2014-2016 half ton owners

The older the truck, the better for scrapping in my humble opinion for the following reasons -
It does not ruin my day if I scratch or dent it.
Parts are easy to find and are cheap.
They are easier to work on.
Without computers, electric seats, electric windows, sensors, etc. there is less options to malfunction.
When they die I can tow them in and scrap them.
Manual transmissions also have less problems than automatic.

To answer your question, the less accessories the better and the older the better. In older trucks I like Chevy because they are easy to access for repairs compared to Ford, rust less than Dodges, and simple in design. Get the best deal you can and buy from an individual and not a dealer. I prefer the larger motors for the power and life expectancy.

My parameters include long hauls, no state inspections, and reliability.

I normally would agree with patriot on older trucks, but my lesson has been learned with working a truck so hard it becomes a challenge to replace factory parts with an ongoing and never ending series of inferior or overpriced store bought parts coming from mexico and china. Doing a cost analysis it is actually better to buy a truck that is newer and built better. NOT ALL TRUCKS QUALIFY. I am not a brand loyal person. So here are my two choices given a tight budget.

2013/2014 F150 with 4x4, max tow and 5.0 v8, 3.55 gears. This truck can be had for low 20s well optioned. You can get them in 8 foot bed, they are hard to find but it can be done. Otherwise the 6.5 bed and crew cab nets the most usable space. Getting the 4x4 provides you with a better front end geometry and longer lasting parts. It is common for modern ford f150s in construction to last 400k miles and never need a ball joint or a tie rod. There is a reason they dont really hit the resale too often, companies buy them ad keep them because they last.

The Nissan Titan is often overlooked, it has a very low parts fail rate, decent capacity and a good engine. The downside is it is heavy, body work is expensive (break a tail light and find out for yourself). But again, it can be had cheap, it does last a long time.

I would stay away from RAM, great trucks but until 2015 they still had DoD issues and electrical issues in the transmission. Their frame is however the strongest of all.

If you do it right you would buy a 2008+ gas F250/F350 and use that as a scrap truck. You would have higher capacity and sacrifice only a little fuel mileage.

NJ trucks don't have the same rust issues as WNY trucks. I lived in the Philly/South Jersey/Allentown area for twenty years before moving back home. I would definitely buy a NJ or PA vehicle over one from Buffalo.

In Southeast PA, they use cinders on the roads more than salt. I see vehicles here that are rusting out after 7 or 8 years due to all the salt. I also think that the manufacturers started using thinner sheet metal sometime around 2006. Not sure about that, just a personal opinion based on what I see rambling down the roads.