William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

June 11, 2013

Pickup Trucks continue to be the lifeblood for the American automaker's financials. A very good thing since truck sales seems to be in very good health - in fact Automotive News says that truck sales are arguably healthier than they were pre-recession, despite the volume is still below pre-recession levels. How? The per-unit profit has increased massively, outpacing the industry average by more than double since 2005.

Edmunds says the average transaction price of pickup truck stands at $39,915 – a 8 percent increase (after inflation) when compared to 2005's average transaction price of $31,059.

How important are trucks to American automakers? Well a Morgan Stanley analyst says 90 percent of the Ford Motor Company's 2012 profits come from the F-Series. General Motors follows closely behind with two-thirds of their 2012 profits coming from the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.

Analysts say the near-term future looks very good for trucks. Thanks to the recent increases in the housing market, truck sales are expected to keep climbing.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

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ouch, that's why i'll probably never own another new off the lot truck...

How long before Chevy sells its first 6-figure Silverado?

Yea, I can go for a 1 or 2 year old lease or demo unit and not take the hit in the wallet. I think I have bought my last new auto since the hit is not worth the single or two digit mileage and new fresh smell.

It's weird that trucks don't lease better then.... old trucks still really hold their values. Since I've been in the market for a while, I've seen things like Titans with 2008 75k miles and dealers are asking $19,999, 1996 S-10 extended cab 4x4 with 60k miles for $14k... a 2 year old Ranger V6 4x4 with 50k miles is likely to run about $17k....