Each year the Canadian Truck King Challenge does what we call “real-world” fuel economy testing. But, what does that really mean? And how does it differ from what the government does?

Well for starters, the government tests in a laboratory. New vehicles are mounted on a two-wheel chassis dynamometer which simulates on-road driving to measure fuel consumption. The computer that controls the test is pre-programmed to take into account the particular characteristics of the test vehicle.

VIEW THE 2018 CTKC REAL-WORLD FUEL ECONOMY REPORT HERE

Each vehicle is then taken for a “simulated” drive. Once the trip is complete it is repeated after the vehicle has been shut-off for eight minutes and both results are recorded.

The Truck King “real-world” method is the polar opposite of this. Each one of our trucks is driven empty on-road, with a trailer behind it and hauling payload; in other words, they are treated exactly how an owner treats them. We repeat a set loop over and over – but changing up drivers each time, which adds another point to this real-world operation. The numbers we produce are then a result of these tests.

All results are measured using a FleetCarma C5 logger. These units plug into the OBD port of the vehicles and obtain both standard and proprietary signals required for energy analysis.

This is the fifth year we have produced the real-world fuel report.

WHAT WE FOUND

In the half-ton category, we had a result we’ve never seen before. The 2018 Toyota Tundra with its 5.7-liter V8 managed to be the most efficient truck in every category. The Nissan Titan is managed to be the second most efficient pickup, while the domestic three all fell within one L/100km of each other.

For the three-quarter ton trucks, the results were mixed. Sadly, our test unit experienced a malfunction and as a results much of the Chevy 2500’s information was not logged. In the empty category, the Chevy 2500 ended up being the most efficient, while the Ram ended with the lowest average fuel economy.

Read the full report for yourself here.

WHAT WE TESTED

1500-series (Half-Ton trucks)

For 2018 the ½-ton trucks were tested on a new road course – we call the Credit River Loop.

Total length – 14.5 km made up of:

5.7 km at 80 km-h

5.4 km at 70 km-h

1.4 km at 60 km-h

2.0 km at 50 km-h

Stops on route – four

1 – traffic signal

3 – stop signs

Terrain on route

Mostly level and straight, but with 2 km of twists and…

One 6% downhill grade – .5 km

One 8% uphill grade – .3 km

TESTS – each truck is run three times on the same course with different drivers, in each condition.

Empty loops

Payload loops – 650 lb

Towing loops – 7,000 lb

***No offroad

2018 4×4 Toyota Tundra DBL Cab LTD

Engine: 5.7L i-Force V8

Horsepower: 381

Torque: 401 lb-ft

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Rear axle ratio: 4:30

2018 Chevrolet Silverado Z71 1500 LTZ

Engine: 5.3L V8 Ecotec3 w/cylinder deactivation

Horsepower: 355

Torque: 383 lb-ft

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Rear axle ratio: 3:42

2018 Ford F-150 FX4 Platinum

Engine: 5.0L V8

Horsepower: 395

Torque: 400 lb-ft

Transmission:10-speed SelectShift automatic

Rear axle ratio: 3:31

2018 Ram 1500 Limited Tungsten edition Crew 4×4

Engine: 5.7L Hemi V8 w/MDS

Horsepower: 395

Torque: 410 lb-ft

Transmission: 8-speed TorqueFlite automatic

Rear axle ratio: 3:21

2018 Nissan Titan Crew Cab PRO-4X

Engine: 5.6L V8

Horsepower: 390

Torque: 394 lb-ft

Transmission: 7-speed automatic

Rear axle ratio: 2.94

2500-series HD pickup trucks (3/4-ton)

Tested on the Head Lake test loop.

Empty loops

Payload with 1,500 lbs in the bed

Towing 10,000 lb trailers

***No off-road

2017 Ford F250 FX4 Lariat (*there are no changes for 2018)

Engine: Power Stroke 6.7L V8 turbo-diesel

Horsepower: 440

Torque: 925

Transmission: TorqShift, six-speed, SelectShift automatic

Rear axle ratio: 3.55

2018 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 LTZ Z71

Engine: Duramax 6.6L V8 turbo-diesel

Horsepower: 445

Torque: 910

Transmission: Allison six-speed automatic

Rear axle ratio: 3:73

2018 Ram 2500 Limited Tungsten Edition

Engine: Cummins 6.7L I6 turbo-diesel

Horsepower: 370

Torque 800

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Rear axle ratio: 3.42