Are performance starters a thing? Are they worth it? Note that this is for a truck and is used for work constantly.

Performance starts are usually for a certain type of engine not a certain type of car. You wouldn’t put a performance starter on your daily driver because it would have no effect. They come into use when you get engines that have for example very high compression.

Example: If you have a racing car, chances are you will run a high compression with high octane fuel. This means that in order to turn the engine over, you will need a lot more torque. This is provided by a ‘stronger’ motor, also called a performance starter.

Another thing that can help define them as performance is their weight. If you are driving a performance car then you will want to save weight, so the motor will be lighter.

In your case, if your truck starts normally, then don’t upgrade the starter motor. They won’t help you once you are actually moving at all.

There are better brands and lesser brands. I have a “high torque mini starter” in my Javelin to clear the headers, and it’s bulletproof. On a daily work truck I think a factory replacement with a good warranty should do you just fine!