Americans love pickup trucks, and, as the saying goes, bigger is better. For proof, just look at the data and you’ll see that, besides import models, full-size pickup truck sales far outpace sales of mid-size variants.
| Model | Size | Sales |
| Chevrolet Colorado | Mid-Size | 96,238 |
| Chevrolet Silverado | Full-Size | 594,094 |
| Ford F-Series | Full-Size | 787,422 |
| Ford Ranger | Mid-Size | 101,486 |
| GMC Canyon | Mid-Size | 25,190 |
| GMC Sierra | Full-Size | 252,916 |
| Nissan Frontier | Mid-Size | 36,845 |
| Nissan Titan | Full-Size | 26,439 |
| Toyota Tacoma | Mid-Size | 238,806 |
| Toyota Tundra | Full-Size | 109,203 |
But consumer demand isn’t the only factor driving an increase in pickup truck size. In fact, there are many.
Pickup trucks are so big for a myriad of reasons. Large pickup trucks carry more cargo, and, thanks to powerful engines and robust frames, are capable of hauling heavy trailers or other equipment. Due to improved ground clearance and big tires, they have great on and off-road performance, particularly in inclement weather or over rough terrain. Their large size also means more spacious and comfortable interiors. Plus, dealers and manufacturers like to push big pickup trucks because their margins are better, which means more profit for them. Things like government incentives, dealer incentives, and gas prices make big pickup trucks more affordable to own and operate. And, government regulations may be making pickup trucks bigger.
This is, of course, just scratching the surface, so let’s take a closer look at these factors to gain a better understanding of why pickup trucks are so big.
Improved Cargo And Towing Capacity
A standard 8 foot truck bed has approximately 120 cubic feet of cargo capacity. Which, is a lot, especially when compared to the 16 cubic feet of trunk space you get in a typical sedan.
Even mid-size trucks and full-size trucks with short beds have significantly more cargo capacity than any car and most large SUVs.
For contractors and other tradespeople, the benefit of having so much room is obvious. A big pickup truck makes transporting heavy tools, equipment, and supplies back-and-forth to the job site possible. As such, many professionals rely on them to get work done in a timely fashion and put food on the table.
That doesn’t mean us regular Joes don’t benefit from so much cargo capacity, though. Pickup trucks, now-a-days, are often used as a family vehicle, and a large bed is an excellent solution for carrying anything from groceries to 4-wheelers in a safe, comfortable manor.
Thanks to their heavy duty frame and stout drivetrain, full-size pickup trucks also have superior towing capacity when compared to other consumer vehicles. A turbo diesel Ram 3500, for example, has a towing capacity upwards of 37,000 pounds – enough to pull a small excavator.
Even mid-size pickup trucks, like the Chevrolet Colorado with its 7,000 pound towing capacity, are perfectly capable of pulling a small boat or RV.
Superior On And Off-Road Capability
Big pickup trucks have high ground clearance and are typically outfitted with with large, aggressive tires. As such, they perform well both on and off-road when terrain gets a little rough or treacherous.
To qualify this, let’s look at a few things – approach angle, breakover angle, and departure angle.
Approach angle is the angle created by the road, the contact patch of the front tire, and the front bumper. A large approach angle lets you navigate steeper hills, troughs, and other obstacles.
Breakover angle defines the maximum angle a vehicle can drive over without the obstacle hitting the bottom of the vehicle and is contingent on ground clearance. Measuring this angle is a bit more involved, but to get a close estimate, find the angle between the ground, center point of the frame, and the contact patch of the front or rear tire. A large breakover angle will better allow you to roll over obstacles without high-centering.
Departure angle is measured similarly to approach angle. It is the angle created by the road, the rear face of the rear tire, and the rear bumper. This will tell you the maximum angle your vehicle can depart from.
Big pickup trucks typically have higher approach, breakover, and departure angles than most other types of vehicles, making them more capable over rough terrain.
While it’s true that these angles are less important on-road than off, big pickup trucks still offer more confidence since you know the capability is there. And, big pickup trucks are great at navigating deep snow or puddles, which are conditions you sometimes run into on the streets.
You should know that pickup trucks, like any vehicle, have their limitations. While they may be more capable than other vehicles, there are some obstacles they won’t be capable of navigating. Hills that are too steep to approach or depart from as well as water too deep to navigate safely are possible.
