Car Buyer Labs

Car Buying Advice, Tips, and Reviews

A brown 2022 Ford F-350 XL is shown driving through a mud puddle during a 2022 Ford F-350 vs 2022 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD comparison.

Which Heavy Duty Truck is the Beastiest?

Do you need a truck that will reliably get the job done? If so, then you’re in luck! The Ford F-350 and Chevy Silverado 3500 HD are both great options for work trucks, and they are two of the most popular pickup trucks on the market. They have some notable differences, but also a lot of similarities. So which one should you buy? When you’re in the market for a new truck, the real trick comes in comparing the 2022 Ford F-350 vs 2022 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD and deciding which truck is best for you.

Which Truck has the Greatest Towing Capacity?

One of the biggest reasons to go with a heavy-duty pickup truck is increased towing capacity. After all, you don’t buy a truck like the F-350 or the Silverado 3500 HD just for commuting around town. So when you’re in the market for a heavy-duty pickup truck, you absolutely want one that will give you the greatest towing capacity possible.

So does the 2022 Ford F-350 or the 2022 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD have better towing capacity? When comparing conventional towing capacity, the Ford F-350 definitely comes out on top. The 2022 F-350 has the best in class conventional towing capacity, coming in at 21,000 lbs for the 7.3L gasoline engine and 21,200 lbs for the diesel engine.

If you want to increase this towing capacity even more, just upgrade to the gooseneck towing package, which will get you up to 35,750 lbs worth of towing capacity. What can you do with all this power? Why, just about anything! Towing capacity is one of the biggest reasons to get a truck in the first place, so you’ll definitely want something that can haul around plenty of goods, whether you need those goods for work, play, or a little bit of both.

So how does the 2022 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD compare? The very highest towing capacity you are going to be able to achieve with the Silverado 3500 HD is 36,000 lbs. However, this is with the extra packages and accessories. The conventional towing diesel engine can only get you 20,000 lbs, which is significantly lower than the Ford. If you want to be able to tow around anything you want without having to worry about whether or not your truck can handle it, the Ford F-350 is going to be your best bet.

Why is towing capacity important on a heavy-duty truck? Towing is one of the main reasons people buy heavy-duty pickup trucks. If you’re not going to be able to tow around anything and everything, then there’s no point in getting a truck like this. After all, what’s the point of hauling things if you don’t haul big things?

Furthermore, towing a heavy load is hard on a truck. This point applies to both the Ford F-350 and the Chevy Silverado 3500 HD, but it is especially important with the Silverado 3500 HD due to its low conventional towing capacity. To make sure your heavy-duty truck can handle all that you throw at it, you really have to make sure you’re buying a truck that can handle it. The 2022 Ford F-350 definitely comes out on top in this area, with its significantly higher conventional towing capacity. If you need a work truck that’s going to be able to tow around big loads without breaking down, the Ford F-350 is the better choice.

A black 2022 Chevy Silverado 3500HD is shown towing a horse trailer through a farm.

What About Payload?

What good is a huge towing capacity if your truck doesn’t have any kind of payload? Yeah, it’s all fine and dandy to be able to load up your trailer, but are you going to leave the big old bed sitting there empty, or are you going to be able to utilize that too? This is where payload comes in handy, and the 2022 Ford F-350 and the 2022 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD are a bit different when it comes to payload capacity.

The 2022 Ford F-350 boasts best in class payload capacity, coming in at 7,850 lbs. This is thanks to a 350 lb reduction in body weight and a frame that is 24 times stiffer than previous generations. Compare this to the Chevy Silverado 3500 HD, where you’ll only get 7,442 lbs worth of payload capacity. Once again, the Ford comes out on top.

The difference between 7,850 and 7,442 might not seem significant, but there is a lot you can do with that extra few hundred lbs. That extra payload could be used for tools, fertilizer, equipment, anything that you might need when working on a ranch. If you are buying a truck to use specifically for work, then it’s important to consider payload when making your decision. Payload comes into play more often than you might think, and you definitely don’t want to damage your truck because you decided to skimp on payload capacity ratings.

What exactly is payload capacity? Payload capacity means the payload weight limit, or how much weight your truck’s frame and wheels can handle, not just your truck’s engine. Essentially, this is the weight of your passengers and your rear cargo combined. So if the payload weight limit is 7,850 lbs, then you can have up to 7,850 lbs worth of tools, gear, and passengers in your vehicle at any given time. With payload capacity being one of the important decision factors when buying a truck, it’s no wonder why vehicles like the 2022 Ford F350 and 2022 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD go out of their way to shout about payload capacity.

The payload capacity on these two trucks is pretty similar but remember that payload is not just limited to weight in the bed; you also need to consider how many people your truck can carry as well in the cab. This is especially true if you are looking at a 2022 Ford F-350 or 2022 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD in the optional crew cab configuration. If payload isn’t a priority for you, then comparing the payload ratings won’t make much of a difference when choosing between these two trucks. But if it is, then the added payload of the F-350 will make the Ford truck the clear choice.

A white 2022 Ford F-350 Lariat is showing towing a boat on a highway.

Which Truck is Right For You?

When searching for a heavy-duty truck, capability should be at the top of your list. This is why payload and towing capacity are such important factors when looking at the 2022 Ford F-350 and the 2022 Chevy Silverado 3500 HD. So now the question is, how capable do you want your pickup truck to be?

If you want a truck that boasts best in class payload capacity and best in class conventional towing capacity, not to mention some pretty impressive gooseneck towing numbers, then the 2022 Ford F-350 is going to be the best truck for you. If you don’t care about driving the best, then, by all means, opt for another truck. But if having a heavy-duty truck that can truly get the job done, whatever that job may be, is important to you, then payload and towing capability are going to be a large part of what makes your pickup truck experience.