RAM 1500 EcoDiesel Truck Improves Fuel Efficiency

Sep 30, 2014

By Joe Dales, Farms.com Editor

The Ram 1500 is now offering an EcoDiesel feature which will make the pickup truck a more fuel-efficient option for farmers. Achieving 28 highway miles per gallon, the Ram EcoDiesel has earned the title of ‘Best in Class’ in overall fuel economy to go along with the 2014 MotorTrend ‘Truck of the Year’ award.

On the farm, the Ram 1500 pickup is providing a strong mix of overall comfort and convenience, with the capability to save fuel, and the power to haul real jobs - with 420 pound-feet of torque and 9,200 pounds max towing.

Some of the other innovations include link coil rear suspension for a comfortable ride and air suspension that allows for the convenience of raising the truck up two inches while going off-road for more ground clearance. This air suspension also lowers the truck down automatically while driving at highway speeds, improving the overall fuel economy, and at a full stop to allow easier entry and exit.

Other practical features include the Ram Box, an innovative storage solution on the outside of the truck and Chrysler’s Uconnect infotainment and navigation system is one of the industry’s best, as well: it’s very intuitive and the icons are big and easy to use.

RAM Trucks is competitively pricing the 1500 to continue to increase marketshare and it appears they are doing better when you see the number of these pickups in the parking lot of farm shows and agriculture events. For more information you can visit the RamTrucks.com website and see the specifications of the EcoDiesel. There is a calculator to show just how much money you stand to save in one year based on your daily mileage.

The Farms.com team asked the RAM Trucks expert about the EcoDiesel at a recent Farmshow about what farmers can expect. Watch the video: Lucas Frank, Senior Manager of Light and Heavy Duty Trucks at RAM Trucks walks us through the highlights of the Motor Trends 2014 Truck of the Year, the RAM 1500 EcoDiesel.

Or visit RamTrucks.com and check out the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel for yourself.

Video: 2025 USDA December Crop Report a “Dud” + Trump $12 Billion U.S. Farm Aid

The USDA December crop report was friendly corn, neutral soybeans and bearish wheat. The USDA did surprise and increase the 25/26 U.S. corn export forecast to a new record high at 3.2 billion bushels now up 12% vs. last year vs. prior at +9% vs. the export pace to date up 30% the best in 10 years even higher than 20/21! The USDA left the 25/26 U.S. soybean export pace unchanged at 1.635 billion bushels. Higher global wheat supplies will remain a weight and headwind for wheat into year end and start of 2026.
Mexico is now the #1 buyer of U.S. corn, soybeans (usually China), wheat and pork!
USDA also released its long-term early projections but expect more changes by February of 2026.
Trump announces a $12 billion U.S. farmer aid package to be paid out by February 28, 2026. This helps no one but the ag banks, farm equipment companies, seed and fertilizer companies. It does prevent more farmer bushels from being sold near-term but is not bullish grain prices long-term. The Trump administration should focus on increasing U.S. domestic demand and propping up grain futures so farmers can cover their higher costs, up since COVID of 2020.
The China U.S. soybean purchase tracker now stands at 4.521 mmt or 38% of the 12 mmt promised by China at year end or is it end of February or the growing season? Why the discrepancy vs. the fact sheet. The optics are poor for the Trump administration.
After surging to contract highs U.S. natural gas futures plunged over 30+% in just 5-trading days!
Silver traded to new record highs as the debasement and de dollarization trade continued but technicals remain overbought near-term.
Soybean futures remained in correction mode after the funds went record long futures on Nov. 19 +233,000 contracts but the $10.80 support should hold into year end when the fund profit taking/liquidation comes to an end from the year end, end of month and end of quarter selling.
The U.S. Fed cut interest rates for the 3rd time by 25 basis points to a range of 3.50 – 3.75% and they will only cut one more time in 2026 and once in 20267/ but when Powell is gone next April the replacement is willing to cut more aggressively and we could see U.S. interest rates fall to 2.0% very bullish for ag and stocks as it could reignite inflation into 2027.
After 2 months of being drier than normal in Brazil the rains have finally arrived for the 1st half of December, and a record crop is still in the cards but if this pattern continues and verifies it could start to delay the harvest. Argentina after being too wet has turned dry but they are too small, compared top Brazil in the grand picture.
The Canadian dollar surged to $0.73 after better-than-expected employment data with 180,000 new jobs in the past 3-months and 3rd quarter GDP at +2.6% but this could be short-lived.
The latest CFTC report as of 11-19-2025 reported a record long fund position in soybeans at +233,000 contracts when 2026 March soybean futures peaked on 11-19-25 at $11.724/bu.