No, I’m not stuck, I’m Cummins

Legendary cars like a VW Beetle, Chevy Corvette, or Porsche 911 have a legion of dedicated fans. But somehow, pickup trucks were never supposed to become classics. They were produced to work; to expend their substance in getting plumbers to jobs, ranchers to their livestock, and loads of often-unpleasant stuff from one place to another. If you’re a fan of big, North American pickup trucks, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about the Cummins diesel engine used in heavy-duty versions of the Dodge Ram. And yes, some say Dodge Ram with the legendary Cummins engine is a true classic.

Photo by Rinke Dohmen on Unsplash

You may have even heard about what truck fans like to call the “12-valve”. To most people, more valves per cylinder would seem like a good thing. However, the 12-valve Cummins has achieved somewhat of a cult status in the truck scene. Cummins has produced more than 1.7 million Cummins Turbo Diesel engines for Dodge Ram Heavy Duty trucks since 1989. Today, over 80 percent of Ram Heavy Duty truck customers purchase their truck with the legendary Cummins Turbo Diesel. The first Cummins Turbo Diesel was used in the 1989 Dodge Ram, with projected sales of less than 5,000 engines. Actual sales exceeded 20,000 engines in the first year, signaling to the market that a powerful new combination had been created. With the first Cummins Turbo Diesel was a 5.9 liter at 160 hp (119 kW) and 400 pound-feet (542 N•m) of torque. The 5.9L Cummins turbo diesel is the engine that proved a diesel could be viable option for non-commercial trucks and launched the modern turbo-diesel pickup era.

Cummins introduced the 5.9L, inline-six turbo diesel engine in 1984 to power commercial trucks and agricultural equipment, but the public finally took notice in 1989 when Dodge and Cummins teamed up to mate the 12v Cummins with the ¾- and one-ton Dodge Ram pickup trucks.

Because of its uniqueness and incredible efficiency, it became very popular with light- and medium-duty truck owners, and served as a trailblazer for diesel engine use in non-commercial street vehicles as well as innovations in the diesel aftermarket.  So, we all know cummins engines are practically indestructable but are they really so reliable ? Well, as an evidence to the engine engineering and endurance of Cummins engines, Cummins started up the Cummins Million Mile Club to officially recognize all of the Dodge and Ram owners that have a vehicle with over one million miles on it.

To conclude, if you’re in the market for a diesel pickup – it’s definitely  gotta be a Cummins. They’re simple, rock-solid reliable, and can easily tick off a million miles if properly maintained.

Featured Photo by Nezar Bani Nasur on Unsplash.