Truck Talk.(Column)

Byline: KC Crain

Sure, AutoWeek is known for its coverage of luxury cars and sports cars, but we're also one of the few publications that cover the full spectrum of cars and trucks in production. And some that aren't. Our press fleet consists of everything from the Kia Rio and the Audi R8 to the Ford F-350 King Ranch. We're able to get a good grasp of not only all of the products but also all of the trends in the automotive world. It's easy to see a shift to smaller cars and the huge growth in the crossover market.

Even though we've just celebrated Earth Week, one market that hasn't seen the same trend changes is the full-size-pickup market. Automakers still sell huge volumes of trucks. Ford alone sold almost 700,000 F-Series units last year. Are the numbers down? Yes, but with oil at $100 a barrel, you'd think sales might come to a halt, considering their fuel mileage. The reason they haven't: People need pickup trucks. They do a job and serve a purpose. They usually aren't a luxury purchase, they're a necessity. They're a necessity for the automakers, too. The truck segment historically has been where automakers rake in all the profits.