tranny - ford needs to catch up
Ford's trannys are notorious for saying bye bye around 130K. I have a contact which both his E350 powerstoke van and F250 7.3 tranny let go with in 10K miles of each other. He doesn't pull any where near what both are designed for.
Engines - When I was in the market for a diesel truck for a tow vehicle, I talked with a service manager in TX and her, yes her, statement was "I replace 5, 6.0L engines per week, rarely do I replace a 7.3L. The 7.3L is bullet proof!". I have heard comments from owners that went from the 7.3 to the 6.0 and tried figuring out how to shove a 7.3 in their newer trucks. One guy had enough and went to a duraminimum. In my opinion, the 5.9L cummins is hard to beat for relaibility, power, & fuel economy.
With respect to engines, keep in mind that the 5.9L is used in 26 to 30K lb capacity trucks where as the international ford engine and isuzu duramax is in medium duty trucks but nothing to the size that dodge puts the 5.9 or now the 6.7 into. Hard to argue that point.
Drive train - If you want comfort, buy a chevy / gmc due to the independent front end. The chevy is at least 1000lbs lighter than a dodge. If you want a "TRUCK" with a strong front end, buy a dodge or ford with a solid front end. I think ford still uses a solid front end. A friend (the one who sold his 6.0L due to engine issues) just bought a 50K duramax 2500HD crew 4x4 with a long bed. Goes to pick up the truck and askes the dealer to swap his snow plow quick connect from the ford to the GMC and the dealer says "you can't put a 9ft plow on this truck". This owner of a construction company had some pretty choice words for the dealer. A 50K$$ truck and I can not even plow with it?!?!?. Dealer said he would be over the gvwr of the truck with the plow.
Most of us will never put these trucks thru the stress that a construction company will therefore we do not experience the issues that they do.
Just my two cents.
you are the first i have heard to say that about the 6.7.