Thanksgiving morning in New York City would not feel quite the same without a long line of floats rolling down Manhattan surrounded by marching bands, balloons and cheering crowds. Behind all that magic is a lot of muscle, and for the 11th consecutive year Ram is the brand providing it. For the 99th edition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Ram returned as the official truck sponsor with 76 trucks and vans on duty, making sure every float, performer and support crew made it from the Upper West Side to Herald Square without a hitch.

The star power is not just on the floats. The parade kicks off with the iconic Tom Turkey perched high on a Ram 5500, setting the tone as the trucks tow a caravan of massive creations through the city. When the show reaches its finale, a Ram Power Wagon leads Santa Claus down 34th Street to Macy’s flagship store, a visual reminder that heavy duty capability can also play a starring role in a holiday tradition. To lean into the pageantry, several Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 models are fully wrapped to match float themes like Tom Turkey and Pirate Ship, with special livery reserved for Santa’s sleigh.

What viewers at home do not see is the level of logistics happening just out of frame. While 28 Ram trucks are responsible for hauling the floats that millions watch on TV, another 48 trucks and ProMaster vans are busy behind the scenes setting up, staging and supporting the production. In all, the fleet includes 50 Ram 1500 pickups, 16 Ram Heavy Duty trucks and 10 Ram ProMaster vans. The parade route may cover less than three miles from 77th Street and Central Park West to Herald Square, but the demands on towing, low speed control and reliability are serious, which is why Ram is eager to point out that its trucks and vans are backed by a 10 year / 100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty.

Ram leadership is clearly proud of the role the brand plays every November. Tim Kuniskis, who oversees American brands and performance marketing for Stellantis in North America, notes that Ram has been “all in” on the parade for more than a decade, sending in a fleet of trucks and vans built to move just about anything, anywhere. It fits neatly with Ram’s broader story. The lineup spans light duty Ram 1500 models and heavy duty 2500 and 3500 variants, plus 3500, 4500 and 5500 Chassis Cab configurations for commercial work and a range of ProMaster vans designed for hauling cargo in tight city streets.

That same capability is wrapped in a lot of personality. Ram has leaned hard into sport and off road performance trucks, from the new Ram 1500 RHO that promises serious horsepower per price, to the ultra plush Ram 1500 Tungsten with air suspension, 24 way massaging seats and 540 horsepower under the hood. Heavy duty models offer up to 1,000 lb ft of torque from the available Cummins Turbo Diesel, while the ProMaster delivers the most cargo space of any traditional full size cargo van and the Power Wagon continues to claim the title of most off road capable full size pickup in the lineup. With the parade airing nationwide on NBC, Telemundo and streaming on Peacock, Ram gets to showcase all of that engineering and branding in front of a massive holiday audience, quietly pulling the strings that make one of America’s favorite celebrations come to life.