The Highest-Mileage GMC Pickup Truck In The World In 2024

Summary

• Regular maintenance and mindful driving are key to achieving high mileage in your vehicle.
• Owner’s manual knowledge can help prevent failures and elongate a vehicle’s lifespan significantly.
• GM pickups like the 2015 GMC Sierra 3500 boast strong engineering that, with proper care, can easily endure for over half a million miles.

In the realm of automotive longevity, few vehicles can boast as impressive a feat as to reach half a million miles. Few vehicles make it past a quarter-million miles without experiencing some form of crucial failure. This makes those that do cross that threshold that much more intriguing, due to not only the quality of the engineering behind the vehicle, but the owners themselves and their unique backstories.

GMC is a well-known manufacturer of reliable heavy-duty vehicles, including the Sierra 2500 HD and Yukon, that are designed to take a beating and keep going. In this particular instance, a hearty 2015 GMC Sierra 3500 HD takes center stage as the highest mileage GMC pickup on record. The owner managed to rack up over half a million miles on the Sierra’s original powertrain and transmission, and he doesn’t plan on retiring it any time soon.

To accomplish this, the owner, who is a very pleasant and knowledgeable guy, explains the processes and maintenance behind taking a big pickup all the way. These steps include, among other things, regular maintenance services and perceptive driving, which can greatly affect the wear and tear on the vehicle. Let’s take a look under the hood.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from General Motors, Chevrolet, and GMC.

The 2015 GMC Sierra 3500 Is A Very Versatile Machine

To start, the 2015 Sierra 3500 lives up to the title of a “heavy-duty” pickup. With a powerful diesel powertrain and a stout transmission, the Sierra can handle pretty much any job. Some Diesel trucks will run forever with good care. Boasting impressive towing and payload capability, the Sierra is a go-to choice for those looking for a tough, strong hauler. This will come into play when we discuss the owner of the impressive 500,000-mile Sierra.

Aside from the power and capability, the 2015 Sierra features up-to-date tech and tools that make managing and completing difficult tasks much easier. Features including Wi-Fi and smartphone connectivity are key features among professions that require a versatile vehicle. This not only allows the work truck to do more, it increases the efficiency with which it can assist along the way.

The Powerful Duramax Turbo Diesel And Allison Transmission

The 2015 Sierra 3500 HD features two engine options, those being a 6.0-liter Vortec V-8 L96 engine, and the much more powerful and efficient, 6.6-liter Duramax turbocharged V-8 diesel LML unit. The owner, Brook Smith, opted to go with the turbo diesel because of its power and efficiency. This allowed him to excel in his profession, and save at the pump, which Brook admits has impressed many knowledgeable truck folks.

2015 GMC Sierra 3500 HD Diesel Specs

(Source: GM)

Sending power to the rear wheels is a bulletproof Allison 1000 six-speed automatic transmission. The Allison transmission has been a staple in heavy-duty pickups for a while and has often been chosen due to its proven responsiveness and longevity. In Brook’s case, the Allison transmission has proven to be just about as solid as a working transmission can be, which Brook can confirm with mechanical receipts and physical proof.

The Sierra’s Interior Tech Took The Term “Work Truck” To New Heights

As mentioned before, Wi-Fi capability and smartphone connectivity centralized much of the computer-based work involved in many professions, streamlining the workflow for many hard-working people driving heavy-duty pickups. For Brook, it provided him with increased ease of use and peace of mind knowing that he’s connected via advanced communication and broadband services, especially considering his profession takes him through treacherous terrain. The standard safety suite is another perk that made it ideal for Brook’s intended purpose.

2015 GMC Sierra 3500 Notable Interior Features

• Upgraded, modern tech and user interface
• Wi-Fi capability
• Advanced smartphone connectivity
• Advanced driver assist and safety functions
• Available premium Bose audio system

Another boon to those taking their Sierra on long journeys is the comfortable interior and available interior amenities. Big cushioned seating with optional leather and heated seats ushered in the modern age of interior comfort with style and quality. Adjustable seats and steering wheel are standard across the board, and optional power-adjustable capability meant you could option the interior to meet your requirements.

