11/25/2017 Pickup truck - Wikipedia

Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light duty truck having an enclosed cab and an open cargo
area with low sides and tailgate.[1] Once a work tool with few creature
comforts, in the 1950s 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.[2] Today in North America, the pickup is
mostly used like a passenger car[3] and accounts for about 18 per cent of total
vehicles sold in the US.[4]
Ford F-150 Supercrew with
The term pickup is of unknown origin. It was used by Studebaker in 1913 and tonneau, 4 doors, sideboards, and
by the 1930s pick-up (hyphenated) had become the standard term.[5] In wind deflectors.
Australia and New Zealand ute, short for utility, is used for both pickups and
coup utilities. In South Africa people of all language groups use the term
bakkie, a diminutive of bak, Afrikaans for bowl/container, due to the cargo area's similarities with a bowl and container.

Contents
1 History
2 International markets
3 Design and features
4 Uses for pickup trucks
5 See also
6 References

History
In the early days of automobile manufacturing, vehicles were sold as a chassis
only, and third parties added bodies on top.[6] In 1913 the Galion Allsteel Body
Company, an early developer of the pickup and dump truck, built and installed
hauling boxes on slightly modified Ford Model T chassis,[7] and from 1917 on
the Model TT. Seeking part of this market share, Dodge introduced a 3/4-ton
pickup with cab and body constructed entirely of wood in 1924.[8] In 1925 Ford
followed up with a Model T-based steel-bodied, half-ton with an adjustable
tailgate and heavy-duty rear springs.[9] Billed as the "Ford Model T Runabout
1922 Ford Model T Pickup 2
with Pickup Body," it sold for US$281. 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 Chevrolet produced its first factory-assembled pickup.[10] Ford
Australia produced the first Australian "ute" in 1932.[11] During the Second World War, the United States government
halted the production of privately owned pickup trucks.[10]

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In the 1950s consumers began purchasing pickups for lifestyle rather than
utilitarian reasons.[10] 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 like power options and air conditioning.[2] Trucks
became more passenger oriented with the introduction of crew cabs in the
Toyota Stout[12] and the Hino Briska, was introduced in 1962. Dodge followed
with a crew cab in 1963,[13] Ford in 1965, and General Motors in 1973.[14]
1956 Chevrolet Cameo with smooth
In the U.S.A., the 1963 protectionist chicken tax distorted the light truck sided bed
market in favor of American manufacturers, stopping the import of the
Volkswagen Type 2,[15] and effectively "squeezed smaller Asian truck
companies out of the American pickup market."[16] Over the intervening years, Detroit lobbied to protect the light-truck
tariff,[15] thereby reducing pressure on Detroit to introduce vehicles that polluted less and that offered increased fuel
economy.[15]

The US government's 1973 Corporate Average Fuel Economy policy sets higher fuel economy requirements for cars than
pickups. CAFE led to the replacement of the station wagon by the minivan, the latter being in the truck category which
allowed it compliance with less-strict emissions standards. Eventually, this same idea led to the promotion of the
SUV.[17][18] Pickups, unhindered by the emissions controls regulations on cars, began to replace muscle cars as the
performance vehicle of choice. The Dodge Warlock appeared in Dodge's "adult toys" line,[2] along with the Macho Power
Wagon and Street Van. The gas guzzler tax, which taxed fuel-inefficient cars while exempting pickup trucks, further
distorted the market in favour of pickups.

In the 1980s, the compact Mazda B-series, Isuzu Faster and Mitsubishi Forte appeared. Subsequently, American
manufacturers built their own compact pickups for the domestic market: the Ford Ranger, and the Chevrolet S-10.
Minivans make inroads into the pickups' market share.[2] In the 1990s Pickups' market share was further eroded by the
popularity of sport utility vehicles.[2]

In 2017, Chinese manufacturer Kawei unveiled the Kawei EV7 as the first pure electric full-size pickup truck.[19]

International markets
While the Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States
since 1982,[20] the Ford F-150, or indeed any full-size pickup truck is a rare
sight in Europe, where high fuel prices and very narrow city roads make it
difficult to use on a daily basis.[21] In America pickups are favored by a cultural
attachment to the style, low fuel prices, and taxes and regulations that distort
the market in favor of domestically built trucks.[15] As of 2016 the IRS offers
tax breaks for "any vehicle equipped with a cargo area [...] of at least six feet in
interior length that is not readily accessible from the passenger
compartment".[22]
1990 Subaru Sambar kei truck
In Europe pickups represent less than one per cent of light vehicles sold,[23] the
most popular being the Ford Ranger with 27,300 units sold in 2015.[24] Other
models include the Renault Alaskan (a rebadged Nissan Navara), and the Toyota Hilux.

