Compensation writ large: Most pickup truck owners use them for shopping, errands, and pleasure driving

 

Dictionary definition:  Merriam-Webster (highlight added)

Power Nation, 9/21/21023

From 1961-1979, Ford’s line of pickup trucks had a greater cab-to-bed ratio in which the cab took up 36% of the vehicle, and the bed nearly doubled that at 64%. Fast-forward to the 21st-century and those figures have completely switched places. From 2015-2021, the Ford F-150’s cab makes up 63% of the truck, with the bed shrinking down to 37%.  

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Experts believe that the answer to that question falls on the image that the customer is aiming to project. “Today, personality and imagery are playing an even more important role in how consumers choose which truck is right for them,” says researcher Alexander Edwards. 

When surveying F-150 owners in the study, they were asked what kind of characteristics they would associate with their trucks. The two most common words that popped up were "powerful" and "rugged". Researchers believe that it is those two characteristics that many F-150 owners would like to have associated with their personal identity.