Despite a seeming lack of interest in the requirements and sales patterns in construction work, the automotive industry and its aftermarket companies have developed innovative and useful pickup trucks, accessories, and add-ons.

By Charles D. Bader

Although the use of pickup trucks in the construction industry is unquestionably extensive, no one in the automotive industry seems to keep statistics on exactly how widespread it is. Overall, pickups as a class run a hot race with sport utility vehicles as the top-selling vehicles. Kelley Blue Book reports that, based on the number of pricing reports requested in August 2002, Chevy/GMC and Ford pickups are consistently the most popular vehicles. The Silverado and Sierra pickups and the Ford F Series pickups were the top five most researched vehicles in 2002. Only twice that year was at least one of these pickups not in first place, edged out by two Honda car models: the Civic and the Accord. The popularity of pickups as pleasure vehicles has led to the development of luxurious features and accessories, fueling sales growth.

But what about the construction market? Auto manufacturers lump pickups sold to and used by the construction industry into a catchall called "commercial vehicles" and do not break down the sales statistics. Feedback from dealers does not separate construction use from other commercial use.

This does not mean that automobile companies do not recognize the importance of the construction market. They pursue it actively, both in the media and through special promotions. For example, both Ford and Dodge sponsor tours of pickup trucks outfitted with tools and accessories useful to construction companies. These trucks travel around the country, stopping at building shows and at large building-materials stores. Ford's Site Commander tour vehicle consists of a diesel-powered F-550 crew cab outfitted with an Omaha Standard service-utility body and an A.R.E. Inc. truck cap. The truck is loaded with $90,000 worth of Hilti heavy-duty drills, coring systems, grinders, hammer drills, rotary hammers,and electronic measuring and layout devices.

Dodge's Toolmaster tour uses a 2003 Ram 2500 powered by its new 5.7L V8 engine that produces 345 hp and 375 lb.-ft. of torque. Omaha Standard's service utility body provides the storage for a large complement of Stanley and Milwaukee tools. A.R.E.'s heavy-duty truck cap protects the tools and equipment, and Sure Glide's rollout tool storage keeps the tools organized. These are joint efforts by all of the suppliers involved, and the well-publicized tours indicate that the automobile manufacturers have a keen interest in the construction market.

Automakers also offer hefty incentive rebates that target the construction industry. For example, Chevrolet/GMC commercial customers who buy Sierra pickups pay $315 for a $1,320 package consisting of a crossover toolbox and either side-mount boxes or a ladder rack or may opt for a reimbursement of up to $600 on uplifts or a $500 gift certificate from Home Depot.

Ford is even more aggressive in its incentive rebate program for commercial customers. According to Lee Crenshaw, chairman of Richmond, VA­based Crenshaw Corporation, "If new Ford truck buyers purchase a package of accessories that cost $1,250 or more, Ford will pay $1,250. That's very popular among contractors because for $1,250 a contractor can get some valuable accessories that he would probably want to buy anyway."

"We're quite responsive to the needs of the construction industry," says Dan Pigges, marketing and product manager for full-size trucks and utilities at General Motors. "There are a lot of things we design into Chevy and GMC pickup trucks that are important to off-road [users]. For example, we offer off-road tires and off-road suspension systems for our half-ton vehicles. And we also offer a locking differential. If one rear wheel loses traction in mud or ice, the two wheels lock together so you don't have the one wheel [continuing to spin] with all the power going uselessly to that one wheel while the truck doesn't move. And we now have four-wheel-drive trucks with stiffer suspensions that enable significantly greater off-road hauling and towing capabilities."

Pigges sees a "definite trend" toward larger pickups and larger cabs, a trend that he believes meets the needs of contractors today. "Both extended cabs and crew cabs are a lot more comfortable and offer a lot more flexibility," he points out. "Sometimes an entire crew can get to remote job sites at the same time and with all their equipment in just one truck. It's a matter of cost versus value, and for contractors who use a pickup as a basic tool, value is the most important factor."