Things like slick or icy roads are also a problem so never drive too fast for the elements.
Spacious And Luxurious Interiors
Pickup trucks are physically large, which translates into bigger, more comfortable interiors. And, since trucks are, more-and-more, being used as a commuter vehicle rather than a work vehicle, this is a big selling point.
This is further illustrated by the fact that the vast majority of all pickup truck sales are now extended and crew cab versions. Indicating, they are used less to move tools and equipment and more to move people.
With this transition comes features that rival many luxury cars. Heated and cooled leather seats, multi-zone climate control, and modern infotainment systems are all options on most modern pickups.
They also feature a robust compliment of safety features like lane departure warnings, blind spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control.
Overall, big pickup trucks have spacious, luxurious cabins and adult-friendly legroom in both the front and back seats. Which, can be hard to find in smaller vehicles.
Dealers And Manufacturers Make More Money
There is strong consumer demand for pickup trucks and dealers can charge a higher price since people are willing to pay it.
As a result, dealers make higher margins on large pickup truck sales versus smaller cars.
But dealers aren’t the only ones reaping the benefits. According to Bloomberg, manufacturers are enjoying margins upwards of 15% on big truck sales.
This may not sound like a lot, but margins on small vehicles are much lower or even negative in some cases. So, you can see why both dealers and manufactures like to market large pickup trucks.
Though this isn’t a direct factor influencing pickup truck size, it’s certainly part of the equation.
Incentives Make Big Pickup Trucks More Affordable
There are various financing options, rebates, and tax incentives that make purchasing a large pickup truck more affordable.
Dealers and manufacturers regularly financing at lower interest rates than more traditional lenders. And, may even offer rebates in the form of cash back or money towards options on the vehicle to sweeten the deal.
Depending on how it is used, the government may offer tax incentives for large pickup trucks.
If used for business purposes, the expenses like maintenance and mileage may be deducted. Also, assets like business equipment and vehicles depreciate further lowering your tax burden over time.
Fuel Economy Regulations Influence Size
Prior to 2011, fuel economy targets were based on a straight line average of all vehicles in a manufacturers lineup.
Today, thanks to Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, these targets are specific to each platform and are based on wheelbase and tread width. Long, wide vehicles, like pickup trucks, have a smaller target to meet. While short, narrow vehicles have a larger target.
As a result, manufacturers have a bit more leeway in the design and manufacturing of their large pickup trucks.
They can be made slightly bigger, taller, and wider without falling out of compliance. And, as drivetrain technology and material science improves, it’s possible that pickup trucks will become even bigger.
Still, there are fuel economy targets to meet, so manufacturers do not have carte blanche to make pickup trucks as big as they want. But these regulations do influence size to a degree.
Fuel Prices May Not Be An Important Factor
It may seem like fuel prices are all over the place, but, on average, they have been relatively stable for the last 20 years. In fact, if you consider inflation, fuel prices have even slightly declined over the same period.
It stands to reason that low and stable prices help justify the purchase of big pickup trucks for many buyers. Since large pickup trucks consume a lot of fuel, it only makes since that this is a factor.
If you look at the data, however, pickup truck sales don’t seem to be hugely affected by fuel prices. So while this could be a factor influencing size, this conclusion isn’t necessarily borne out by the data.
| Year | Average Gas Price | Light Truck Sales | Percent Change |
| 2010 | $2.836 | 5,919,100 | |
| 2011 | $3.577 | 6,640,000 | 12.18% |
| 2012 | $3.695 | 7,188,000 | 8.25% |
| 2013 | $3.584 | 7,943,800 | 10.51% |
| 2014 | $3.425 | 8,744,200 | 10.08% |
| 2015 | $2.510 | 9,879,500 | 12.98% |
| 2016 | $2.204 | 10,549,000 | 6.78% |
| 2017 | $2.469 | 11,060,900 | 4.85% |
| 2018 | $2.794 | 11,914,700 | 7.72% |
| 2019 | $2.698 | 12,241,400 | 2.74% |
| 2020 | $2.242 | 11,070,000 | -9.57% |
Conclusion
It should be pretty obvious at this point that the answer to the question “why are pickup trucks so big?” is fairly complicated and nuanced.
Pickup truck size is influenced by everything from consumer demand to government tax incentives. So there isn’t just one reason, specifically.
If you’d like to add your thoughts, please leave a message below telling us why you think pickup trucks are so big.
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