favor of light-duty pickup trucks.

5. Single-Cab Pickup Trucks

Single-Cab Pickup Trucks are a type of cab pickup truck called ‘Regular Cab Pickup Trucks’; these types of pickup trucks have stayed true to their purpose, which is to load transport rather than carry passengers.

You know pickup trucks were historically made for load transportation, not as ‘people carriers.’ The Single Cab Pickup Trucks stay committed to this purpose as they have space for only two people, including the driver, each with a bucket seat.

The truck can accommodate three people at the most if a bench seat is fitted in the cab.

The initial Ford F-150 trucks released between the 1960s and 1990s were ‘Regular Cab Pickup Trucks.’ However, with time, these trucks have lost their appeal among the public, owing to the growth of attractive and powerful pickup truck models.

As a result, most pickup truck manufacturers are receding from the manufacture of Single-cab models.

6. Double-Cab Pickup Trucks

The Double-Cab Pickup Trucks are a kind of cab-type pickup truck, which you can opt for in case you are confused between extended cab and crew cab pickup trucks. It ranges between them in size: smaller than a crew cab but bigger than extended cab pickup trucks.

These trucks offer two rows of seats along with front-hinging regular doors; however, just like in the case of an extended cab pickup truck, the doors and hearts are more minor than crew cab pickup trucks. Because it falls in a smaller category, this model has various additional benefits.

Firstly, it cuts costs. You can save considerable cash by opting for this rather than a crew cab if this works for you. Also, smaller size is more compatible with driving and parking.

However, though the double cab can seat around five to six people, the people sitting in the back row might not feel as comfortable as the ones sitting in the front row.

7. Crew Cab Pickup Trucks

As the name suggests, the Crew Cab Pickup Truck is a pickup truck designed to carry the crew, primarily for unloading its contents. This type of regular pickup truck can accommodate five persons at most and has four doors.

These five persons would usually be accommodated with two, including the driver in the front and three at the back.

The truck is quite spacious inside and might give you an illusion of a medium-sized sedan with more headroom. The truck’s spaciousness is coupled with less space for a loading bay.

The load bay of these crew cab-type pickup trucks is reduced to give space to the larger cabin.

8. Light Duty Pickup Trucks

Light Duty Pickup Trucks are another common type of pickup truck available in the market these days. Some famous examples of this type of pickup truck are Honda Ridgeline, Ram 1500, etc. The Ford F-150 pickup truck is the most renowned in the United States of America.

These trucks usually have a short wheelbase, a small engine, and a small load bin. They are generally opted for by local tradesmen, garden service providers, electricians, etc. These form the pickup trucks owned by people in the suburban and urban areas.

The interior of these trucks would give you an illusion of a mid-range SUV.

Light Duty Pickup Trucks are more suitable for on-road applications in urban areas like suburban streets and highways than dirt roads. They are primarily two-wheel drive-based models but can occasionally have features like diff-lock, which are suitable for all terrains.

This gives them more significant efficiency. The suspension in these vehicles is designed so heavy loads can’t be transported with it. These serve as towing vehicles for small boats and trailers.

9. Medium Duty Pickup Trucks

Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado, and Ford Ranger are famous pickup trucks in the Medium-Duty Pickup Trucks category. This is another popular pickup truck type.

Medium Duty Pickup Trucks, also called Mid-Size pickup trucks, are a type of pickup truck that strikes a balance between size and power. This widens their use, so many people use them for different services.

Nearly every person that requires a pickup truck can work with a Medium-Duty pickup truck.  Their small size and agile movement make them highly maneuverable and highly desirable.  They can even be parked in regular car garages.

Their medium size should not be confused with medium performance, but it lends them versatility. Their high maneuverability makes them a very convenient and fun option to go for, both inside and outside the town.

The trucks can handle nearly every task due to its medium size, which strikes a balance between power and size. They can carry cargo and also have enough space for the family. They are fun to drive and park in the city. They are more efficient than other trucks since they can fit in tighter spaces and are easy to park.

10. Hybrid Pickup Trucks

Hybrid Pickup Trucks are another popular type of pickup truck, which you can go for if you are looking for a high-performing pickup truck. They are the second best to electric pickup trucks, which are yet to become more popular and accessible.

These trucks are hybrid in that they combine electric motor technology with a traditional combustion engine, thus producing a vehicle that uses a mix of both technologies.

Consequently, these hybrid models lack some of the power of fully combustion-based engine versions and hence cannot be used in heavy-duty pickup trucks. They are available in light-duty and medium-duty pickup trucks.

Major pickup truck manufacturers in the field are increasingly building hybrid models, like the GMC Sierra hybrid, Ford’s Hybrid F-150, and the RAM 1500 hybrid. The Chevrolet 1500 hybrid emerged as the first-mass-produced pickup truck among the hybrid models.

11. Full-Size Pickup Trucks

Full-Size Pickup Trucks are considered just another term for heavy-duty pickup trucks or One-Ton Pickup Trucks. These trucks are characterized by huge cabin space. They are usually equipped with large engines, usually the V8 engine types.

The built of these full-size pickup trucks is such that they typically ride high off the ground, unlike other pickup truck models. They are also equipped with four-wheel or all-wheel drive. This makes them ideal for use in off-road and on-road conditions.

However, these are one of the most expensive pickup trucks, which can act as a deciding factor against their choice. Many people choose to go for medium-type pickup trucks instead.

12. One-Ton Pickup Trucks

One-Ton Pickup Trucks are a type of pickup truck named after the amount of load they can carry. Ford’s F-350 and RAM 3500 are examples of one-ton pickup trucks.

Some believe the term ‘One-Ton Pickup Truck’ refers to modern heavy-duty trucks. As the name suggests, these vehicles are capable of carrying one-ton loads. These days they can even carry loads exceeding the one-ton mark.

