What Makes A Truck A Dually? (And How It's Different From A Regular Pickup)

Have you ever been out driving on the highway, when suddenly, a massive silhouette passes you by? It's not quite a big-rig truck, but it's certainly a whole lot bigger than an ordinary pickup truck, potentially with quite a hefty load hitched to the rear. No, it's not some kind of mysterious truck tank — you've just stood in the shadow of a heavy-duty dually truck.

A dually, or a dual rear-wheel truck (DRW) if you prefer the official nomenclature, is a particularly heavy-duty offshoot of a regular pickup truck. While these trucks aren't quite the same hauling-optimized beasts you'd expect to see lugging around massive grocery store deliveries, for instance, they're about as close as you can get while still technically being a regular non-commercial motor vehicle. There are a couple of defining factors that separate dually trucks from their smaller counterparts, but the main thing is that they have more wheels than normal in the back.

The most obvious differentiating factor for dually compared to standard pickup truck is that they have four wheels on their rear axles instead of the usual two. While dually trucks have the usual two wheels on a standard front axle, the rear axle has four wheels, with two pairs sandwiched together on both sides. This is usually paired with a stronger, more robust axle to properly handle the increased weight and force. More wheels on the rear axle means that the vehicle can exert a greater degree of forward power.

To actually work with these doubled-up rear wheels, dually trucks have a few more less obvious differences from smaller pickups. For instance, dually trucks often pack some of the most powerful engines offered by a particular manufacturer. You need that much muscle just to move those four wheels, to say nothing of hauling attached cargo. Dually trucks are often also equipped with stronger brakes and shocks to give the driver an adequate level of control over all that muscle.

What would you actually need a truck with six total wheels for? Put simply, hauling stuff. Dually trucks do their best work when they're hauling hefty loads across the highway. They're great for builders and contractors, as they have large, wide beds that can safely accommodate large quantities of heavy building materials or tool cases. Those rear wheels are also great for hitching and hauling oversized loads, such as construction machinery. A dually is also an attractive choice for camping enthusiasts, as they're beefy enough to haul camping trailers of just about any size.

Dually trucks are excellent for heavy-duty purposes, but in terms of regular conveyance, they may not be the best choice. A standard pickup truck is beefier than a normal car, but you can still drive one on most roads and park in normal parking spaces. Because dually trucks are so big, they may not be able to navigate smaller, private roads or park in standard spots. More wheels on the rear axle also means more wheels you have to care for or replace when it's time for maintenance.