
A pickup truck or pickup is a
light or medium duty truck that has an enclosed
cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a
tailgate and removable covering).
In
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, both pickups and
coupé utilities are called
utes, short for
utility vehicle
A utility vehicle (UV) is a vehicle, generally motorized, that is designed to carry out a specific task with more efficacy than a passenger vehicle. It sometimes refers to a small truck with low sides.
Types of utility vehicles Military ...
. In
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, people of all language groups use the term ''bakkie''; a diminutive of , meaning ''bowl'' or ''container''.
Once a work or farming tool with few creature comforts, in the 1950s, American consumers began purchasing pickups for lifestyle reasons, and by the 1990s, less than 15 percent of owners reported use in work as the pickup truck's primary purpose.
In North America, the pickup is mostly used as a
passenger car and accounts for about 18% of total vehicles sold in the United States. Full-sized pickups and
SUVs are an important source of revenue for major car manufacturers such as
Ford,
General Motors
General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...
, and
Stellantis
Stellantis N.V. is a multinational automaker formed in 2021 through the Mergers and acquisitions, merger of the Italian–American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group, PSA (Peugeot S.A.) Group. The company's hea ...
, accounting for more than two-thirds of their global pre-tax earnings, though they make up just 16% of North American vehicle production. These vehicles have a high
profit margin
Profit margin is a financial ratio that measures the percentage of profit earned by a company in relation to its revenue. Expressed as a percentage, it indicates how much profit the company makes for every dollar of revenue generated. Profit margi ...
and a high price tag; in 2018, Kelley Blue Book cited an average cost (including optional features) of US$47,174 for a new Ford F-150.
The term pickup is of unknown origin. It was used by
Studebaker
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Man ...
in 1913. By the 1930s, it had become the standard term in certain markets for a light-duty truck.
History

In the early days of automobile manufacturing, vehicles were sold only as a
chassis
A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of a manufactured object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
and third parties added bodies on top. In 1902, the
Rapid Motor Vehicle Company was founded by Max Grabowsky and Morris Grabowsky who built one-ton carrying capacity trucks in Pontiac, Michigan. In 1913, the
Galion Allsteel Body Company, an early developer of the pickup and
dump truck
A dump truck, known also as a dumping truck, dump lorry or dumper lorry or a dumper for short, is used for transporting materials (such as dirt, gravel, or demolition waste) for construction as well as coal. A typical dump truck is equipped ...
, built and installed hauling boxes on slightly modified
Ford Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by the Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first mass-affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. Th ...
chassis,
and from 1917, on the
Model TT. Seeking part of this market share,
Dodge
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence, Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
introduced a 3/4-ton pickup with a cab and body constructed entirely of wood in 1924. In 1925, Ford followed up with a steel-bodied half-ton based on the Model T with an adjustable
tailgate and heavy-duty rear springs. Billed as the "Ford Model T Runabout with Pickup Body," it sold for ; 34,000 were built. In 1928, it was replaced by the
Model A, which had a closed-cab, safety-glass windshield, roll-up side windows, and three-speed transmission.
In 1931, General Motors introduced light-duty pickups for both
GMC and
Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...
targeted at private ownership. These pickup trucks were based on the
Chevrolet Master
The Chevrolet Master and Master Deluxe are American passenger vehicles manufactured by Chevrolet between 1933 and 1942 to replace the 1933 Master Eagle. It was the most expensive model in the Chevrolet range at this time, with the Standard Merc ...
. In 1940, GM introduced the dedicated light-truck platform, separate from passenger cars, which GM named the
AK series.
Ford North America continued to offer a pickup body style on the
Ford Model 51, and the Ford Australian division produced the first Australian
"ute" in 1932. In 1940, Ford offered a dedicated light-duty truck platform called the
Ford F-100
The Ford F-Series is a series of light-duty trucks marketed and manufactured by Ford Motor Company since model year 1948 as a range of full-sized pickup trucks — positioned between Ford's Ford Ranger (T6), Ranger and Ford Super Duty, ...
