Ram Trucks
American light- and medium-duty truck and commercial-vehicle brand separated from Dodge and operated by Stellantis.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Ram Trucks is an American automotive brand specializing in pickup trucks, heavy-duty work trucks, chassis-cab vehicles and commercial vans. It is operated within Stellantis North America and traces its name and product heritage to Dodge’s Ram pickup line. Although Ram products were historically sold as Dodge trucks, Chrysler separated the truck business from the Dodge passenger-car brand during its post-bankruptcy reorganization. Ram became a distinct brand in 2010, allowing Dodge to emphasize performance-oriented passenger vehicles while Ram focused on customers who use trucks for work, towing, hauling and commercial operations. The brand’s principal product is the Ram pickup family. The full-size Ram 1500 competes in the North American light-duty pickup market, while Ram Heavy Duty models, including the 2500 and 3500 ranges, serve demanding towing and payload applications. Higher-capacity chassis-cab models extend the range toward fleet, construction and vocational use. Ram has also offered performance derivatives, including the high-output Ram 1500 TRX, and has announced electrified products as part of Stellantis’s wider product strategy. Ram’s commercial-vehicle portfolio includes the Ram ProMaster, a North American version of the Fiat Ducato large van, together with smaller vans and regional products based on Fiat, Fiat Professional, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Changan and other platforms. In Latin America, the brand sells products such as the Ram 700, Ram 1000 and Ram Rampage. These vehicles give Ram a broader geographic and size range than its North American pickup lineup alone would suggest. The brand is marketed around capability, durability and practical utility. Its long-running English-language slogan is “Guts. Glory. Ram.” Manufacturing and assembly have been distributed across North America and South America, with major pickup production in Michigan and Mexico and additional regional production in Brazil. In October 2023, Ram became part of Stellantis Pro One, the group’s global commercial-vehicle organization, while continuing to serve as Stellantis’s principal truck brand in the Americas. Ram has developed a strong cultural presence through truck advertising, motorsport and entertainment. Its marketing has also generated controversy, most notably a 2018 Super Bowl advertisement that used an excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “The Drum Major Instinct” sermon. Critics argued that the commercial removed the sermon’s criticism of advertising and used King’s words to sell trucks. Despite such controversies, Ram remains one of the best-known pickup brands in North America, with a portfolio spanning personal-use pickups, heavy-duty work vehicles and commercial vans.
History
Ram’s history is rooted in the truck business of Dodge and Chrysler. Before the 1970s, Chrysler trucks could appear under separate regional marques, including Fargo outside the United States. Chrysler subsequently consolidated its truck marketing under Dodge, and the Ram name became associated with Dodge’s pickup range. The Dodge Ram developed into a major North American pickup family, competing in a market dominated by Ford, Chevrolet and GMC. Chrysler’s 2009 bankruptcy and restructuring created the conditions for a separate truck identity. After Chrysler emerged from Chapter 11, Fiat Group took a strategic stake in the reorganized Chrysler Group and Sergio Marchionne became chief executive. The company reorganized its marques and business units, separating Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Chrysler so that each could adopt a clearer market role. Ram Trucks was established as a dedicated division in 2010, using the established Ram pickup name but removing the Dodge identity from the truck brand. The separation was intended to sharpen positioning. Dodge could concentrate on youthful, performance-oriented cars and crossovers, while Ram could communicate directly with commercial operators, tradespeople, fleet buyers and serious recreational users. Executives emphasized that Ram trucks would be identified and marketed as Ram products rather than as Dodge models. The brand adopted the ram-head emblem that had previously been associated with Dodge trucks and used the slogan “Guts. Glory. Ram.” Ram initially centered on the full-size pickup range, including light-duty and heavy-duty models. Its manufacturing footprint included Sterling Heights Assembly in Michigan for newer Ram 1500 production and the Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant in Mexico for heavy-duty and chassis-cab vehicles. The brand also expanded beyond traditional pickups. In North America, the Fiat Ducato was adapted and marketed as the Ram ProMaster, giving the company