The Owner Of The 500,000-Mile Sierra Tells His Story

Brook Smith, a Southern Missouri native, is a very interesting fellow with a lot of experience around big pickup trucks. His background includes high-performance racing and a degree in engineering, both factors that make him a reliable source of information regarding technical talk and performance specs. His profession, which is what led to his high-mileage Sierra, involves transporting RVs and campers across North America.

When we examine this profession, it becomes clear why Brook chose the HD Sierra. Its reliability and capability are only rivaled by its twin, the Chevy Silverado, which Brook owned and racked up over 1,000,000 miles before purchasing the Sierra. His profession has taken him to 49 states, including Alaska, and many Canadian provinces as well.

Suffice it to say, this gentleman has seen it all in terms of challenging long-distance trucking and hauling, especially when we consider the harsh conditions up north. In fact, Brook explains his interactions with ice-road trucking and high-altitude, high-grade hauling, and how both the Chevy Silverado 3500 and GMC Sierra 3500 handle these scenarios like champs.

Brook Explains The Maintenance Requirements That Allowed For Such Impressive Mileage

As we’ve learned from prior high-mileage pickups, the key to a long and healthy life is regular servicing as well as mindful driving. However, Brook shares a nugget of wisdom that may not come as a shock to many car and pickup owners, which is: to read the owner’s manual. He explains how many failures were averted thanks to foreknowledge of specific areas regarding his vehicle. This includes warning signs, troubleshooting advice, and detailed descriptions of possible hurdles owners may encounter. Also, mastering your machine can easily increase your productivity and confidence, which is what Brook attributed his mastery of tough terrain to.

Key Factors In Brook’s High-Mileage Pickups

• Scheduled maintenance
• Engineering knowledge
• Mindful driving habits
• Proactive vehicle care
• Vehicle familiarity

Another contributing factor to the massive miles Brook racked up on each pickup is the solid construction and robust components employed in GM’s pickups. Brook admits to driving the Silverado over 1 million miles on the original powertrain and transmission, only disconnecting the engine to install a torque converter at around 600,000 miles. This is a great example of the sturdy build quality of General Motors as well as Brook’s ability to identify problem, or lackluster, areas and go about upgrades in a meaningful and educated way. This no doubt increased the lifespan of his pickups.

How An Engineering Degree Increased The GMC Sierra’s Lifespan

As mentioned before, Brooks holds a degree in engineering, which allows him to better understand his vehicle’s inner workings and identify how things operate. This, in turn, allows him to troubleshoot more efficiently and without allowing small problems to lead to big problems, which is a common factor in vehicle failure. Pair his engineering knowledge with the fact that he may be the only person on the face of the Earth to read the entire vehicle owner’s manual, and you’ve got a person prepped and ready to get the job done without many problems.

The Implications Of A High-Mileage Vehicle

Most people are lucky if their vehicle makes it to 250,000 miles without catastrophic failure. And while it isn’t uncommon, fewer people have the knowledge and resources to care for a vehicle well enough to avoid such failures at high mileage. That said, making that far in a single vehicle while pushing the original powertrain is a definite cause for examination, as both vehicle manufacturers and owners alike have become curious as to how someone can achieve this feat.

This prompts automakers to take into context the steps and engineering that led to this impressive feat, as well as instill confidence in buyers looking to purchase a heavy-duty pickup. Which leads to increased competition and advancing design, as observed in the current market at large.

Overall, the 2015 GMC Sierra 3500 is a powerful and reliable pickup and, with mindful ownership, will keep on trucking long after the lights go out. We see this fact in both of Brook Smith’s pickups, with more than 1.5 million combined miles between them. With his high level of vehicle care, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Brook again in the future with even more miles on the sturdy Sierra.