, then upgraded the platform after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
to the
Ford F-Series
The Ford F-Series is a series of light-duty trucks marketed and manufactured by Ford Motor Company since model year 1948 as a range of full-sized pickup trucks — positioned between Ford's Ford Ranger (T6), Ranger and Ford Super Duty, ...
in 1948.
Dodge at first assumed heavier truck production from
Graham-Paige
Graham-Paige was an American automobile manufacturer founded by brothers Joseph B. Graham (1882–1970), Robert C. Graham (1885–1967), and Ray A. Graham (1887–1932) in 1927. Automobile production ceased in 1940, and its automotive asse ...
, while the company produced their light (pickup) trucks, initially on their sufficiently sturdy passenger car frames. But after switching to distinct, dedicated truck frames in 1936, Dodge/Fargo launched an extensive own truck range for 1939, marketed as the
"Job-Rated" trucks. These
Art Deco
Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
–styled trucks were again continued after World War II.
International Harvester
The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated IH or International) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household equipment, and more. It wa ...
offered the
International K and KB series
The International K and KB series are trucks that were produced by International Harvester
The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated IH or International) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, ...
, which were marketed towards construction and farming and did not have a strong retail consumer presence, and
Studebaker
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Man ...
also manufactured the
M-series truck. At the beginning of World War II, the United States government halted the production of privately owned pickup trucks, and all American manufacturers built
heavy duty trucks for the war effort.
In the 1950s, consumers began purchasing pickups for lifestyle rather than utilitarian reasons.
[ Car-like, smooth-sided, fenderless trucks were introduced, such as the Chevrolet Fleetside, the Chevrolet El Camino, the Dodge Sweptline, and in 1957, Ford's purpose-built Styleside. Pickups began to feature comfort items such as power options and air conditioning.] During this time, pickups with four doors, known as crew cabs, started to become popular. These pickup trucks were released in 1954 in Japan with the Toyota Stout
The Toyota Stout is a light truck produced by the Japanese automaker Toyota from 1954 through 2000. The Stout shared its platform with the Toyota Dyna until 1968, when the Dyna was given its own platform, called the Toyota "U". In Japan, it was so ...
,["Toyota Vehicle Identification Manual", Toyota Motor Corporation, Overseas Parts Department, Catalog No.97913-84, 1984, Japan] in 1957 in Japan with the Datsun 220, and in 1957 in America with the International Travelette. Other manufacturers soon followed, including the Hino Briska in 1962, Dodge in 1963, Ford in 1965, and General Motors
General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...
in 1973.
In 1961 in the UK the British Motor Corporation
The British Motor Corporation Limited (BMC) was a United Kingdom, UK-based vehicle manufacturer formed in early 1952 to give effect to an agreed merger of the Morris Motors, Morris and Austin Motor Company, Austin businesses.Morris-Austin Merge ...
launched an Austin Mini Pickup version of the original 1959 Mini. It was in production until 1983.
In 1963, the US chicken tax
The Chicken Tax is a 25 percent tariff on light trucks (and originally on potato starch, dextrin, and brandy) imposed in 1964 by the United States under President Lyndon B. Johnson in response to tariffs placed by France and West Germany on imp ...
directly curtailed the import of the Volkswagen Type 2
The Volkswagen Transporter, initially the Type 2, is a range of light commercial vehicles, built as vans, pickups, and cab-and-chassis variants, introduced in 1950 by the German automotive industry, automaker Volkswagen as their second mass ...
, distorting the market in favor of US manufacturers. The tariff directly affected any country seeking to bring light trucks into the United States and effectively "squeezed smaller Asian truck companies out of the American pickup market." Over the intervening years, Detroit lobbied to protect the light-truck tariff, thereby reducing pressure on Detroit to introduce vehicles that polluted less and that offered increased fuel economy.
The US government's 1973 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) policy set higher fuel-economy requirements for cars than pickups. CAFE led to the replacement of the station wagon
A station wagon (American English, US, also wagon) or estate car (British English, UK, also estate) is an automotive Car body style, body-style variant of a Sedan (automobile), sedan with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo ...
by the minivan
Minivan (sometimes called simply a van) is a car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows . The equivalent classification in Europe is MPV (multi-p ...
