Pickup sales improving as economy recovers

One steadfast indicator of economic recovery remains pickup trucks. In good times, busy contractors require them to carry more tools around, and weekend haulers tend to use the trucks for miscellaneous hauling. And lately sales have been picking up (no pun intended); the segment sold 19% more than one year ago, with full-size pickups, the type most used by contractors, coming back even stronger.

Pickup sales peaked at 2.5 million units in 2004, when the housing boom was in full swing. Four years later, with a teetering economy and gas at $ per gallon, segment sales plunged, with 2009 representing the worst year in the past 18 for pickup trucks.

Despite this upswing in the segment, economists warn that the future for the housing industry is far from clear, which means that the future for pickup trucks are uncertain at best.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: MSNBC