Diesel-Powered Engines

Ford's John E. Fink also sees a trend toward larger trucks and extended or crew cabs. He also regards an equally strong trend toward diesel engines as an important advantage to contractors. "Once diesel had been restricted to Class 6 and 7 trucks, but now it is routinely selected for Classes 4 and 5, even Class 3, trucks. For construction and other commercial uses, this translates into the ability to haul - and pull - more loads, to get better fuel economy, and to extend engine life."

This trend to diesel is an industrywide phenomenon. Polk Automotive Intelligence, reporting on 2000 sales figures, concluded that "approximately 47% of all pickups with at least an 8,500 gross vehicle weight rating were purchased with diesel engines - a 6.34% growth from 1999." And today it's even higher, reports Dan Ustian, president of the engine group at International Truck and Engine Corporation, the manufacturer of Ford's Power Stroke Diesel engine. "Two out of three people buying Ford F-series pickups choose the power stroke diesel option. There's a reason for that. Americans who appreciate value are drawn to diesels because they offer 30% to 60% better fuel economy, easier maintenance, and longer engine life than gasoline engines."

That's not improvement enough for some contractors and other commercial pickup truck users. Speedway Blvd, an aftermarket supplier of engine performance enhancement packages, is doing a brisk business selling enhancement packages for 1999-2002 Dodge Cummins ISB Diesels, 1999-2002 Ford Power Stroke Diesels, and the Chevy Duramax vehicles. For the Dodge pickups, the Lake Havasu, AZ, firm offers three packages. An off-road package, priced at $1,225, adds 80 hp and 190 lb.-ft. of torque. A tow package, priced at $2,058, adds 120 hp and 290 lb.-ft. of torque. And a "Superior" tow package, priced at $4,050, adds 120 hp and 290 lb.-ft. of torque as well as an exhaust brake and torque converter. Comparable packages at about $250 less are offered for Ford pickups.

"The towing package is the most popular," says Speedway Blvd CEO Aaron Eckert, "and Ford owners are the biggest users. Using the newest state-of-the-art chip and programming technology, it increases the horsepower, torque, and fuel economy of light pickups. We sell it through dealers; we are a standard aftermarket supplier. And we also sell it to end users via the Internet. Most end users can readily install the package, and we have a help line to assist them."

Fuel Economy

There is a reason for this concern over the fuel costs of pickups, particularly when gasoline prices soar. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), six of the 10 most expensive vehicles to fuel in 2002 are pickups. The UCS study, which analyzed the 50 most popular car and truck models, found that "the Dodge Ram is the most expensive vehicle at the pump, with Ram owners paying nearly $13,000 for gas over the lifetime of the vehicle.

"Moreover, a national survey of pickup truck drivers by the Mellman Group found that an overwhelming 76% of pickup drivers favor increasing the average miles per gallon of pickup trucks. Fully 87% say they are willing to pay an additional $500 for a new, higher-mileage pickup truck when informed that they could expect to save $2,000 on their gasoline bills over the life of the truck," the study continues. "The survey also found pickup drivers are skeptical of arguments advanced by [the] industry. For example, only 8% believe that automakers will stop building pickups if they are required to meet higher fuel economy standards."

"Pickup drivers are disproportionately burdened at the gas pump," notes UCS Senior Analyst David Friedman, an engineer and author of the new study. "Off-the-shelf technology could improve the fuel economy of light trucks by 30%, which would save drivers more than $300 per year in gas costs."

Eckert estimates that Speedway Blvd's packages alone will improve the economy of light pickups by 10-20%.

