In the truck world, there is only one major thing that separates the good from the great. That is the engine behind the rig. The biggest thing that you have to decide when buying a truck is whether you want a larger displacement gas engine, or a diesel engine.
Back in the day, gas used to torch diesel in almost every way. But in recent years, with the improvements that have been made to modern day diesel engines, diesel is an option that has been revolutionizing the 3/4 to 1 ton truck industry. Diesel engines have more ft/lbs of torque, and about the same horsepower as a gas engine with similar displacement. This allows you to tow more weight at lower RPMs and use less fuel. This is how a diesel truck works:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/diesel1.htm
Diesel is cheaper than gas, has more energy per gallon and the refining process is less complicated. When the Engine Control Unit is reprogrammed, it is possible to see around 30 MPG on the highway in a diesel truck. That's better than any mid-sized SUV.
Not to mention, diesel trucks can run for over 3 times as long as the average gasser. A friend of mine knows a guy who had a 2001 Dodge 2500 5.9L Cummins 12-valve, with which he would haul a bottle-neck tailor with four boats to and from Alaska. He put on over 800,000 miles, and went through 10 transmissions (probably from the heavy loads he was towing), before the crankshaft went out it. Now that's a truck.
Enjoy the road and roll some coal. Rock on.
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