See the back of this vehicle? This has been my husband's and my 2008 GMC Sierra 1500 Extended Cab Short Bed truck for two years now. We called it "Big Hoss."
We took over the lease from my folks when they moved to Florida two years ago. We needed a vehicle when we turned our Pontiac G6 in and the timing and price were very right, believe it or not. We felt blessed to have a vehicle that ran well, compared to our now-long-gone Jeep Cherokee Sport. We were pleased to help out my folks, we were pleased to have two vehicles, and everything was fine.
And then we started to drive the giant truck. Big Hoss took us up and down I-75 to Florida, back through the biggest snow storm North Carolina has seen in ages, through the snowy, wet hills of West Virginia, and of course all over southeastern Michigan. Big Hoss has hauled a mountain bike and a futon and several times carried my massage table. Mostly it just hauled bags of dirt we had to put in the back for winter stability. He ran well and remained a good-working truck, but he went largely underutilized!
Simply: We didn't have a need for Big Hoss other than the convenience of having two cars. After we take the topper back to my folks' place an hour away (to hopefully sell it to another truck owner), we'll bring the Sierra back home, clean it up, and take it to Fresard dealership in Ferndale so that Big Hoss can be cleaned up and sold to someone else who "Needs a Big Truck".
So why do I say that nobody outside of a few types of people needs a big truck? Fuel charges for an empty-bedded, non-trailer-pulling truck outweigh the cost of "sitting up high" and "feeling safe". Sure, a few times we got to be "That Guy" when we had to maneuver the truck in construction, forcing people to yield due to the sheer size of our vehicle. Or, when someone was being a particular type of "DB," we could roll up behind him and give him the ole' flasheroo, effectively blinding him for a couple of seconds when parked at a light. Yeah, we were "That Guy" a few times.
The "Reader's Digest" Version: Big trucks are excellent for passive aggressive motorists. If you don't haul and you don't work with your hands, you don't need a truck. Our next vehicle will be big enough for a trip to IKEA and spacious enough to fit my massage table, although keep in mind that both fit well in our Kia Soul. We'll buy something we can afford to pay cash for that will hopefully carry us around steadily for a few more years. And we won't be buying a Big Truck. We just don't need it. Do you?
PS: I will be happy not to have to do a 32-point turn to get out of the CVS parking lot on a busy day!
2 comments:
Adios, Hoss.
How about that Vespa in your header image? Ever ridden one of those? My dad seems hot-to-trot for traveling that way around, say, Italy.
I agree with all the points you make about who needs a truck (especially one in Big Hoss-size) and what the benefits are(n't) for the most people. Do you think that is a Michigan- or Detroit-area specific tendency (trucks for those who don't need 'em)? How might such a thing have become normal for the average consumer?
We are actually hoping to buy one in the next year. Well, actually a Vespa-looking moped (50cc)that we don't need an endorsement to drive. Grocery stores, Ferndale trips, etc. :)
I think the attitude is "BIG TRUCKS = BIG BOSS DUDE". We're a Big Truck kind of state. It's not as prevalent in other areas as it is here. It wasn't in Ohio at least. Plenty of smaller trucks (S-10s, etc.) but unless they were used For A Purpose of some type, it's not as big of a deal.
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