a large commercial van after the end of Dodge Sprinter production. Smaller regional vans and pickups were introduced through badge-engineered versions of Fiat and other Stellantis products. Leadership changed several times during the brand’s first decade. Fred Diaz served as an early Ram leader before moving to Nissan in 2013, when Reid Bigland took over. Robert Hegbloom became the brand’s head in 2014, and Bigland later returned to the chief executive role. In 2018, Bigland reported alleged inaccuracies in Ram sales reporting to the U.S. government and subsequently brought a whistleblower lawsuit, claiming retaliation. He resigned in 2020. The episode was associated with the wider corporate sales-reporting controversy rather than with a product defect or safety issue. Ram expanded substantially in Latin America. The Ram 700 and Ram 1000 were derived from Fiat small and compact pickups, while the Rampage, launched in 2023, became the first Ram-branded vehicle produced in Brazil. The brand also used the Ram name on regional versions of Fiat Fiorino, Fiat Doblò, Fiat Fullback and other commercial vehicles. This strategy allowed Ram to address different regulatory and customer requirements without relying exclusively on North American full-size trucks. Stellantis was created through the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA. In October 2023, Ram was placed within Stellantis Pro One, the company’s global commercial-vehicle organization. The move aligned Ram with Stellantis’s broader van and fleet strategy while preserving its distinct pickup identity in the Americas. Subsequent product planning has included continued development of the Ram 1500 and Heavy Duty families, electrification, and possible additions such as the Ramcharger, a midsize Dakota successor and wider distribution of the Rampage. Ram has also become a recognizable cultural and advertising brand. Its trucks appeared prominently in the television series Yellowstone as work vehicles associated with the fictional Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. A 2018 Super Bowl commercial using Martin Luther King Jr.’s sermon became a major advertising controversy because the omitted portions of the sermon criticized advertising itself. The incident illustrated both the reach of Ram’s marketing and the scrutiny faced when historical speeches are repurposed for commercial campaigns.
- 2024
Tim Kuniskis returns as Ram chief executive
[1]Kuniskis returned from retirement to lead the Ram brand.
- 2023
Ram Rampage launches in Brazil
[1]The unibody Rampage became the first Ram-branded vehicle produced in Brazil.
- 2023
Ram joins Stellantis Pro One
[1]Ram was incorporated into Stellantis’s global commercial-vehicle division.
- 2019
Fifth-generation Ram 1500 enters production
[1]The DT-generation Ram 1500 became the brand’s modern full-size light-duty pickup platform.
- 2018
Martin Luther King Jr. advertisement controversy
[1]A Super Bowl campaign using an excerpt from King’s sermon attracted widespread criticism over its commercial use and selective editing.
- 2013
Ram ProMaster launches in North America
[1]Ram introduced the ProMaster large van, based on the Fiat Ducato platform.
- 2010
Ram becomes a standalone truck brand
[1]The former Dodge Ram pickup line was spun off into the distinct Ram Trucks division.
- 2009
Chrysler restructures after bankruptcy
[1]Following Chrysler’s Chapter 11 restructuring, the company began separating its major brands and business divisions, creating the organizational basis for Ram.
Products and positioning
A capability-led truck and commercial-vehicle brand emphasizing towing, payload, durability, work utility, technology and distinctive full-size pickup design.
Full-size pickup truck · 1981
Ram 1500
Ram’s principal light-duty full-size pickup line, offered in multiple cab, bed, powertrain and equipment configurations. It targets private owners, towing users and commercial customers, combining large-truck capability with interior comfort and technology. The fifth-generation DT model entered production for the modern Ram 1500 range, while the older DS generation continued for a period as the Ram 1500 Classic.
Heavy-duty pickup and chassis-cab truck · 1981
Ram Heavy Duty
The Heavy Duty family covers Ram 2500, 3500 and related high-capacity configurations designed for demanding towing, payload and vocational work. It is sold with pickup and chassis-cab bodies and is produced principally for North American work-truck markets. The range competes with heavy-duty offerings from Ford, Chevrolet and GMC.
High-performance pickup truck · 2021
Ram 1500 TRX
The TRX is a high-performance off-road derivative of the Ram 1500, developed for desert running and other demanding terrain. It uses strengthened chassis components, specialized suspension and high-output powertrain hardware. The first production run ended in 2024, with a future return identified in product planning.
