Nobody Wants Real Trucks, So Dealers Don't Have Real Trucks, So You Can't Have Real Trucks, Because You Don't Want Real Trucks

Timothy Cain
by Timothy Cain

At this moment, according to AutoTrader and Cars.com, there are fewer than three dozen new Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Tradesman 4×4 Regular Cab pickup trucks available in the United States.

That’s right, of the roughly 8,000 Ram EcoDiesels and nearly 80,000 Ram 1500s available in the United States, there are approximately 30 available in a traditional working pickup truck format: diesel power, two doors, long box, base trim, four-wheel drive.

This is no slight on Ram or Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ dealers. They’re simply responding to the market’s demands.

You, by which we mean the truck buying collective, don’t want real trucks. So you can’t have one. Because it’s highly unlikely you can find one, because dealers know you don’t want one.

This wasn’t the pickup truck arena in which you or I grew up. True, my father drove a crew cab pickup truck, but it was an early ’80s GMC three-quarter ton with a box that extended into the next zip code, a burgundy used primarily for towing our Jayco and thus parked for much of the winter.

Yet doesn’t that explain part of the modern pickup truck’s all-around appeal? It never crossed my father’s mind to replace his beat-up old truck and Audi 5000 with a lone pickup truck: fast and leather-lined, quiet, parkable downtown, bed covered with a waterproof tonneau.

Tonneau? That sounds like something you’d sling over your Peugeot 504 Cabriolet.

Trucks now fulfill many purposes. For urban commuters, light-duty full-size trucks are becoming sufficiently efficient. For families, crew cab pickup trucks place children so far away from their parents that a thrown cheerio can’t be tossed into the front seat. And don’t think of these as cargo beds – they’re trunks that can be used, in a pinch, as a traditional truck bed. Quiet? Silent. Fast? Like a rocketship. Luxurious? Many so-called luxury cars feel spartan in comparison.

And in selling such fast, quiet, family-friendly, flexible, luxurious pickup trucks – the proverbial F-150 SuperCrew EcoBoost Platinum Limited – automakers can greatly improve their profit margins on already profitable vehicles.

As a result, fewer than one percent of the F-150s currently in stock at U.S. Ford dealers are regular cab XLs with four-wheel-drive. Only 0.5 percent of the available Chevrolet Silverados are six-cylinder, regular cab 4x4s. North of the border, only one out of every 20 pickup trucks sold by GM Canada in the first five months of 2016 were regular cab Silverados and Sierras; seven in 10 were full-fledged crew cab models.

Of course, it’s not just that buyers don’t want basic pickup trucks. Buyers don’t want regular cab, two or three-seat pickup trucks in general, regardless of the equipment level, so automakers aren’t offering them. There’s no regular cab variants of GM’s new midsize trucks, nor are there regular cabs offered by the Colorado/Canyon’s two rivals from Nissan and Toyota. The Toyota Tundra’s regular cab format is only available in base SR trim. The Nissan Titan XD was launched exclusively in crew cab form.

And back at Ram, don’t go looking for a Laramie, Rebel, Laramie Longhorn, or Limited 1500 with anything less than four doors. Y’ain’t gonna find one.

U.S. pickup truck sales are on track to rise to a nine-year high in 2016.

[Image Source: FCA & Ford]

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.

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  • 427Cobra 427Cobra on Jun 21, 2016

    OMG... what a riot, reading through these comments. Yes... I drive a Bro-dozer... a 2000 Super Duty supercab V10 4x4. Why? Because I like it. It's my favorite vehicle to drive (I have 4). When I go camping... the bed is filled to the rim. The dog's in the cab (rear seat removed). The truck's great for bringing home the Christmas tree... towing my Cobra (replica, of course) if need be... Home Depot runs... hauling furniture, etc... whatever. I have a 3.5 mile commute, & rarely go over 9000 miles a year of total driving... so I can drive pretty much whatever I want. Since the mileage is split amongst multiple vehicles, it's rare that any one vehicle sees more than 5000 miles a year. Is it smart for a single guy to have 4 vehicles? probably not... but it's my passion. I think it would be LESS SMART to have 4 vehicles if I had a wife & kids to support. We all make choices... to each his own... But regarding "real trucks"... mine is an XLT... nothing fancy. No leather... no infotainment... no fancy wheels or excessive lift... it's stock. I'm currently looking to replace it with something newer... and bigger (crew cab)... as the pooch is passing 100 lbs now. Looking at another Super Duty, but also considering a Ram 2500. Will definitely be a gasser... & probably 4x4... but will be lightly optioned. Definitely want the chrome grille & bumpers tho... gotta have a little bling.

    • DownUnder2014 DownUnder2014 on Jul 25, 2016

      I do like the V10 they had in the older Super Duties and Excursions. I've seen one run, they're not bad off the line either. I would love one with a Manual Transmission!

  • Jdowmiller Jdowmiller on Jun 25, 2016

    This exact truck is on a lot 30 miles from me. It's even silver.

  • FreedMike This is before Cadillac styling went full scale nutty...and not particularly attractive, in my opinion.
  • JTiberius1701 Middle of April here in NE Ohio. And that can still be shaky. Also on my Fiesta ST, I use Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires for the winter and Bridgestone Potenza for my summer tires. No issues at all.
  • TCowner We've had a 64.5 Mustang in the family for the past 40 years. It is all original, Rangoon Red coupe with 289 (one of the first instead of the 260), Rally Pac, 4-speed, factory air, every option. Always gets smiles and thumbs ups.
  • ToolGuy This might be a good option for my spouse when it becomes available -- thought about reserving one but the $500 deposit is a little too serious. Oh sorry, that was the Volvo EX30, not the Mustang. Is Volvo part of Ford? Is the Mustang an EV? I'm so confused.
  • Mikey My late wife loved Mustangs ..We alway rented one while travelling . GM blood vetoed me purchasing one . 3 years after retirement bought an 08 rag top, followed by a 15 EB Hard top, In 18 i bought a low low mileage 05 GT rag with a stick.. The car had not been properly stored. That led to rodent issues !! Electrical nightmare. Lots of bucks !! The stick wasn't kind to my aging knees.. The 05 went to a long term dedicated Mustang guy. He loves it .. Today my garage tenant is a sweet 19 Camaro RS rag 6yl Auto. I just might take it out of hibernation this weekend. The Mustang will always hold a place in my heart.. Kudos to Ford for keeping it alive . I refuse to refer to the fake one by that storied name .
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