Plunging Pickup Truck Sales Threaten Detroit’s Profit Engine

T

The Sound Guy

Pursuit Driver

Detroit automakers have been cashing in on demand for pickup trucks that can cost $100,000 with increasingly upscale features and options, from hand-tooled leather interiors to 15-inch touchscreens. At the same time, they abandoned budget sedans to pad profit margins and help fund the transition to electric vehicles.

But the highest interest rates in more than two decades are threatening to upend that strategy as consumers clamor for smaller vehicles that can fit their budget. The pickup segment has been losing market share to compact SUVs and sedans this year.

“Full-size pickups is one segment that has really been taking it on the chin over the last few years,” Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist at researcher Cox Automotive said in an interview. “Small and midsized pickups are ticking up in market share.”
 
Boss 302 said:
Have they told you what the hold-up is?
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The latest update as of this afternoon is it was sent "offsite to a body company for upfit, or to a temporary storage location to wait for shipping" last Wednesday. The dealer and the Ford online chat person think that is for the spray-in bedliner and hopefully it'll actually ship soon. Someone else on the F150 forum mentioned theirs went offsite for spray-in bedliner a month ago and still hasn't shipped. So who knows at this point!?!?!?!

I've seen a couple online and on YouTube that are identical to mine except color that were ordered in January/February and the owners already have them. Have I mentioned that I'm annoyed at Ford? :D
 
cptlo said:
The latest update as of this afternoon is it was sent "offsite to a body company for upfit, or to a temporary storage location to wait for shipping" last Wednesday. The dealer and the Ford online chat person think that is for the spray-in bedliner and hopefully it'll actually ship soon. Someone else on the F150 forum mentioned theirs went offsite for spray-in bedliner a month ago and still hasn't shipped. So who knows at this point!?!?!?!

I've seen a couple online and on YouTube that are identical to mine except color that were ordered in January/February and the owners already have them. Have I mentioned that I'm annoyed at Ford? :D
Click to expand...
I'd be annoyed as well.
 
cptlo said:
The latest update as of this afternoon is it was sent "offsite to a body company for upfit, or to a temporary storage location to wait for shipping" last Wednesday. The dealer and the Ford online chat person think that is for the spray-in bedliner and hopefully it'll actually ship soon. Someone else on the F150 forum mentioned theirs went offsite for spray-in bedliner a month ago and still hasn't shipped. So who knows at this point!?!?!?!

I've seen a couple online and on YouTube that are identical to mine except color that were ordered in January/February and the owners already have them. Have I mentioned that I'm annoyed at Ford? :D
Click to expand...
Betcha it started life as a cab and chassis and they have an outside company install the bed.
 
Bean counters, yuppies and out of touch executives ruined the pick up market. They did the same thing to the SUV market years ago. Marketing turned their backs on the loyal base truck buyers who were mostly working men, contractors, farmers and rural residents. They started adding crap on these trucks that the long time truck buyer did not want or need. City folk and young professionals thought these upgrades were cool as they drove downtown on the expressway to their office jobs. Others moved to lets say Paulding county from lets say Cobb county and thought they were in Montana so they got a tricked out pick up. The problem is these people are fickle as hell and change trends like underwear. Now you have city folks who found out they don't need a truck and good ole boys who don't want all the BS on a new truck. Top that off with crazy inflated prices and high interest rates you have the perfect storm for slumping sales. I have been thinking about a new truck the closer I get to hanging up the business. I can afford one but I am a contrarian and have not convinced myself to give in and support an industry that is so out of touch with the real customer base. As for drive assist, lane departure, back up cameras, 12" monitors, 22" low profile wheels, internet, coffee makers,etc. they can keep that crap. All that crap drives up the cost of the truck. I think it should depreciate the truck myself.
 
I was lucky when I started looking for my colorado, Days happened to get in a set of 4 or 5 actual WT (Work Truck) models. Had the V6 I wanted, Auto, power windows, locks, towing package and cruise and not much else. Just what I wanted without all the other BS. I'm glad I bought it when I did.
 
Most manufacturers offer a stripped down, work version of trucks. Still luxurious compared to trucks of decades ago, but far less bells and whistles than the fancy trucks have. They generally cost far less without all the options.

I don't think being so fancy have hurt truck sales, people tend to like that stuff. But the prices going so high probably have. Higher end full sized pickups can now easily go for 60-80 grand, and most people just can't afford that anymore. But the government has had their hands in on this too, with all the stuff they require now. Emissions standards, mileage (CAFE) standards, tire pressure monitoring, crash resistant bumpers, air bags, side impact beams, collapsible steering columns, anti-lock brakes, etc etc. This stuff costs big bucks!

Is some of it worth it? Probably so, especially the safety related stuff. But it still runs the cost up.

My RAM has the Automatic Emergency Braking feature. It's annoying when parking and maneuvering in tight quarters, and the rear one has to be turned off when towing (or it thinks I'm about to hit the trailer), but it probably saved me from rear-ending another vehicle at least once when I was not paying attention.
 
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