, the latter of which belonged in the truck category, which allowed it to comply with less strict emissions standards. Eventually, CAFE led to the promotion of sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
s (SUVs). Pickups, unhindered by the emissions controls regulations on cars, began to replace muscle car
A muscle car is an American-made two-door sports coupe with a powerful engine, marketed for its performance.
In 1949, General Motors introduced its 88 with the company's OHV Rocket V8 engine, which was previously available only in its lux ...
s as the performance vehicle of choice. The Dodge Warlock appeared in Dodge's "adult toys" line, along with the Macho Power Wagon and Street Van. The 1978 gas guzzler tax, which taxed fuel-inefficient cars while exempting pickup trucks, further distorted the market in favor of pickups. Furthermore, until 1999, light trucks were not required to meet the same safety standards as cars, and 20 years later, most still lagged behind cars in the adoption of safety features.
In the 1980s, the compact Mazda B-series
The Mazda B series is a series of pickup trucks that was manufactured by Mazda. Produced across five generations from 1961 to 2006, the model line began life primarily as a commercial vehicle, slotted above a kei truck in size. Through its p ...
, Isuzu Faster
The Isuzu Faster is a pickup truck that was manufactured and marketed by Isuzu between 1972 and 2002 over three generations. It was sold under myriad nameplates, most commonly they were marketed under their respective model codes: Isuzu KB for t ...
, and Mitsubishi Forte
The is a group of autonomous Japanese multinational companies in a variety of industries.
Founded by Yatarō Iwasaki in 1870, the Mitsubishi Group traces its origins to the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a unified company that existed from 1870 to 1946 ...
debuted. Subsequently, US manufacturers built their compact pickups for the domestic market, including the Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger is a compact or mid-size pickup marketed globally by Ford over a series of generations, varying between both in-house or outside development and manufacturing — and with a hiatus in North America from 2011–2018.
Debutin ...
, and the Chevrolet S-10. Minivans
Minivan (sometimes called simply a van) is a car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows . The equivalent classification in Europe is MPV (multi-pu ...
make inroads into the pickups' market share. In the 1990s, pickups' market share was further eroded by the popularity of SUVs.
Mid-sized electric trucks had been tried early in the 20th century but soon lost out to gasoline and diesel vehicles. In 1997, the Chevrolet S-10 EV was released, but few were sold, and those were mostly to fleet operators.
By 2023, pickup trucks had become strictly more lifestyle than utilitarian vehicles. Annual surveys of Ford F-150 owners from 2012 to 2021 revealed that 87% of the owners used their trucks frequently for shopping and running errands and 70% for pleasure driving, whereas 28% used their trucks often for personal hauling (41% occasionally and 32% rarely/never) and only 7% used them for towing while 29% only did so occasionally and 63% rarely/never did. The 1960s–1970s Ford F-100 was typically a regular cab and consisted of mostly 64% bed and 36% cab, while by mid-2000s, crew cabs were largely becoming the norm and the bed was shrunk to accommodate the larger cab, and a 2023 F-150 consisted of 63% cab and 37% bed.
International markets
While the Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States since 1982, the Ford F-150, or indeed any full-sized pickup truck, is a rare sight in Europe, where higher fuel prices and narrower city roads make it difficult to use daily. In the United States, pickups are favored by a cultural attachment to the style, lower fuel prices, and taxes and regulations that distort the market in favor of domestically built trucks. As of 2016, the IRS
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...
offers tax break
Tax break also known as tax preferences, tax concession, and tax relief, are a method of reduction to the tax liability of taxpayers. Government usually applies them to stimulate the economy and increase the solvency of the population. By this f ...
s for business use of "any vehicle equipped with a cargo area ... of at least six feet in interior length that is not readily accessible from the passenger compartment".
In Europe, pickups represent less than 1% of light vehicles sold, the most popular being the Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger is a compact or mid-size pickup marketed globally by Ford over a series of generations, varying between both in-house or outside development and manufacturing — and with a hiatus in North America from 2011–2018.
Debutin ...
with 27,300 units sold in 2015. Other models include the Renault Alaskan (a rebadged Nissan Navara), and the Toyota Hilux
The , stylised as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as a pickup truck or cab chassis, although they coul ...
