A work colleague “needed” a new truck, for much the same “reasons” you have described.

He said, “I’ve been to the Chev, Ford, and Dodge dealerships. They all want $70,000 for the kind of truck I ‘need.’ I don’t understand how they can get away with charging so much.”

I said, “Don’t buy a truck.”

He didn’t like that.

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On another note, there are a few entrepreneurs in my town who hire out their pickup and back for some odd transport jobs, like hauling firewood. If most truck owners really understood the economics behind their pickup, these entrepreneurs would got a lot more work. Right now, it’s a difficult business to to make a reasonable living.