There’s an old country song about how there’s something women like about a pick-up man. I’ve always liked trucks, but have never owned one. I’ve thought about it many times over the years but have always gone with something more practical for my needs. My father always had one and it came in handy countless times. People in my design circles often make fun of people with big ole trucks. Some even suggested/implied they shouldn’t be ‘allowed’ without a ‘real need’. I’ve never really understood that. It’s probably largely due to their age and experience now that I think about it. Until you buy a house, have kids with certain hobbies, or exit the studio and step foot on-site, I guess many people really don’t have much reason to even think about owning a truck. There’s also the undeniable stereotype surrounding trucks with plastic genitals hanging from the back and the ridiculously loud mufflers…amongst many other things. Many people can’t see past that. I get it.

But I think my next vehicle might be a truck. While I’m nowhere close to actually making such a move (just a thought experiment at this point, as it has often been), I’ve been paying attention to what is out there now versus what I always knew growing up. My conclusion? Trucks have gotten big(ger).

Where did all the small trucks go?

I’m not really sure what size, make, or package of truck I’d really want, (I gravitate towards Tacomas) but I can’t help but wonder if there’s truly not a market for the small single-cab trucks of that seemed pretty prevalent until around 2008 or so. This isn’t a scientific comparison, just an observation I thought to be interesting. Many truck manufacturers historically had two models: big and small. The Dodge Dakota was the small. The Dodge Ram was the big. The Ford Ranger was the small. The Ford F150 was the big. The Toyota Tacoma was the small. The Toyota Tundra was the big. Now, it seems the Dakota is the same size as the old Ram and the Ram is bigger than ever. This trend transcends many makers. A few examples below:

Chevy S10 then and now…

Dodge (Ram) Dakota then and now…

Toyota Tacoma then and now…

Nissan Frontier then and now…

Ford Ranger then and now…

Of course, there are smaller options when you go to build one. For example, the Ranger above can be configured with a 5’ cab rather than a 6’ cab. It definitely looks smaller, but it’s still much larger than the single cab Ranger from 20 years ago.

Upcoming Trucks (Tesla Cyber Truck and Ford Maverick)…

Trucks are entering the green energy phase now too. I guess the “gas guzzler” stereotype that drives many truck critics will be less warranted. Of course, I’m sure they’ll find another reason to hate on them.

All cars have grown…

But I guess when we really look back over the past 15 years, almost every vehicle has grown in size over its previous iteration. My own Subaru Outback looks like a monster when I park beside an older one. At the end of the day, I prefer the extra space and smoother ride myself… so I guess that’s ultimately what this trend boils down to: the people want what the people want.