These are called ‘Muscle-Cars’ of pickup trucks and have remarkable powerful features. These are equipped with oversized axles, large engines, beefed-up braking systems, and suspensions suited to carry heavier loads.

Some models might also feature diesel engines or dual-rear wheels for enabling the carriage of heavy loads.

13. Three-Quarter Ton Pickup Trucks

Three-Quarter Ton Pickup trucks are another variant of pickup trucks named after their capacity. Historically, the purchasers of pickup trucks were interested in knowing the capacity of these trucks, so the trucks were named after their capacity.

As the name suggests, a Three-Quarter Ton Pickup Truck can carry a total payload of three-quarters of a ton, i.e., 75 kilos. This capacity of carrying included the weight of both passengers and the freight.

Consequently, these trucks are considered quite synonymous with medium-duty trucks. Moreover, the modern versions of these trucks have been called ‘medium-Duty Pickup Trucks’ and now include vehicles that can carry more load than three-quarters of a ton.

Ford’s F-250 and Chevrolet’s Silverado 2500 are examples of erstwhile three-quarter-ton trucks, now called medium-duty trucks.

14. Half Ton Pickup Trucks

Half-Ton Pickup Trucks refer to the truck’s maximum weight carrying capacity, which includes the weight of both the passengers and the freight. This means that this truck’s load carrying capacity is 1000 pounds, which is half a ton.

Contemporary versions of this type of truck can carry a load of more than half a ton and are associated with a newer term called light-duty pickup trucks. The truck’s suspension, along with the load bin’s size, restricts the truck’s load-carrying capacity to around 1000 pounds.

These are generally equipped with a rear axle and a low engine capacity. Due to their load-carrying capacity, they are often used by suburban and city dwellers, who need pickup trucks for minimal and regular use.

15. Extended Cab Pickup Trucks

Extended Cab Pickup Trucks are another variant of cab-type pickup trucks. These trucks have only two doors but both front and rear type seats. The seats at the back can be accessed by leaning on the front hubs after opening the door.

However, some extended cab models might have small courtesy doors for back seat passengers. These small doors are rear-hinged.

This rear-hinged door option facilitates access to the rear seats without leaning on the front seats. Also, the seating space in an extended pickup truck is usually less spacious than in a crew cab pickup truck.

Thus, unlike a crew cab pickup truck, the extended cab pickup trucks are designed for the occasional transportation of passengers rather than a regular one.

16. Heavy-Duty Pickup Trucks

Heavy Duty Pickup Trucks are one of the most robust pickup trucks featured in this list. The Ford-F series trucks having 5-liter V8 engines are the most famous heavy-duty pickup trucks in the United States of America, based on the sales quota.

Nissan Titan XD, GMC Sierra 2500 HD, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Ram 2500 HD, and the Ford F-250 Super Duty are other important examples of these types of trucks.

These trucks are unique in their build and generally have large engine capacity and engine displacement in the form of V8 engines. As opposed to light-duty pickup trucks, the suspension in these vehicles is such that it enables them to carry heavier loads than other types of pickup trucks.

The heavy-duty pickup trucks come with a unique and impressive towing capacity. This makes these trucks a popular choice for caravan or fifth-wheel owners.

Due to their substantial towing capacity, they can be used to tow large and heavy boats, carrying heavy loads for industrial deliveries.

These trucks are usually equipped with features like four-wheel drive, computerized off-road driving models, and diff-lock, making them suitable for off-road and on-road rides.

17. Luxury Pickup Trucks

The second last pick on our list of pickup trucks is the ‘Luxury Pickup Trucks.’ This might seem a little amusing to you at first that ‘luxury’ features have also entered the pickup truck genre.

But this is true. This indicates that pickup trucks have become more accommodating for many populations, including those willing to spend a few more bucks in return for luxurious features.

First of all, let’s make it clear what constitutes luxurious features. So, the aesthetic fit and finish of the interior of these trucks, gadgets, and parts in the cabin, in addition to the various add-on features which make a truck ride more fun and comfortable – jointly make the luxurious features.

The luxury models falling in light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty pickup trucks are categorized as ‘Luxury Pickup Trucks.’ Owing to the additional features these luxury models offer, they cost more than the basic models.

Some examples of these luxury features which can be found in luxury pickup trucks are high-end upholstery, great sound systems, wood accents in the cabin interior, climate controls, heated seats, along with advanced electronics for the interior of the cabin.

18. Electric Pickup Trucks

Last on the list of types of pickup trucks available in the market are ‘Electric Pickup Trucks,’ these include pickup trucks that run on electricity, an emerging area in the field of automobiles.

It is said that in a few years, owing to the enhanced performance of these vehicles, they will replace traditional fuel-run vehicles.

Electric vehicles, including pickup trucks, are more reliable and give more power, speed, and charging capacities. This improves their overall performance and puts it ahead of traditional models.

This enhanced performance has enabled major pickup truck manufacturers to manufacture electric models. Many new entrants have also entered this field of electric pickup truck manufacturing.

Major pickup truck manufacturers that are building electric models include Ford and Chevrolet. Newcomers in the field include Rivian, etc. Tesla is also building an electric pickup truck called Tesla CyberTruck.

Conclusion

Pickup trucks are essential for loading and unloading and can be of great use to different firms. However, the choice of which one to get for your firm depends on your requirements.

You should have an idea of your requirements, and then with the information you have about different pickup trucks after reading this article, you can make the final decision.

Pickup trucks range from traditional to modern types and can be purchased online and offline. Each type of truck has its advantages and disadvantages can be discerned from this article. You can make the final choice based on this information and considerations related to your budget.