Peak Trucks: The Return Of The Dinosaurs
When gas peaked in 2008, and carmageddon ensued thereafter, many predicted the end of the world, and if that won’t come to pass, the total extinction of the pickup and SUV genre. Along with that, the demise of the U.S. auto industry was prognosticated, because it supposedly was more dependent on trucks than Robert Downey Jr, on uppers and downers. Conventional wisdom had it that we’d be driving bicycles, midgetmobiles, solar powered EVs, or use public transportation. Pickups? Only at Match.com.
Well guess what, as with all the crises before, it didn’t happen. Actually, the dinosaurs reign supreme.
J.D. Power just counted that pickups, SUVs, and minivans made up 54 percent of all U.S. vehicle sales in October, while, duh, “cars made up 46 percent of the market.” That’s the biggest dosage of trucks since December 2005, when trucks orgasmed at 56 percent of sales.
And, is anybody complaining? Do people warn that it’s unsustainable if we keep on truckin’? Nah. It’s seen as a sign of recovery. According to AP, “strong truck sales make economists giddy because it means people are willing to spend money again. Small business owners feel comfortable enough to buy a new pickup truck or delivery van for their company; and regular folks are confident enough in their jobs and finances to take on beefy SUV payments.”
People save less (good!) and spend more (good!). Gasoline? Well, it costs about double than the buck fifty during the last truck craze, but don’t let statistics ruin a good thing. And honestly, while here in China, the only thing I miss is the new black Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer the good folks of Otis Ford in Quogue, NY, put in my driveway every second April without even asking. But come to think of it, the Chinese never swore off the SUV craze. And I’m not crazy enough to use it in Beijing traffic.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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America and oil is like Crackhead and crack. And the Middle East gets the last laugh.
The current truck-sales picture is an entirely different animal than the SUV craze of the 90's. Those were largely vanity trucks and soccer-mom mobiles. In this economy people are buying only as much vehicle as they need. Which means small efficient commuter-cars for the cubicle crowd, and pickups for the rest of us. I live in a rural area, and most people I know require the use of a pickup in their work. In an urban setting that Prius or Camcord will get you to work just fine, and handle the family duties. That's why you still see strong sales in both those areas.