If you’re shopping for a heavy-duty pickup truck, you might have considered a “dually” as a potential option. A Dual Rear Wheel truck, or dually, is defined by the presence of two rear wheels on each side, parallel to each other. Other components are strengthened to match the increased demand; dually trucks typically come with bigger brakes, stronger shocks and springs, and a stronger rear axle that can cope with the additional rear wheels.
This configuration provides enhanced hauling and towing capabilities, which makes a dually an ideal choice for drivers who spend a lot of time carrying heavy loads and need the extra payload capacity. The dual rear-wheel setup also leads to vastly improved towing capacities compared to single rear-wheel trucks. Those additional wheels provide greater stability and improved traction simply because the road contact patch on the rear axle is effectively doubled.
Dually trucks are most commonly used as work trucks. Still, having four rear wheels has become a status symbol in recent years. Struggling to find a parking spot that can fit a truck with six wheels is a non-issue for these folks. It’s not a new trend, however.
That’s why CarBuzz wrote this comprehensive guide with everything you need to know about the dually truck, from pros and cons to the available options on the market. Let’s answer the most basic question first.