The Ram 1500 is about as American as a vehicle gets: a full-size pickup, usually with a V8, built for long straight roads and big car parks. It was never sold new through Ram dealers here, so nearly every one on UK plates has been imported. The questions people ask us are always the same. Will it fit on a ship, which test does it take, and what will it cost to run? Here are the answers.
- Shipping from the USA
- From £1,450 for a car, more for a truck
- Time at sea
- Around 2 to 4 weeks
- Test
- IVA under 10 years, MOT over
- Import tax
- 10% duty + 20% VAT
Dodge Ram or Ram?
The truck was sold as the Dodge Ram from 1981. Around 2010 Ram became a brand of its own, so later trucks are simply the Ram 1500. It is the same line of trucks, and the 1500 is the light-duty one. The 2500 and 3500 are the heavy duty models, which matters for weight, as you will see below.
As with any import, the age of the truck decides the test and the tax. The table is worked out from today, 12 October 2026, so the lines move on a little each year.
| Feature | Built | UK test | Import tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| First generation | 1981 to 1993 | MOT, or none once over 40 | 5% VAT, no duty |
| Second generation | 1994 to 2001 | MOT | 5% VAT before October 1996, then 10% duty + 20% VAT |
| Third generation | 2002 to 2008 | MOT | 10% duty + 20% VAT |
| Fourth generation | 2009 to 2018 | MOT or IVA, check the build date | 10% duty + 20% VAT |
| Fifth generation | 2019 onwards | IVA | 10% duty + 20% VAT |
The second generation is the one with the big-rig look that made the truck famous. The 5.7 litre Hemi V8 arrived with the third generation and is the engine most UK buyers go looking for. The fourth generation, built until 2018, carried on alongside the new truck for a while as the 1500 Classic, so check the build date rather than going by looks.
Weight and your licence
Pickup imports turn on one number: the gross vehicle weight on the truck's label, which is the most it may weigh fully loaded. A 1500 normally sits under 3,500kg, which keeps it within the light vehicle IVA test and lets you drive it on an ordinary car licence. Some of the heavier-duty 2500 and 3500 trucks go over, and above 3,500kg you need a C1 licence and a different approval route.
Most 1500s are over 3,000kg, so expect a class 7 MOT once the truck is over 10 years old. Our guide to importing a pickup truck goes through the weight rules in full.
Check the label before you buy. Send us the VIN or a photo of the weight label and we will tell you which side of the 3,500kg line it falls.
What to check before you buy
Before you pay a deposit
0 of 9 done
Modified trucks deserve a careful look. A lift kit, big wheels or an extra light bar can be normal in America and a problem in a UK test, so tell us about them early. Our guides to buying a car abroad safely and buying from a US auction cover the rest.
The size of it
A crew-cab Ram with a standard bed is well over five and a half metres long and wide enough to fill a UK parking bay. Measure your drive and any garage before the truck is on a ship. It also takes more room on a ship or in a container than a saloon, which is why it costs more to ship.
Shipping a Ram from the USA
We collect from anywhere in the USA and truck it to the port, mainly New York, Savannah, Houston or Oakland. US Customs wants the title, or a certified copy, at the port at least 72 hours before it sails, plus a lender's letter if there is a loan on it.
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping a car from the USA starts from £1,450, shipping only. A full-size pickup comes in above that, so give us the model, cab and bed length and we will quote the real figure. The sea passage is around 2 weeks from the East Coast and around 4 from the West. The full journey is in our guide to shipping a car from the USA, and the cost of shipping from the USA explains why size matters.
Import tax
A Ram under 30 years old pays 10% import duty and 20% import VAT, worked out on the price plus the shipping, with the VAT charged on top of the duty. A truck over 30 that qualifies as historic pays 5% VAT and no duty, which today means one built before October 1996.
If you are moving to the UK, have lived abroad for at least 12 months and have owned the truck for at least 6, Transfer of Residence can bring it in with no VAT or duty. The import tax calculator will run your own figures.
Car or van once it is registered?
Vehicle tax follows how the DVLA classes the truck, and for company car tax HMRC treats most double cab pickups as cars from 6 April 2025. If a business will own the Ram, speak to your accountant first. Our road tax for imported cars guide covers the vehicle tax side.
Lights, testing and plates
The DVLA registers left-hand drive vehicles without the steering being moved. The work is mostly lighting: American trucks often flash red at the rear, usually have no rear fog light, and have headlights set for driving on the right. A truck under 10 years old also needs its speedometer in mph. A vehicle first used before 1 April 1980 does not need a rear fog light, though no Ram is that old. See converting an American car for UK roads for each change.
Today the IVA line falls in October 2016, so a 2015 Ram takes an MOT, a 2019 truck takes an IVA test, and anything from 2016 to 2018 needs its build date checked. We run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, so a newer Ram is tested on our own lane in Castle Donington. Our dealer-level DVLA account then lets us register it within 10 working days.
If you drive in London or a charging Clean Air Zone, check the emissions position before you buy. Our guide to ULEZ and imported cars explains how it works.
Questions people ask
Can I import a Ram 1500 to the UK?
Yes. A Ram ships from the USA like any car, then needs lighting changes, an MOT or IVA test depending on its age, and DVLA registration. We handle all of it on our own site.
Can I drive a Ram 1500 on a car licence?
Usually, yes. A category B licence covers vehicles up to 3,500kg gross weight and a 1500 normally sits under that. Some heavy duty 2500 and 3500 trucks go over, so check the label.
Does a Ram 1500 need an IVA test?
Only if it is under 10 years old, which today means built after October 2016. Every fifth-generation truck needs one. Older trucks take an MOT.
How much tax will I pay on a Ram from the USA?
Usually 10% duty and 20% VAT on the price plus shipping. A truck over 30 that qualifies as historic pays 5% VAT and no duty, and Transfer of Residence can make it nil if you are moving here and qualify.
Is a Ram 1500 taxed as a car or a van?
Vehicle tax follows how the DVLA classes it, while HMRC treats most double cab pickups as cars for company car tax from 6 April 2025. Ask your accountant if a business will own it.
Found the Ram you want? Send us the listing on the quote form and we will check the weight and price the whole job, from the US address to UK plates.
