a lot of times those $80k pickup trucks are used by contractors that can write off the expense but still don't make enough to feed their kids and cover the mortgage. I know a few folks that do this. Their truck is a complete write off because they're contractors for construction or trade-labor. Sometimes its even company provided for the larger builders.
I don't dispute those stats, but it's not just construction workers. Every trademan I've used in the last 20 years has shown up in an F-150 or bigger. Normally to transport their tools in the box or bed. Most folks I know that have a truck of this size, that's the reason. You can't fit a pressure washer in a civic.
I do recognize that a lot of folks buy it because the false sense of safety or for "rolling coal and sticking it to hippies".
Even for tradespeople, the truck is at least as much cultural norms as it is practical. You can easily fit a pressure washer or 4-6 2x10s in a small modern hatchback. A proper bed with a liner is obviously more durable, but not necessary.
For a better anecdote, my father is a contractor and a few years back started actively avoiding his F-450 for day to day work because it's such an expensive pain to operate. Instead he got a smart car and drives that to the site most days, complete with table saw and other tools. Again, not saying that every every tradesperson can work like this, but just think of how much easier parking would be if half the people on site weren't driving F-series trucks.
Own a decent sized boat or 5th wheel camper? Probably gonna tow it with an F-150.
Do lawn or woodworking projects? Probably gonna haul materials in an F-150.
When I purchased my last vehicle, I had several considerations in mind, but the reason I didn't purchase a truck was that the gas mileage on those vehicles is typically not great AND it would cost me less month-to-month to simply rent a truck from U-Haul or Home Depot on the days that I needed it.
I pay almost $500 a month for the right to drive a 2019 SUV that cost $19K when adding up monthly payment and insurance. There are far too many people on the streets paying over $1K a month simply for the right to be mobile in a recent-model truck.
I do own a boat and I totally agree that many are paying over $1k because “it’s a truck!”.
I don’t own a truck. My boat wouldn’t fit on a trailer towed by a 150 anyway. I just think that the core market for that model is tradesmen or apprentices. Secondary market is the fools that think it’s cool to have a 10mpg truck for just having a trucks sake.
If you own a truck and have legit towing, hauling, or other “truck” business then it makes sense to own one rather than rent one. Like you said though, if it’s just one or twice a year - go rent one.
Apologies if I was unclear, I 100% expect that every tradesperson has an F-150+ and that they are a business expense! I was intending that to be additive.
Yeah, understood, I believe we are in agreement that if you’re a welder, framer, roofer, cabinet guy, yard guy, or tile man - you’re showing up in your 150 with it wrapped and logo’ed.
If you add up all three of those (25% using for towing, 30% using for offroading, and 35% for hauling) I get something like 85% as the upper bound (unlikely, but no overlap case) of people using it for those truck purposes.
If you fall on hard times, it also often doesn't make a hell of a lot of financial sense to sell your vehicle. Doubly so if you do use it to make money. Even if you can get something cheaper, that "something cheaper" might be less reliable, which can lead to losing work—transportation unreliability is a very common element of poverty stories, frequently messing up opportunities or causing major set-backs. And it's not like you're going to get that entire $80k (new) back by selling a used truck.
Requiring or expecting that people burn through all their material resources before getting help isn't how you get people out of poverty. Such requirements are a part of America's "poverty trap" and also cause misery in the disability system.
General point taken but you can absolutely get out of that situation without losing reliability. You can get a good condition, perfectly reliable Maverick or cargo van for a fraction of that. Maybe $30k at the most, and most contractors will still have the utility they need. And right now, you won't lose much on a private buyer sale of a bigger or more heavily optioned truck.
A lot of those cargo vans are being bought to turn into van-life vans. Sure you could get an E-350 used for around $20k but you’d be competing with Mary, the trust fund YouTuber that wants to play “adventuring”.
I spent a solid year looking for a good cargo van to turn into something other than a van-life van (more a mobile hacking station… but that’s besides the point).
The reality is, one’s transportation here in America is one’s livelihood in many situations.
Indeed, although the reverse is also occurring as passenger vans are being bought for cargo conversion. It's concentrated in certain some makes/models/years just as vanlife demand is heavily concentrated elsewhere.
It's probably easier to buy a good small pickup than a big van right now, especially if trading a bigger pickup + accepting cash which would be great for someone in financial trouble.
