I am willing to bet that any 1/2 ton Toyota truck can and will be able to do anything that one of the Big 3's 1/2 ton trucks will do. I am also fairly certain that anyone with half a brain for how to properly operate a vehicle in the situations you outline above, will do equally well with any of the given trucks.
I think, and in my experience with the small trucks (I know, I know no actual experience with 1/2 tons and that's what we're talking about) the Toyota's will and do everything the Big 3 trucks do, they just seem to do them with a lot less down time and maintenance costs. Your milage may vary, but in my experience this is where the difference lies and why my dollars go to Toyota when it comes to buying a truck.
It seems that Toyota has a better grasp on engineering and quality control (their trucks are made in America by Americans just like the Big 3) that the big 3 just don't seem give a damn about. When Ford, GM or Dodge can make a truck that doesn't bother me on a daily basis with little nagging problems, then they stand a good chance of seeing my dollars again.
