I think it’s worth keeping in mind that a large number (perhaps a majority?) of people buying high-end “work trucks” use little to none of the work capacity of those trucks.

Doesn't that prove parent's point though? Effectively those aren't work trucks. Because of this widespread trend, most new models have dual cab and it is now hard to find "real" work trucks so the old, 2-seats-only models are highly sought after in the used market, at least based on what my farmer friends tell me

> 2-seats-only models are highly sought after in the used market, at least based on what my farmer friends tell me

When I lived an an apartment, one of my neighbors had a 2 door Silverado as his daily. He was a 'car guy' and had an Ion Red-line I once asked about buying. He was actually -surprised- I asked about that and not the Silverado, because he had a lot of folks offer to buy it apparently.

I had a controversial thought about this, especially after the impending total-death of the American Car;

What if -only- trucks with 2 doors, or a 4-door truck with a full bed got the 'light truck' EPA special treatment? When we look at the chart of target MPGs by size/class[0] you can see there's a pretty big disparity in what Trucks vs cars have to get.

It's interesting to think about all of this in the face of the automakers' recent actions; EV/Hybrid trucks help the CAFE ratings, and part of me is asking whether the Explorer going back to Body-on-Frame was to keep it from being classified as a Car. None of this would be new, of course; the PT Cruiser and Chevy HHR's existence were in some ways prolonged, if not a result of the fact they counted as Trucks for Fuel Economy.

I think in the face of all the talk we have about climate change, it's worth looking at what we can do as individuals to reduce footprint. That's part of why I'm switching my daily to the Maverick Hybrid (if it ever shows up, lol)

[0] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_average_fuel_economy...

They still want it to fit the two by four they buy once every four years

I've seen smaller trucks at work. The bed size doesnt matter as much as towing capacity.

Not all work involves 8 foot sheet goods. A whole lot of it involves hauling around a small amount of equipment. If more is needed most are better off with an enclosed walk-in utility truck or a trailer. Long bed pickups are really quite rare, and almost never have a crew cab… and they are a real hassle to drive and park.

Most other trucks these days have tiny beds, too, because of the crew cabs.