.
The law and other differing regulations prevent most pickups from being imported to Japan, but the Japanese domestic market
The term "Japanese domestic market" ("JDM") refers to Japan's home market for vehicles and vehicle parts. Japanese owners contend with a strict motor vehicle inspection and grey markets. JDM is also incorrectly used as a term colloquially to ref ...
Mitsubishi Triton
The Mitsubishi Triton or Mitsubishi L200 is a mid-size pickup truck produced by Mitsubishi Motors. In Japan, where it has only been sold intermittently and in small numbers, it was originally known as the Mitsubishi Forte and from 1991 as the ...
was available for a limited time. The most recent pickup truck for sale in Japan is the Jeep Gladiator.
In China (where it is known by the English loanword
A loanword (also a loan word, loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language (the recipient or target language), through the process of borrowing. Borrowing is a metaphorical term t ...
as 皮卡车 pí kǎ chē), the Great Wall Wingle is manufactured domestically and exported to Australia. In Thailand, pickups manufactured for local sale and export include the Isuzu D-Max
The Isuzu D-Max is a pickup truck manufactured since 2002 by Isuzu. A successor of the Isuzu Faster/KB, the first and second-generation model shares its platform with the Chevrolet Colorado. The third-generation model shares its platform wi ...
and the Mitsubishi Triton. In Latin and South America, the Toyota Hilux
The , stylised as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as a pickup truck or cab chassis, although they coul ...
, Ford Ranger, VW Amarok, Dodge Ram, Chevrolet S-10, Chevrolet D-20, and Chevrolet Montana are sold.
In South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, pickups account for about 17% of the passenger and light commercial vehicle sales, mostly the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger is a compact or mid-size pickup marketed globally by Ford over a series of generations, varying between both in-house or outside development and manufacturing — and with a hiatus in North America from 2011–2018.
Debutin ...
, and Isuzu KB (Isuzu D-Max
The Isuzu D-Max is a pickup truck manufactured since 2002 by Isuzu. A successor of the Isuzu Faster/KB, the first and second-generation model shares its platform with the Chevrolet Colorado. The third-generation model shares its platform wi ...
). The Volkswagen Amarok and Nissan Navara are also sold.
Design and features
In the United States and Canada, nearly all new pickups are sold with automatic transmission
An automatic transmission (AT) or automatic gearbox is a multi-speed transmission (mechanics), transmission used in motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions.
The 1904 ...
s. Only the Jeep Gladiator and the Toyota Tacoma
The Toyota Tacoma is a pickup truck manufactured by Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota since 1995. The first-generation Tacoma (model years 1995 through 2004) was classified as a compact pickup; subsequent models are classified as mid-size ...
are available with manual transmissions.
A regular cab, single cab or standard cab, has a single row of seats and a single set of doors, one on each side.
Extended cab or extra cab pickups add an extra space behind the main seat, sometimes including smaller jump seat
A jump seat (sometimes spelled jumpseat) is an auxiliary seat in an automobile, train or aircraft, typically folding or spring-loaded to collapse out of the way when not used. The term originated in the United States c. 1860 for a movable car ...
s which can fold out of the way to create more storage space. The first extended-cab truck in the United States was called the ''Club Cab'' and was introduced by Chrysler in 1973 on its Dodge D-series pickup trucks. Extended-cab trucks either have just a single set of doors with no direct access to the extended portion of the cab, very small (half-sized) rear doors that are rear-hinged which can only be opened after the front doors are open, or small (three-quarter-sized) front-hinged doors.
A crew cab, or double cab, seats five or six and has four full-sized, front-hinged doors. The first crew-cab truck in the United States was made by International Harvester in 1957 and was later followed by Dodge in 1963, Ford in 1965, and Chevrolet in 1973. However, they were originally available only with three-quarter-ton or one-ton models (such as Ford F-250/F-350), while half-ton trucks like Ford F-150 would not become available in four-door configuration until 2001, by which time crew cabs also started overtaking regular/extended cabs in popularity.
Cab-over or cab forward designs have the cab sitting above the front axle
An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotation, rotating wheel and axle, wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In ...
