Ram goes back to basics with the 2019 2500/3500 HD Tradesman work truck

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Annual truck sales numbers are always impressive. It can be hard to imagine where all of those sales come from but don't forget that there's the consumer truck market and then behind it, as Talia al Ghul lurked behind Bane: work trucks. Ram announced an awesome one on Wednesday at the Work Truck Show in Indiana.

The 2019 Ram Tradesman is based on the 2500/3500 HD models, and on the surface is about as bland as bland can be. It's white, has vinyl mats on the floor instead of carpet and its most significant distinguishing factor from the regular Ram trucks is that it has yellow gauge needles. But, when you're buying 10 to 20 of these things at a whack, bland is good. Bland is reliable.

Torque is also good, and that's why the Tradesman is available with the totally bonkers Cummins 6.7-liter diesel engine option that puts out 1,000-freaking-foot-pounds of it. If you have a gooseneck trailer handy, the diesel Tradesman will tow 35,000 lbs.

There's a gasoline-powered version too, but your boss will only buy that if they personally hate you. I mean it only makes like 429 lb-ft. That won't impress the others in tool belts at the local job site.

The Tradesman is available in two- or four-wheel drive, though the latter is only available with a manual shifting transfer case. No fancy 4WD buttons for you, gainfully employed person! It's also available with two doors or four doors, and a variety of bed configurations.

One area where Ram didn't go with boring is in the safety tech that comes standard on the Tradesman. It features adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking (that even works with trailer brakes!) and more.

If your boss is feeling fancy, he or she can spice up their Tradesman with chrome accents on the body or upgrade from 17-inch steel wheels to 18-inch chrome units. But you know what? They probably won't. Chrome doesn't make you work harder.

Pricing has yet to be announced, but we expect it will be, you know, cheaper than a truck that has real creature comforts.