The Fast Lane Truck announced today the results of a recent competition for the Best Half-Ton Diesel truck. The winner of the awards receives a Golden Hitch. The 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Duramax took home the trophy from the competition this year. 

The test and the competitors

The contestants for the Golden Hitch award were reviewed on performance through the Gauntlet, which is a mountain towing test involving 7,600-8,700 lb trailers. Fuel-efficiency was also gauged unladen. The truck’s speed was also tested. In addition to the statistical data from those data sets, the judges also had personal seat-time in each vehicle to weigh into the decision making.

The contestants for this category of vehicles were,

• 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 3.0L Duramax
• 2020 Ford F-150 3.0L Power Stroke
• 2020 Ram 1500 3.0L EcoDiesel

The full discussions by the judges about the contestant trucks can be found in the video below.

The Silverado, when equipped with the Duramax, has 277 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. It is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. For improved fuel-efficiency, the diesel is equipped with auto start/stop technology. Towing capacity for the Silverado is rated at 9,300-pounds.

The judge’s votes

Editor of The Fast Lane Truck, Andres Smirnov, had this to say, 

“Renewed competition in the full-size 1500 Diesel truck segment made the Gold Hitch testing fun and interesting. TFLtruck put all of the competitors on the Ike Gauntlet – world’s toughest towing test. All trucks were tested on our highway towing MPG loop. We tested 0-60 MPH acceleration of all of the trucks, including the new 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 Diesel. One thing became clear very quickly, the new 3.0-liter Duramax I6-powered trucks were quickest up the mountain with a heavy trailer. The Chevy Silverado 1500 was the most fuel-efficient truck on our flat highway loop with the trailer or unladen. It also was the quickest half-ton diesel truck we tested this year. The final vote was unanimous.”

The popular vote

Reminiscent of another award that was given out for other classes of vehicles, readers and watchers of The Fast Lane Trucks videos were encouraged to vote on the contestants. Again, the voting came up with a different winner when compared to the judge’s choices. The popular vote winner for the Best Half-Ton Diesel truck was the 2020 Ford F-150 3.0L Power Stroke. Keep in mind that those who voted for the popular vote do not necessarily have seat time. 

Shoppers who are interested in a good ride and the ability to tow precious cargo will undoubtedly, at one point or another, consider a diesel powerplant. Diesel engines are known for their ability to tow. Since North Americans like to tow campers, trailers, and even other vehicles, this award is of interest to those researching to purchase their next tow rig. The Chevy Silverado 1500 with the 3.0-liter Duramax engine is the clear winner, according to The Fast Lane Truck.