. This arrangement allows a longer cargo area for the same overall length. An early cab-forward, drop-sided pickup was the Volkswagen Transporter
The Volkswagen Transporter, based on the Volkswagen Group's T platform, now in its seventh generation, refers to a series of vans produced for over 70 years and marketed worldwide.
The T series is now considered an official list of Volkswagen G ...
, introduced in 1952. This configuration is more common among European and Japanese manufacturers than in North America. The design was more popular in North America in the 1950s and 1960s, with examples including the Chevrolet Corvair
The Chevrolet Corvair is a Rear-engine design, rear-engined, Chevrolet Turbo-Air 6 engine, air-cooled compact car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet over two generations between 1960 and 1969. A response to the Volkswagen Beetle, it was of ...
Rampside and Loadside, Dodge A-100 and A-108, Ford Econoline
The Ford E-Series (also known as the Ford Econoline, Ford Econovan or Ford Club Wagon) is a range of full-size vans manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for 1961 as the replacement of the Ford F-Series panel van, four ...
, and Jeep FC-150 and FC-170.
A "dually" is a North American colloquial term for a pickup with four rear wheels instead of two, able to carry more weight over the rear axle. Vehicles similar to the pickup include the coupé utility
A coupé utility is a vehicle with a passenger compartment at the front and an integrated tray#cargo tray, cargo tray at the rear, with the front of the cargo bed doubling as the rear of the passenger compartment.
The term originated in the 19 ...
, a car-based pickup, and the larger sport utility truck (SUT), based on a sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
(SUV).
The terms half-ton, three-quarter-ton, and one-ton are remnants from a time when the number referred to the maximum cargo capacity by weight.
In North America, some pickup trucks may be marketed as heavy duty (eg Ram Heavy Duty), super duty (eg Ford Super Duty) or simply "HD". This is typically a pickup truck with higher payload and/or towing capabilities than is standard for their size. While synonymous with "dually" or full-size pickup trucks in North American, none of those are requirements. Dually is not available on Ram 2500 or Ford F-250 and is optional on Ram 3500 or Ford F-350, but those pickup trucks are all heavy duty. Mahindra Bolero MaXX Pik-Up HD is a heavy duty mid-size pickup truck with a two tonne payload.
Some pickup trucks have an opening at the rear of the cab to increase cargo capacity lengthwise without increasing overall vehicle length or wheelbase, which reduces break over, approach, departure angles and increases turning radius. This feature is referred to as a mid-gate due to it being located in the middle of a pickup truck, as opposed to the tail-gate, which is located as the rear/tail of the vehicle.
Bed styles
The cargo bed can vary in size according to whether the vehicle is optimized for cargo utility or passenger comfort. Most have fixed side walls and a hinged tailgate. Cargo beds are normally found in two styles: stepside or fleetside. A stepside bed has fenders that extend on the outside of the cargo area; originally these were just fenders attached to a cargo box. This style used to be the standard design, as it was cheaper to manufacture. A fleetside bed has wheel wells inside of a double-walled bed, and most are usually designed to match the cab's styling. The two types of bed have been given a variety of names by different manufacturers; "Stepside" and "Fleetside" originate with Chevrolet but are also frequently used by Dodge as well as GMC. GMC has also used "Wideside" instead of Fleetside, while Dodge has also used "Utiline" and "Sweptline" for the two types. Ford uses "Flareside" and "Styleside", respectively. Jeep has used "Sportside" and "Thriftside" for the separate fender style, and "Townside" for flush designs. International Harvester called the two types "Standard" and "Bonus-Load".
The first fleet-sided pickup truck was the Crosley in the 1940s, followed by the 1955 Chevrolet Cameo Carrier. Early pickups had wood-plank beds, which were largely replaced by steel by the 1960s. In many parts of the world, pickups frequently use a dropside bed – with a flat tray with hinged panels that can be raised separately on the sides and the rear. The fleetside has gradually fully replaced the earlier, separate-fender look: The last time Chevrolet and GMC used the Stepside style was on the 2005 Silverado and Sierra 1500 models; Ford last used the Flareside style on the 2009 F-150.