Other Design Improvements

In conjunction with its power-stroke diesel engines, Ford also offers a torque shift five-speed automatic transmission. Fink claims that by reducing the length of the step from gear to gear, the transmission will be better able to haul trailers or equipment, such as a generator or a backhoe, over off-road terrain. "With its tow haul mode, this transmission also provides transmission braking on the downslope for more stable towing and longer brake life," he says. "This transmission is on every truck that has power-stroke diesel because we see a marked increase in towing, particularly in the construction industry. Today our F-550 has a towing capacity of 21,500 pounds."

In the cab, Ford is responding to a number of subtle market trends. For example, although Ford still offers bench seats, it also offers split seats. "More and more users like the comfort and independence of separate seats," Fink says, "and they are willing to give up the three-across seating capacity for these advantages. Also, pickup truck buyers are routinely ordering air conditioning. In fact, air conditioning is now standard on our XLT models and up; only on the XL series is it still just an option. And another sign of the times is the increasing demand for more than one power point in order to accommodate cell phones, laptops, and other electronic gear. We now provide two power points on all our pickup trucks."

Accessories

Pickup truck owners are served by a large number of aftermarket firms offering an extraordinary variety of accessories. While many of these accessories are vanity-oriented for the suburban and sports segment of the market, some are of specific interest to contractors and other construction workers.

Some of these accessories are acquired to prevent damage to the bed or sides of a pickup. Mike Erickson, chief technical officer of Car-Truck Accessories in Phoenix, AZ, says his firm sells such accessories as rocker panels, nerf bars, bed mats, and bed caps for this purpose. "Today's pickup trucks cost a lot of money," he says, "so companies are trying to get a longer life out of them. Construction is a growing market for us, and in response to that market's needs, we're right now adding more bed protection items to our line."

Mark Meyer, general manager of Pickup Specialties in Houston, TX, agrees with this reasoning and says his company also stocks several items that contractors are buying to protect their truck investments. "Over-the-cab racks have become a hot item," he observes. "Not only can a contractor carry more stuff to job sites, he can carry materials such as pipes that are too long for his bed and might damage the bed if he tried to carry them that way. Bed mats can help [prevent] that kind of damage, but we think bed slides are an even better idea. Not only do they protect the bed, but they also make it easy for the driver to get at materials stored in the front of the bed. Bed slides can be installed without bolting, and they slide out easily. Fully extended, a bed slide will hold up to 1,200 pounds."

Crenshaw cites two more accessories that have been so popular with contractors that he offers them as a package to qualify for Ford's incentive offer for commercial buyers. "The package that we successfully promote consists of a cross-bed toolbox and a tank for refueling construction vehicles in the field," he says. "The toolbox is a Rawson-Koenig C-63 heavy-duty cross-bed with a single lid. It's a quality unit, made of heavy-gauge steel with a powder-coated finish. The tank is a 105-gallon L-shape Delta fuel tank with a Fill-Rite 12V electric pump and automatic nozzle. It is designed specifically for fueling excavators, backhoes, and other diesel-engine vehicles in the field without spillage. Together, the toolbox and the fueling tank cost just about the same as the $1,250 Ford promotional payment and they are accessories that most contractors will want to have anyway."

Add-Ons

Pickup Specialties also sells cap tonneau covers, which contractors like for security. Meyer says his best seller in this category is a Roll-N-Lock retractable tonneau cover system. "Roll-N-Lock offers a patented built-in tailgate locking system for trucks without locking tailgates or for contractors who simply desire added security. The system automatically latches when closed and can be locked with absolute security. What's more, the system clamps to the main structure of the bed rail. This clamping action compresses the track's integral trim gasket to the bed-rail surface, so it eliminates perimeter leakage of rain into the bed."