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Full-size pickups and SUVs are an important source of revenue for GM, Ford, and FCA's Ram, accounting for more than
two-thirds of their global pre-tax earnings, though the vehicles make up just 16 percent of North American vehicle
production. The vehicles have a high profit margin and a high price, with 40 per cent of Ford F-150 selling for US$40,000
or more.[25]

The NOx law prevents pickups from being imported to Japan, but the Japanese Domestic Market Mitsubishi Triton is
available. In China (where it is known by the English loanword as p ka ch) the Great Wall Wingle is
manufactured domestically and exported to Australia.[26] In Thailand pickups manufactured for local sale and export
include the Isuzu D-Max and the Mitsubishi Triton. In Latin and South America the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, VW
Amarok, Dodge Ram, Chevrolet S-10, D-20, and Montana are sold.

In South Africa pickups account for about 17 per cent of the passenger and light commercial vehicle sales, mostly the
Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, and Isuzu KB (Isuzu D-Max).[27] The Volkswagen Amarok and Nissan Navara are also sold.

Design and features

In the US and less-so in Canada, nearly all new pickups are sold with automatic
transmissions. The Cummins diesel-equipped Ram is the only full-size pickup
truck available with a manual transmission. It has an ultra-low first-gear ratio
for heavy hauling.[28] The Chevrolet Colorado, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota
Tacoma are available with a clutch, Fords are automatic only.[29]

A regular cab has a single row of seats and a single set of doors, one on each
side. Extended or super cab pickups add an extra space behind the main seat,
2006 Ram 3500 Mega Cab Dually
sometimes including small seats. The first extended cab truck in the U.S. was
called the Club Cab and introduced by Chrysler in 1973 on Dodge trucks. A
crew cab, or double cab, seats five or six and has two full-size front-hinged
doors on both sides. The first crew cab truck in the U.S. was made by
International Harvester in 1957 and was later followed by Dodge in 1963, Ford
in 1965 and Chevrolet in 1973.

Cab-over or cab forward designs have the cab sitting above the front axle. An
early cab-forward drop-side pickup was the Volkswagen Transporter,
introduced in 1952. This configuration is more common among European and
Japanese manufacturers than in North America, since the style allows a longer
cargo area for the same overall length. The design was more popular in North 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside
America in the 1950s and '60s, examples including the Chevrolet Corvair
Rampside & Loadside, Dodge A-100 & A-108, Ford Econoline & Jeep FC-150 &
FC-170.

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: step-side or fleet-side. A step-side
bed has fenders which extend on the outside of the cargo area. A fleet-side bed has wheel-wells inside the bed. The first
fleet-sided truck was the 1955 Chevrolet Cameo Carrier. Early trucks had wood plank beds, which were replaced by steel
by the 1960s. Some European-style trucks use a drop-side bed with a flat tray with hinged panels rising up on the sides
and the rear.

A pickup with four rear wheels instead of two is called a dually. A dually is able to carry much more weight over the rear
axle and is often used for carrying heavy loads, campers or supporting 5th wheel trailers.
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Vehicles similar to the pickup include:

the coup utility has a pickup truck like shape, but is car-sized. The South
African term "bakkie" or the Australian term "ute" refer to a coup utility.
the sport utility truck (SUT), a vehicle deriving from an SUV or crossover
with four doors and an open bed. Examples include the Cadillac Escalade
EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Honda Ridgeline,
Hummer H2 SUT, SsangYong Actyon Sports, and Hummer H3T
In the American domestic market pickups are general categorized as:
Honda Ridgeline sports utility truck
Compact: introduced in the United States in the 1960s, compact pickups
have a smaller footprint, and may have four cylinder engines.
Full-size, or half ton: In the United States the best selling type is the full-sized, or half-ton. These carry the designation
"1500" in the case of the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Ram, and "150" in Ford's terminology.
Heavy duty: Heavier-duty pickups are designated 2500, 3500 (or F-250, F-350), and so on.
The terms half-ton and three-quarter-ton are a remnant from a time when the number referred to the maximum cargo
capacity by weight.[30]

Uses for pickup trucks

While in the United States and Canada most pickup trucks are used primarily
for passenger transport, agriculture, and commercial uses, pickups are also
used in law enforcement, the military, fire services, and for pickup truck
racing, a form of auto racing using modified versions of pickups mostly on oval
tracks. Race pickup trucks are mechanically similar to coup-shaped stock
cars.

A monster truck is a vehicle styled after pickup trucks, but with extremely large
wheels and suspension. They are used for competition and popular sports
entertainment and in some cases they are featured alongside motocross races, 1974 Dodge D200 with camper
mud bogging, tractor pulls and car-eating robots.

Equipping pickup trucks with camper shells provides a small living space for camping. Slide-in truck campers, on the
other hand, give a pickup truck the amenities of a small motorhome, but still allow the operator the option of removal and
independent use of the vehicle.[31]

Some diesel engined pickups are modified to produce more diesel exhaust and
have been described as rolling coal. Changes are designed to produce visibly
polluting sooty emissions and include the intentional removal of the
particulate filter, as well as installing smoke switches and smoke stacks.[32]
Modifications may cost from $2,000 to $5,000.[33][34]

In South Africa pickup trucks are used as patrol vehicles by the South African
Police Service.
A Nissan Hardbody in Police livery
Modified pickups can be used as improvised, non-armoured combat vehicles
called technicals.

