If you use a diesel truck for your job, you’re probably tired of hearing about how much better an electric truck can be. While it’s easy to understand the environmental benefits of an EV truck, you can’t do nearly as much with an electric model as you can with one powered by diesel fuel. When your job requires you to have the most power and constantly be on the road, it’s hard to beat one of the diesel-powered pickup trucks offered in the market today.

Why do diesel engines last longer?

One of the greatest benefits a diesel truck offers over a gasoline model is the ability to last a lot longer. OSV tells us why this happens. Diesel fuel is a light oil that handles part of the lubrication of the engine parts, while gasoline is a detergent that washes away the oil. In a gasoline engine, oil continuously needs to lubricate the engine to keep the moving parts from getting damaged, while diesel fuel acts as a natural lubricant. This allows a diesel engine to last much longer.

1. You can drive farther with a diesel engine

If you fill the tank of your truck with diesel fuel and compare it to the driving distance of an electric truck, the diesel truck has a longer driving range. Additionally, it doesn’t take very long to refuel a truck fueled by diesel, compared to the many hours it takes to recharge the EV batteries. If you spend a lot of time pulling heavy loads for many miles, you’ll arrive at your destination sooner with a diesel-powered truck.

2. There aren’t any heavy-duty electric trucks yet

Currently, the electric truck models we see all fit into the half-ton or smaller range except for the GMC Hummer EV, which isn’t a true work truck. Ram, GM, and Ford all make heavy-duty versions of their trucks in the three-quarter and one-ton sizes to give you larger options. These bigger trucks come with more power and the option of a diesel engine.

3. Most diesel trucks have larger truck beds than electric models

The Ford F-150 Lightning has the largest truck bed of an electric truck, and it’s not even six feet long. The length is 67.1 inches, which could work to hold eight-foot sheets of plywood if you put the tailgate down. Many diesel trucks offer the option of an eight-foot bed to fit these large construction items in the bed with the tailgate raised.

Can electric trucks replace diesel?

Eventually, there will be electric versions of the heavy-duty trucks, and those might replace gas and diesel models but not yet. Before any small business moves toward an electric truck, the charging times will need to be much shorter than they are now.

Are diesel trucks still worth it?

Right now, it’s certainly worth your time and energy to use a diesel-powered truck when you have a lot of work to do. Looking at the numbers, we see that the 3.0-liter turbocharged diesel six-cylinder engine of the Chevrolet 1500 offers 277 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque.

What does this mean? It means you have the same torque number as the 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine but with two fewer cylinders. You’ll have the same towing power as the larger engine but enjoy 23 city/31 hwy mpg versus 14 city/19 hwy mpg from the gas engine.

Is 100,000 miles a lot for a diesel?

Diesel engines often reach higher mileage than gasoline engines because they can withstand higher compression ratios. This makes the Powerstroke, Cummins, and Duramax engines ideal for daily work. It’s not unusual for these engines to work beyond 200,000 miles with very little required maintenance.

Next, take a look at the new tools used by Ford automotive techs, or watch the video below to tell you some things you should know before buying a diesel-powered truck.

This article was updated on 8/6/2022.