America has long had a love affair with pick up trucks, and in the past 15 years the number of trucks being sold in this country was steadily rising. Every day more and more trucks appeared on the road, and it wasn't because all these people were buying them because they actually needed them for their business or farm. No, it was because trucks were cool. Part of the reason for the truck boom was the tremendous boost in popularity that country music enjoyed in the 1990's. Have you
ever seen Toby Keith or Alan Jackson doing a commercial for a compact car? Can you even envision such a thing? Another reason was consumer revolt against smaller and smaller cars. People like big, roomy vehicles, and they feel safer in them. Hitting a deer while driving a Ford F-150 is no fun, but it's likely to be a lot less worse than hitting a deer while driving a Toyota Corolla.
But the truck boom is over, at least for quite a while. Why? Mainly because of high gas prices. People may feel safer in a truck, but pickups are not very fuel efficient. When gas prices are low, that's no problem. But when gas costs nearly $4 a gallon, owning a pickup truck is a luxury more and more people can no longer afford. The second reason is the state of the overall economy. Many people are feeling uncertain about the economic prospects of the country, and are worried about losing their jobs. They're cutting back everywhere they can when it comes to spending, including their personal vehicles. New truck sales have dropped 40% in the last five years.
That's a shocking number. But if you're one of those Americans who still wants or needs a pickup truck, it's great news for you. If you're looking for a late model used truck in excellent condition, you won't believe how low the prices are. People are desperate to unload their trucks, and they're willing to sell for far less than they would've a year ago. And, because used pickups in great condition are such bargains,
that puts tremendous pressure on new car dealers to lower their prices and come up with all sorts of incentives to sell their truck inventory. So if you've been wanting a new or used pickup truck but have been holding off on purchasing, don't wait. The bargains available in the truck market today are unbelievable.
