Fanning the flame: successful dealers are selling the hottest tire of the decade - the light truck radial. (Outlook)

Fanning the flame

Successful dealers are selling the hottest tire of the decade -- the light truck radial.

The "consumerization" of light trucks during the 1980s has been nothing short of phenomenal. While total auto sales have increased from 9 million to 10.3 million per year (14 percent), light truck sales have grown from 1.7 million to 4.8 million per year (182 percent).

Light truck sales have increased every year since 1981 and have set industry records for the last five model years in a row.

One way to look at this growth is to measure it as a percentage of total consumer vehicle sales. The mix has doubled from 15.4 percent in 1981 …