Safety
Consumer pickup trucks sold in the US have increased in weight by 32% since 1990. Also, cabins have grown and risen further from the ground and grill and hood sizes have increased over time. These changes mean that a modern standard pickup truck has a longer blind spot in front of its grill than most other vehicles as well as increased blind spots behind and to the side. The Ford F-250 has a hood almost from the ground. It may be impossible to see a small object such as a child as far as in front of the vehicle. A total of 575 children in the US died in front-over deaths between 2009 and 2019, most by their parents. This is an 89% increase in mortality from the previous ten years. Additionally, US car-related fatalities went up by 8% and pedestrian casualties increased by 46% between 2011 and 2021. While the reasons for this increase are complex, Consumer Reports partially attributes this number to increased truck size and prevalence. Chuck Farmer from the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS-HLDI) is an American nonprofit organization. It was established in 1959, and it is noted for its safety reviews of vehicles in various simulated traffic situations, ...
has found large pickup trucks to be as deadly or deadlier than muscle cars and "... are work trucks, and people should not be using them primarily for commuting, because they kill so many other drivers."
Uses
In the United States and Canada, pickups are used primarily for passenger transport. Pickup trucks are often marketed and used for their hauling (utilizing cargo bed) and towing (utilizing body-on-frame design and long wheelbase) capabilities.
Pickup trucks are also used by many journeymen
A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee ...
, tradesmen
A tradesperson or tradesman/tradeswoman is a skilled worker that specialises in a particular trade. Tradespeople (tradesmen/women) usually gain their skills through work experience, on-the-job training, an apprenticeship program or formal educat ...
, and outdoor enthusiast
Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation done outside, most commonly in natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment they are being carried out in. These activitie ...
s. They are also used to move or transport large goods. For example, in the US, a homeowner can rent a pickup truck to transport a large appliance from a home supply store.
Equipping pickup trucks with a camper shell provides a small space for camping
Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...
. Slide-in truck camper
In North America, the term truck camper and its abbreviation TC are generally used to refer to any recreational vehicle or RV that may be carried in the bed of a pickup truck. In North America, this RV type is sometimes known as a slide-in or c ...
s can offer a pickup truck the amenities of a small motorhome
A motorhome (or coach) is a type of self-propelled recreational vehicle (RV) which is as the name suggests, like a home on wheels.
Features
Motorhomes usually have sleeping spaces for two to eight people. Each sleeping space is either fixed o ...
, but still allow the operator the option of removal and independent use of the vehicle.
Pickups are popular with overlanders as they are often the most affordable vehicle capable of carrying the large quantities of fuel needed for long distance, remote travel and generator use without expensive modifications.
Modified pickups can be used as improvised, unarmored combat vehicles called a technical
Technical may refer to:
* Technical (vehicle), an improvised fighting vehicle
* Technical area, an area which a manager, other coaching personnel, and substitutes are allowed to occupy during a football match
* Technical advisor, a person who ...
.
Pickup trucks are used to carry passengers in parts of Africa and Southeast Asia. In Thailand, most songthaews are converted pickup trucks and flatbed trucks. In Haiti, tap taps are also converted pickup trucks.
Towing with pickup trucks is separated into two categories: conventional towing (bumper pull) and in-bed (heavy duty) towing. Conventional towing mounts the hitch at the rear of the pickup truck, in-bed towing mounts the hitch directly above or in front of the rear axle. Weight distribution hitch falls under conventional towing. Fifth wheel and gooseneck fall under in-bed towing.
Sizes
Kei/Mini truck
Kei trucks are a Japanese class with a maximum length of , a maximum width of , a maximum height of , and a maximum displacement of .
In some countries, mini trucks are similar to, or slightly bigger than, kei trucks. In other countries, eg the United States, mini trucks are another name for any pickup smaller than full-size pickups.
UTVs are of similar size and serve similar roles in developed countries but are typically restricted to off-road and rural areas.
Compact pickup truck
Typically, a unibody
A vehicle frame, also historically known as its ''chassis'', is the main supporting structure of a motor vehicle to which all other components are attached, comparable to the skeleton of an organism.
