Jade Brasher | FleetMaintenance
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Reviewing the Ram 1500 Tradesman: Comfort for work and home

Aug. 1, 2024
The Ram 1500 Tradesman features smooth turns and a powerful engine, and with plenty of bells and whistles to add to rider comfort.

Climbing into the seat of the new Ram 1500 Tradesman might feel familiar—after all, it looks just like the next work truck out on the road—but it’s what’s under the hood of this truck that will surprise any driver, passenger, and likely, anyone in a sports car stopped beside you at a red light.

In the cab

The Ram 1500 Tradesman crew cab can comfortably hold up to five adults, leaving ample room in the back for grown men and women to stretch their legs. The front center console converts into a seat accommodating a sixth crew member. Further, the Tradesman features a fold-down armrest with cupholders in the back seat when the middle seat isn’t occupied by a crewmember. 

While designed specifically as a work truck trim, the Ram 1500 Tradesman doesn’t sacrifice comfort or those nice amenities that crewmembers appreciate in their personal vehicles. These include telescopic trailer tow mirrors, a power back window, and safety technology such as collision warnings and active emergency braking—which was deployed not once but twice while I was operating the truck. More on that later. 

Built for work, the Tradesman allows drivers to create profiles for various trailers. These profiles are saved within the truck’s system to recall trailer-specific tow settings, making it easier to switch from one haul to the next. 

Driver assistance and camera frustration

I enjoyed my time in the 2025 Ram 1500 Tradesman, although I didn’t find some features pleasant. One of the first things I noticed was the placement of the large side mirrors. While they were great for seeing what was behind the truck, the one on the passenger side blocked my vision and became a blind spot. This was especially apparent when stopped at intersections with heavy pedestrian traffic. 

Another concern was with the backup camera’s alignment, specifically with the tire guides displayed on the infotainment screen. When backing out of my driveway—which is narrower than most places a crew would take the Ram 1500—I had to rely on the help of others to guide me instead of using the truck’s backup camera. This is because the lines on the monitor representing the path of the truck’s tires were several inches to a foot from the actual location. I realize this could be a problem only with the specific truck I drove, but any fleet owner with crews maneuvering in tight spaces should be aware. 

Secondly—and also while backing out of my driveway—I was lunged forward by the truck’s automatic emergency braking system twice. While I’m glad the system is available in the truck (it’s always better to be safe than sorry), I felt the system engaged the brakes a bit too cautiously. 

See also: Ram introduces new ProMaster EV

Regardless of these few aspects, the 2025 Ram 1500 Tradesman was fun to drive and packs practicality, power, and perks into a pretty package. Ram didn’t forget the creature comforts and the small details often missed in a work truck trim, and the front and back seat area leaves space for legs, equipment, tools—whatever you can pile in.

But as mentioned before, this truck’s power leaves the biggest impression. The frustration of lunging forward from the automatic braking was nothing compared to the feeling of being pinned to my seat after pressing the gas pedal. It’s truly what’s under the hood of this truck that will turn heads and keep work days a little more exciting. That is if you don’t call in sick.


This article was originally published on FleetOwner.com.

About the Author

Jade Brasher

Senior Editor Jade Brasher has covered vocational trucking and fleets for the past five years. A graduate of The University of Alabama with a degree in journalism, Jade enjoys telling stories about the people behind the wheel and the intricate processes of the ever-evolving trucking industry.    

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