I'd argue not. Many trucks are driven by folks in the trades. If I were to guess, I'd put my money on SUVs having the largest fraction of users who rarely if ever push the vehicle to its limits. That or sports cars.
I doubt all these new trucks are for trades people. Honestly most tradespeople I see drive older trucks because they are beating them up anyway. There's a LOT of people driving trucks who are not trades people.
It's a little hard to believe that's the primary market given the design trends in trucks that seemingly make them less attractive and useful to tradespeople while being more appealing to folks in the fashion accessory market.
For example, the trend of trucks getting more and more expensive with luxury features and interiors or the increasing popularity of short beds with giant cabins or the higher ride height that makes it more of a pain if you actually lift things in and out of the bed. Or even the enormous tall fronts that make it a lot more likely you're going to run over stuff you can't see. I'm not sure why anyone with an actual job related need for a truck would be driving those trends.
I’d have agreed around the turn of the century but it’s really hard to believe that’s driving the current sales boom. I see new trucks all the time - as part of the morning commute, loaded with frills which wouldn’t hold up in a work environment, and in pristine condition. The actual tradesmen are driving vans and older trucks because those cost half as much. There’s a huge construction sight near me, and the actual workers are arriving on bike, bus, or carpool in a sedan – except for two fancy trucks parked near the foreman’s office, which are pristine (not even mud) and always parked in the same spot morning, lunch, or afternoon.
Now, I live in a city so I’d discount that except that we’ve spent a lot of time driving through rural areas (my son loves railroads) and the same trend holds there, although less intense. You see the pretty rancher cosplay trucks in the rich exurbs, and then when you cross into actual farm or mining country you see a lot fewer of the $70+k new ones and more beat up old trucks which are clearly heavily used, and almost 90s levels of smaller cars because they’re so much cheaper.
JumpCrisscross|2 years ago
I'd argue not. Many trucks are driven by folks in the trades. If I were to guess, I'd put my money on SUVs having the largest fraction of users who rarely if ever push the vehicle to its limits. That or sports cars.
TaylorAlexander|2 years ago
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g43553191/bestselling-cars...
I doubt all these new trucks are for trades people. Honestly most tradespeople I see drive older trucks because they are beating them up anyway. There's a LOT of people driving trucks who are not trades people.
rainsford|2 years ago
It's a little hard to believe that's the primary market given the design trends in trucks that seemingly make them less attractive and useful to tradespeople while being more appealing to folks in the fashion accessory market.
For example, the trend of trucks getting more and more expensive with luxury features and interiors or the increasing popularity of short beds with giant cabins or the higher ride height that makes it more of a pain if you actually lift things in and out of the bed. Or even the enormous tall fronts that make it a lot more likely you're going to run over stuff you can't see. I'm not sure why anyone with an actual job related need for a truck would be driving those trends.
acdha|2 years ago
Now, I live in a city so I’d discount that except that we’ve spent a lot of time driving through rural areas (my son loves railroads) and the same trend holds there, although less intense. You see the pretty rancher cosplay trucks in the rich exurbs, and then when you cross into actual farm or mining country you see a lot fewer of the $70+k new ones and more beat up old trucks which are clearly heavily used, and almost 90s levels of smaller cars because they’re so much cheaper.
unknown|2 years ago
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unknown|2 years ago
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