Dean Wegner, marketing manager for Omaha Standard of Council Bluffs, IA, says his firm specializes in truck bodies, hoists, and lift gates for trucks. His most popular product for the construction market is a "general" service body for quad-cab pickup trucks. "This body is designed to carry a lot of tools and equipment," he says. "It has four large-capacity lockable storage compartments on the 96-inch and 108-inch models and six compartments on the 132-inch model, and its 4-foot-plus floor width enables it to haul all types of loads. It's designed for a single- or dual-wheel chassis, including those from Ford, Dodge, and Chevy/GMC. Its low profile gives the driver an unobstructed view. We've had this body model in our line for some time and discovered it was selling very well for use on quad-cab trucks. When we investigated, we found that contractors were using quad trucks with this body to transport crews and their equipment and materials to job sites. The demand has been so strong that we are now changing our literature to describe its application as a quad-cab pickup body."

Wegner also sells lift gates into the construction industry. "The sale of lift gates for pickups has been spurred by [the Occupational Safety & Health Administration] and by the rising cost of workers' comp insurance," he explains. "Let's face it, wrestling heavy equipment up and onto a truck bed is going to cause a lot of back injuries, and they can drive a contractor's costs up sharply. Our Eagle lift gates can handle equipment or materials weighing up to 1,000 pounds. So if a worker has to move a compressor or other heavy unit, he doesn't ever have to lift it. He rolls or walks it onto the lift-gate platform in its extended position on the ground, and it is then hydraulically lifted to the truck-bed height, where he can roll or walk it off onto the bed. Unloading just reverses the process. It saves a lot of time and a lot of money for the contractor."

Often contractors have jobs requiring the dumping of loads, sometimes in narrow or otherwise restricted areas. Renting or diverting a full-size dump truck for small or restricted-area jobs seems unduly wasteful and unproductive, so contractors have become interested in converting a pickup truck into a dump truck.

Load Hog Industries of the Pittsburgh suburb of Aliquippa, PA, has a kit that allows this. According to General Manager John Kowalski, the Load Hog is a pneumatic system that weighs only 120 lb., is virtually invisible when installed, and is maintenance-free. Costing $3,100 installed, it can lift and dump loads of up to 4,500 lb.

"The key to the system is our ballistic nylon bag with a urethane bladder," Kowalski explains. "The material is so strong that Navy SEAL inflatable boats are made out of it, and the Navy has tested it under simulated combat situations. When it is inflated, it is strong enough to lift that 4,500 pounds.

"To install it, you remove your pickup's back bumper and then unbolt and lift off your truck bed. You attach the Load Hog's heavy-duty hinges to the rear of the frame, install two steel cross-members, and attach the bag [which is premounted on a steel plate]. Then you place the Load Hog's compressor behind the cab, run the air line back to the bag, and run the wires to a rocker switch placed in the cab. Then set the truck bed back on the frame and attach it to the frame and the Load Hog hinges. Reattach your bumper, and you're ready to haul. When you activate the rocker switch in the cab, the compressor inflates the bag, which raises the front of the bed, thereby dumping the load."

Kowalski emphasizes that this conversion does not mean that the pickup can be used only for dumping operations. It simply has an added capability that can be used when needed.

Load Hog is partially owned by Ford, which offers the product through bailment pools, and other truck manufacturers offer it on a drop-ship basis. The trucks are shipped from the factory to Aliquippa, where Load Hog installs the system and ships the converted truck to the dealer. Essentially, then, it is a factory installation, and Load Hog issues a three-year warranty matching that of the new-truck warranty.

Although many of Load Hog's sales are through the truck original equipment manufacturers, Kowalski says the firm has a lot of aftermarket business too. Load Hog offers nine do-it-yourself kits, each of which is specific to a Ford, Chevy/GMC, or Dodge truck. These kits are priced at $2,600, and Load Hog ships them all over the world. Kowalski reports that Load Hog sales have increased each of the four years that the company has been shipping kits and converting trucks.

Clearly the construction industry is an important market for the automobile industry and automotive aftermarket companies. Whether there is an efficient way of communicating construction requirements to truck and truck-equipment designers appears to be an open question. Still, one way or another, some very useful and innovative products have been made available to the construction industry.

Charles D. Bader is with Dateline II Communications in Los Angeles, CA.

GEC - May/June 2003

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