See also
List of pickup trucks in current production
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Panel van
Truck classification

References
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2. Mueller, Mike. The American Pickup Truck. p. 9.
3. Porter, Bryan (2011). Handbook of Traffic Psychology. Elsevier. p. 222.
4. "Vehicle Registration Data" (https://hedgescompany.com/automotive-market-research-statistics/auto-mailing-lists-and-
marketing). Hedges & Company. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
5. Zuehlke, Jeffrey. Pickup Trucks. p. 9.
6. Mueller, Mike. Classic Pickups of the 1950s.
7. "Encyclopedia of American Coachbuilders & Coachbuilding" (http://www.coachbuilt.com). Coachbuilt. Retrieved
April 10, 2012.
8. "1918 to 1928 Dodge Brother Pickups" (http://www.pickuptrucks.com/html/history/segment1.html). Retrieved 26 May
2015.
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t1.html). PickupTrucks.com. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
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ection_id=1080&article_id=10085). Powerhouse Museum. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
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1984, Japan
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vrolet/products/trucks/02chevy/02avalanche/heritage.html) (Press release). Archived from the original (http://media.g
m.com/division/chevrolet/products/trucks/02chevy/02avalanche/heritage.html) on 2007-06-14. Retrieved 2007-06-04.
15. Bradsher, Keith (November 30, 1997). "Light Trucks Increase Profits But Foul Air More than Cars" (https://www.nytime
s.com/1997/11/30/business/license-pollute-special-report-light-trucks-increase-profits-but-foul-air-more.html?sec=&sp
on=&pagewanted=all). The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
16. Hunting, Benjamin (March 10, 2009). "Global Vehicles and Thailand Argue Against 'Chicken Tax' On Imported
Pickups" (http://www.autobytel.com/auto-news/global-vehicles-and-thailand-argue-against-chicken-tax-on-imported-pi
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sion/2007/04/06/DI2007040601383.html). Washington Post. Retrieved June 22, 2007.
18. Brown, Warren (August 29, 2004). "The Station Wagon Stealthily Returns" (https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
content/article/2004/08/29/AR2005032405083.html). Washington Post. Retrieved June 22, 2007.
19. Ning, W.E. (2017-11-21). "That's A First: Kawei Auto Launches Electric Pickup Truck In China" (https://carnewschina.
com/2017/11/21/kawei-auto-launches-electric-pickup-truck-china/). China Auto News. China. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
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m/autos/auto-sales-reach-six-year-high-demand-peaked-article-1.1567645). NY Daily News. 2014-01-06.
21. "How Do Europeans View the Ford F-150 Pickup Truck?" (http://www.carscoops.com/2013/06/how-do-europeans-vie
w-ford-f-150-pickup.html). Carscoops. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
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23. Mirani, Leo. "Mercedes is making a fancy pickup truckfor Europeans" (http://qz.com/373364/mercedes-is-making-a-
fancy-pickup-truck-for-europeans/). Retrieved 2016-09-30.

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24. Miller, Daniel (2016-09-30). "Europe's Best-Selling Pickup Might Surprise Americans -- The Motley Fool" (http://www.f
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1/us-autos-detroit-trucks-insight-idUSBRE9AK09820131121). Reuters. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
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27. "Hilux dethroned: SA has new top bakkie" (http://www.wheels24.co.za/News/SAs-top-bakkies-Toyota-Hilux-dethroned
-20141202). Wheels. Retrieved 2016-02-06.
28. "Ram 3500" (http://www.ramtruck.ca/en/2015/3500/capability). Retrieved 28 May 2015.
29. Inama, John. "Want a Pickup With Manual Transmission? Comprehensive List for 2015" (http://www.tfltruck.com/201
5/03/want-a-pickup-with-manual-transmission-comprehensive-list-for-2015/). Retrieved 28 May 2015.
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31. Stimson, Tom (May 1967). "Campers, 12 ways to add comfort and convenience" (https://books.google.com/books?id=
BdQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA124&dq=Camper+shell). Popular Mechanics. 127 (5): 124127, 228. Retrieved 11 May
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tory.html). The Boston Globe. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
33. Dahl, Melissa (24 July 2014). "Why Pickup Truck Drivers Are Paying $5,000 to Pollute More" (http://nymag.com/scien
ceofus/2014/07/why-people-are-paying-5000-to-pollute-more.html). Science of Us. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
34. Kulze, Elizabeth (16 June 2014). " "Rollin' Coal" Is Pollution Porn for Dudes With Pickup Trucks" (http://www.vocativ.c
om/culture/society/dicks-pick-trucks-meme-rollin-coal/). Vocativ. Retrieved 11 May 2016.

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