Until the 1930s, virtually every car had ...
pickup truck is built on compact SUV platform or a compact passenger car platform. Examples include the Hyundai Santa Cruz
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is a four-door compact pickup truck manufactured and marketed by Hyundai. Released in 2021 for the 2022 model year, the Santa Cruz is the first four-door pickup truck sold by Hyundai in the North American market. The v ...
and Ford Maverick. Subaru
is the automaker, automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate (company), conglomerate Subaru Corporation (formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries), the Automotive industry#By manufacturer, twenty-first largest aut ...
also produced the Subaru Baja based heavily on the Subaru Outback
The Subaru Outback is an automotive nameplate used by the Japanese automaker Subaru for two different themed vehicles: a Legacy-derived station wagon, the Outback (1994–present, also sold as in some markets), and an Impreza-derived off-road ...
(Legacy) wagon
A wagon (or waggon) is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by Working animal#Draft animals, draft animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people.
Wagons are i ...
and Subaru BRAT based on the Subaru Leone
The Subaru Leone is a compact car produced by the Japanese automaker, car manufacturer Subaru from 1971 to 1994. The word ''leone'' is Italian for lion.
It was released as a replacement for the Subaru 1000 and was the predecessor of the Subaru Im ...
wagon using a unibody construction. Other variations include the Holden Crewman and Holden One Tonner which are based on a sedan platform but use a part-monocoque
Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell".
First used for boats, ...
, part chassis frame construction.
Mid-size pickup truck
Typically, a body-on-frame
Body-on-frame is a traditional motor vehicle construction method whereby a separate coachwork, body or coach is mounted on a strong and relatively rigid vehicle frame or chassis that carries the powertrain (the engine and drivetrain) and to wh ...
pickup truck of a similar size to a mid-size SUV
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definition ...
. Examples include the Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger is a compact or mid-size pickup marketed globally by Ford over a series of generations, varying between both in-house or outside development and manufacturing — and with a hiatus in North America from 2011–2018.
Debutin ...
, Toyota Hilux
The , stylised as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as a pickup truck or cab chassis, although they coul ...
, and Isuzu D-Max
The Isuzu D-Max is a pickup truck manufactured since 2002 by Isuzu. A successor of the Isuzu Faster/KB, the first and second-generation model shares its platform with the Chevrolet Colorado. The third-generation model shares its platform wi ...
. This is usually the largest size pickup sold or manufactured in countries outside North America.
Full-size pickup truck
A body-on-frame
Body-on-frame is a traditional motor vehicle construction method whereby a separate coachwork, body or coach is mounted on a strong and relatively rigid vehicle frame or chassis that carries the powertrain (the engine and drivetrain) and to wh ...
pickup truck with an exterior width of more than two meters (excluding mirrors and/or widebody/flares for dually wheels).
There is no clear definition for what is too large to be a pickup truck. Most of the time the line is drawn where the features or target market of a truck no longer primarily serve private owners (eg Ford F-550 and larger), or a CDL (commercial driver's license) is required. Examples of exceptions include International XT, F650 SuperTruck and prime mover
Prime mover may refer to:
Philosophy
*Unmoved mover, a concept in Aristotle's writings
Engineering
* Prime mover (engine or motor), a machine that converts various other forms of energy (chemical, electrical, fluid pressure/flow, etc.) into ener ...
to pickup truck conversions.
Gallery
File:Datsun 220 Pickup (9394962243).jpg, Early compact Datsun Truck
File:Volkswagen Type 2 pickup truck with left dropside panel folded down.jpg, Volkswagen Type 2
The Volkswagen Transporter, initially the Type 2, is a range of light commercial vehicles, built as vans, pickups, and cab-and-chassis variants, introduced in 1950 by the German automotive industry, automaker Volkswagen as their second mass ...
with single cab over
Cab-over, also known as cab over engine (COE), cab forward or flat face (U.S.), flat nose (Canada), or forward control (UK), is a body style of truck, bus, or van that has a vertical front, "flat face" or a hood (vehicle), semi-hood, with the ...
and a drop side bed with the left panel folded down
File:1961 Chevrolet Apache 10 in Tartan Turquoise, Front Right, 06-11-2022.jpg, 1961 Chevrolet Apache with a step-side bed
File:Chevrolet C-K.JPG, Chevrolet flatbed with four wheels on the rear axle ("dually") for improved towing
File:F-250 utility service truck.jpg, Ford F-250 extended cab fitted with an aftermarket utility bed
File:Songthaew in Trat 01.jpg, Songthaew conversion
File:Suzuki Carry 1989.jpg, 1990 Suzuki Carry
The is a kei truck produced by the Japanese automaker Suzuki. The microvan version was originally called the Carry van until 1982 when the passenger van versions were renamed as the . In Japan, the Carry and Every are ''kei cars'' but the Suzuk ...
