CTDs Can Suffer If Not Worked Hard. Please Elaborate

[3CUMMINS]

Have 2 CTD's. The 3500 is for hauling anything but it doesn't do it all the time. No daily driver here.
The 2500 has hauled, but is mainly used for a daily driver but with a one way trip of 70 K - no issue with this one.
Have had older ones without DEF and all the electronic stuff and they could do both.
Never had an issue save the fact that, since the 3500 wasn't used enough, the battery needed a drive without some of the creature comforts (heat, safety features always work. The heat or AC worked but weekly and no radio GPS etc).
It had sat for several weeks with no activity whatsoever but it tells you that you have erred and allows you to correct the error by taking it for a tour. 40 K is usually sufficient (25 miles) will get you back to where it should be, but drive it just not for groceries.

 

[NotSoFast]

I have a 2020 CTD and when I used it as a daily driver for a month or so last year, I had problems with the Diesel Particulate Filter. This was winter conditions. I was running the truck long enough to get it up to operating temperature and even enough to run through the regen cycles, but the DPF was often showing partial clogging, which it had never done before. But after hooking up the trailer and running it on the freeway at 75 for an hour or so, the DPF was baked out and hasn't given any more difficulty. So yes, the truck does like a good workout from time to time. It seems like that's the way the exhaust filter was built to work.

 

[Choupique]

The trucks were certainly built to work and don't like frequent short trips. DEF also doesn't age well and the more of it you pump through the better, especially in the summer.

The engine itself really doesn't care much one way or the other. Modern electronic engines don't have serious fuel dilution problems at cold temps like the old mechanicals did. The new ones also warm up MUCH faster thanks to EGR. You might accelerate some seal failures and technically would wear the engine out faster with a bunch of short trips vs a few long trips, but you'd likely never notice it.

The exhaust aftertreatment system is what really hates short trips and light loads and infrequent use.