Large commercial van · 2013
Ram ProMaster
The ProMaster is Ram’s North American large commercial van, based on the Fiat Ducato architecture. It is sold in cargo, passenger, cutaway and chassis-cab-related configurations and serves delivery, trades, fleet and small-business customers. Its front-wheel-drive layout and broad body configurations support urban commercial use.
Compact pickup · 2014
Ram 700
The Ram 700 is a Latin American-market compact pickup based on the Fiat Strada. It is positioned below Ram’s North American full-size trucks and serves customers needing a smaller vehicle for personal transport, light commercial work and mixed urban-rural use. It is sold in several Latin American markets under local Ram branding.
Compact pickup · 2018
Ram 1000
The Ram 1000 is the Latin American-market version of the Fiat Toro compact pickup. Produced in Brazil, it uses a unibody architecture and occupies a smaller, more urban-oriented segment than the traditional Ram 1500 and Heavy Duty lines.
Compact unibody pickup · 2023
Ram Rampage
The Rampage is a compact unibody pickup developed and produced in Brazil for the Ram brand. It broadens Ram’s presence in Latin America with a vehicle smaller than its traditional body-on-frame trucks while retaining the brand’s pickup-oriented identity. It is the first Ram-branded model manufactured in Brazil.
Electrified full-size pickup · 2026
Ram 1500 REV
The Ram 1500 REV is the brand’s planned electrified full-size pickup program. It is intended to extend Ram’s capability-focused proposition into battery-electric vehicles while addressing towing, payload and range expectations in the North American truck market.
Controversies
2018
Martin Luther King Jr. sermon used in Super Bowl advertising
Ram’s use of a portion of King’s “The Drum Major Instinct” sermon was criticized because the broader sermon warned against advertising and materialism. Critics argued that the edit transformed a complex civil-rights message into a sales device.
2018
Alleged sales-reporting retaliation dispute
Reid Bigland reported alleged misreporting of Fiat Chrysler sales figures to the U.S. government and later filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging that the company retaliated by cutting his bonuses. Bigland resigned in 2020. The matter concerned corporate reporting and employment litigation, not a confirmed defect in Ram vehicles.
Marketing campaigns
- 2018Built to Serve / Martin Luther King Jr. Super Bowl campaign
United States
Ram aired a Super Bowl advertisement featuring an excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “The Drum Major Instinct” sermon. The campaign connected truck ownership and service-oriented themes but provoked strong criticism because the sermon’s omitted passages criticized advertising and commercial persuasion.
Outcome. The advertisement generated widespread negative reaction from commentators, academics, social-media users and online video creators, becoming one of Ram’s most discussed campaigns.
- 2018Yellowstone product placement
United States
Ram trucks were featured prominently in the television series Yellowstone as work vehicles used by the fictional Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. The integration associated the brand with ranch work, towing and rural Western imagery.
Outcome. The placement reinforced Ram’s cultural association with working-truck identity and the series’ audience.
Brand decisions
2023
Integrate Ram into Stellantis Pro OneStrategyBackground
Stellantis created Pro One to coordinate its global commercial-vehicle operations and brands.
Action taken
Ram became part of the Stellantis Pro One global commercial-vehicle division.
Aftermath
The move aligned Ram’s commercial vans and work vehicles with Stellantis’s worldwide fleet strategy while preserving its North American pickup identity.
2013
Enter the North American large-van market with ProMasterProduct launchBackground
The end of Dodge Sprinter production left Chrysler without a major large commercial van for North America.
Action taken
Chrysler adapted the Fiat Ducato and launched it as the Ram ProMaster.
Aftermath
Ram expanded its commercial portfolio beyond pickup trucks and gained a product for delivery, trade and fleet customers.
2010
Separate truck operations from DodgeStrategyBackground
Chrysler wanted Dodge to develop a distinct passenger-vehicle identity while concentrating truck marketing on commercial operators and serious truck users.
Action taken
The former Dodge Ram line was established as the independent Ram Trucks brand, with separate branding, marketing and vehicle identification.
Aftermath
Ram gained a dedicated market position and expanded from pickups into commercial vans and regional trucks.
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