, a Kei truck
A kei truck, kei-class truck, or Japanese mini truck, known in Japan as a ( ), is a style of pickup truck built to satisfy the Japanese ( ) Vehicle size class#Japan, statutory class of light vehicles. Limited to certain size restrictions—cu ...
File:2006 Holden VZ Ute Thunder S 01.jpg, 2006 Holden Ute
The Holden Ute (also known as The Holden Commodore Ute) is a coupe utility built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors, from 2000 to 2017. Before then, Holden had marketed their Holden Commodore, Commodore-based utility models ...
, a car-based coupé utility
A coupé utility is a vehicle with a passenger compartment at the front and an integrated tray#cargo tray, cargo tray at the rear, with the front of the cargo bed doubling as the rear of the passenger compartment.
The term originated in the 19 ...
File:Ford Ranger Gendarmerie.jpg, Ford Ranger
The Ford Ranger is a compact or mid-size pickup marketed globally by Ford over a series of generations, varying between both in-house or outside development and manufacturing — and with a hiatus in North America from 2011–2018.
Debutin ...
double cab in French National Gendarmerie
The National Gendarmerie ( ) is one of two national law enforcement forces of France, along with the National Police (France), National Police. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the French Armed Forces placed under the jurisdiction of the Minister ...
livery
File:Truck bed liner using permanent ArmorThane polyurethane spray-on protective coating.JPG, Chevrolet Colorado flat-sided pickup truck showing wheel well intrusion into bed
File:Nissan Titan King Cab 003.JPG, Nissan Titan showing the function of an extended cab's rear-hinged doors
See also
* Flatbed truck
* Kei truck
A kei truck, kei-class truck, or Japanese mini truck, known in Japan as a ( ), is a style of pickup truck built to satisfy the Japanese ( ) Vehicle size class#Japan, statutory class of light vehicles. Limited to certain size restrictions—cu ...
* List of pickup trucks
* Panel van
A panel van, also known as a delivery van (United Kingdom), blind van, car-derived van or sedan delivery (United States), is a small cargo vehicle with a passenger car chassis, typically with a single front bench seat and no side windows behind ...
* Pickup truck racing
Pickup truck racing is a form of auto racing which involves modified versions of pickup trucks on Race track, racing circuits, mostly Oval track racing, oval tracks. Race pickup trucks are mechanically similar to coupé-shaped Stock car racing, ...
, a form of auto racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...
using modified versions of pickups mostly on oval tracks
* Roadster utility
A roadster utility — also known as a "roadster pickup" or "light delivery" — is an automobile with an open-topped roadster body and a rear cargo bed. The concept is similar to that of the coupe utility, however with a convertible roof instead ...
* Rolling coal: some pickups are modified to produce more diesel exhaust. Modifications may cost from $2,000 to $5,000.
* Self-driving truck
A self-driving truck, also known as an autonomous truck or robo-truck, is an application of self-driving car#Technology, self-driving technology aiming to create trucks that can operate without human input. Alongside light, medium, and heavy-duty ...
* Cutaway van chassis
Cutaway van chassis are used by second stage manufacturers for a wide range of completed motor vehicles. Especially popular in the United States, they are usually based upon incomplete vans made by manufacturers such as Chrysler, Ford, and Ge ...
* Chassis cab
A chassis cab, also called a cab chassis or half truck, is a type of vehicle construction, often found in medium duty truck commercial vehicles.
Instead of supplying the customer with a factory pre-assembled flatbed, cargo container, or other ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pickup Truck
Car classifications
Light trucks
Culture of the United States