The Fast Lane Truck (TFLtruck) Names 2015 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty for Gold Hitch Award

AUBURN HILLS, MI -- April 8, 2015: The Fast Lane Truck (TFLtruck) has named the 2015 Ram 3500 with 6.7-liter Cummins the winner of its inaugural Gold Hitch Award in the heavy duty diesel segment.

Within heavy duty classes, the Ram 3500 took top honors for outstanding pulling power, braking, fuel economy, comfort and handling under extreme towing conditions. Award winners were announced following the 2015 Denver Auto Show press day on April 8, 2015.

"Ram Heavy Duty trucks are equipped with a long list of exclusive features that set them ahead of the competition, including a cargo view camera, air bag suspension option and of course the hard-hitting 6.7-liter Cummins turbo diesel engine with best-in-class torque," said Bob Hegbloom, President and CEO – Ram Truck Brand. "This award from TFLtruck recognizes Ram's overall commitment to engineering and innovation leadership, which includes a four-pillar list of best-in-class titles; fuel economy at 29 mpg, torque at 865 lb.-ft., payload at 7,390 pounds and towing at 30,000 pounds."

To score the trucks, TFLtruck editors took to the notorious Eisenhower Pass "Ike Gauntlet" located outside Denver with a 21,600-pound trailer in tow. The grueling climb reaches elevations in excess of 11,000 feet with increasing grade near the peak. At the end of the haul, the Ram 3500 Heavy Duty excelled.

"The 2015 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty was loaded with a 21,600-pound trailer for Gross Combined Weight of nearly 31,000 pounds," said Andre Smirnov, Technical Editor at TFLtruck. "The Ram dually came out on top based on its confident downhill performance, consistent uphill climb and leading observed fuel mileage among the competitors."

The Ike Gauntlet drive is not the sole criteria to determine the winner in each category. The Ram 3500 also was judged on its overall performance unloaded.

Gold Hitch Award-eligible trucks include 2015 model year pickups (or trucks from previous model years that have not significantly changed for 2015). Trucks are only eligible for the award if they were tested before March 31, 2015.

About TFLtruck TFLtruck is the most popular online video reviews, news and views publication. Nearly 2.5 million truck buyers watch TFLtruck video reviews and tests every month. This includes the signature "TFL Ike Gauntlet" extreme towing test, which challenges the trucks to the absolute maximum of their performance capability. Simply put -TFLtruck is All Trucks All The Time.