- DIY hauling leads all truck-owner hobbies at 57.08 percent.
- Trucks now support tailgating and screen-based entertainment.
- Automakers respond to hobby trends with smart truck design.
Pickup trucks are still flying off dealer lots, and not just because they’re practical or rugged or come with a 6.2-liter V8. We’ve already covered how the average truck driver actually uses their pickup in everyday life. We’ve also picked apart the myths around electric trucks and found most of them don’t hold up. What we’re exploring today veers in a different direction.
Also: New Study Shatters The ‘Pavement Princess’ Myth About EV Truck Owners
What do truck drivers have in common when it comes to what they do off the road? Step back far enough from towing specs, fuel types, and torque curves, and you’ll start to see a shared pattern in how these owners spend their time. Turns out, the bond goes well beyond tailgates and trailering.
The data below comes from the good folks over at Strategic Vision. They survey some 250,000 vehicle owners nationwide each year. They ask everything from how often they drive for pleasure to what hobbies they enjoy outside of their car.
Now, we’re breaking down the things that truck drivers love to do when they’re off the road. Some won’t shock you, but others might explain some of the design decisions automakers make.
#5 – Camping
As we mentioned in previous coverage, just under one-third of truck owners go off-road each month. At least ten percent go far off-road, where only rocks, mud, and streams live. With that in mind, it should be no shock that 36.19 percent of truck owners say that camping is a major hobby in their lives.
Read: A Semi Truck Habit That’s Driving Everyone Crazy Could Soon Be Illegal
The study doesn’t give us any granularity on what that looks like on a deeper level, so whether these folks are towing a camper or pitching a roof-top tent is unclear. What isn’t unclear is that they’re doing it with a truck that no doubt helps them feel capable of getting out into the great outdoors.
#4 – Listening To The Radio
As hobbies on the available list go, this isn’t one that I expected to be so universal among pickup owners. Perhaps that was a bit daft, though, since trucks are pretty expensive these days and most folks with that kind of cash to splash grew up in an era where radio was more prominent than it is today. That said, 38.45 percent of truck drivers picked this as a top hobby.
Automakers no doubt get similar data in their own focus groups. That could explain some of the proliferation we see in the truck segment of high-end audio systems.
GM is partnered up with Bose, Ford offers an excellent Bang & Olufsen package, and don’t forget Ram. The Stellantis-owned truck maker has a 19-speaker Harmon Kardon system available as well as a 23-speaker Klipsch Reference Premiere option.
#3 – Watch TV
Given today’s culture, I would’ve thought this would be higher up. Just about everyone watches TV. 38.64 percent of truck owners list it as an important hobby in their lives. Truck builders support that hobby, too.
Just about every modern truck on the market today, regardless of size and powertrain, is available with a household-style plug that could come in real handy at a tailgate if the owner happens to have a 40-inch TV in the bed.
On top of that, consider how many trucks have huge infotainment screens, rear-seat entertainment screens, and even passenger-centric infotainment screens today. Ram offers a 14.5-inch main screen where the driver can engage with content while the passenger enjoys streaming their own show or content on a separate 10.25-inch display.
#2 – Travel the USA
Trucks don’t handle particularly well, and they’re not (all) particularly swift, but modern ones make for excellent road trip vehicles, provided you can handle the fuel costs. 44.45 percent of truck owners said that traveling across the nation was a major hobby in their lives.
It’s easy to see why. As one man who drove his motorcycle over 125,000 miles in just 125 days said of going coast to coast and back, “It’s like sitting back and watching the National Geographic Channel as I go.”
More: Navy Veteran Rode His Bike 125,000 Miles In 125 Days Straight And Still Won’t Stop
We’ve already mentioned how modern features like screens and audio systems make trucks an enjoyable place to spend time. On top of that, most trucks offer the luxury of interior space in a way few cars or SUVs can. Plenty of them have extremely comfortable seats, some have massage functions, and lots of semi-autonomous driving tech to make long trips even easier.
#1 – DIY Projects
The stereotype might just be true. When you roll up to a home improvement store and see plenty of pickups, it’s not just because they’re practical for hauling or towing. It’s partially because 57.08 percent of truck owners love doing DIY projects.
Again, we see clear connections between this hobby and modern truck design. Consider how several automakers incorporate simple tools into their trucks. Rulers, protractors, and even important math calculations are sometimes integrated into cabins or beds to make these projects easier for the owner.
The Takeaway
Sure, it isn’t shocking that truck owners like to camp, and even less shocking that automakers build in features that cater to their audience. What might be surprising, though, is that regardless of powertrain, size, or personal preference for brand, truck owners have a lot in common across the industry.
These folks build, travel, lounge, listen, and camp. Their trucks aren’t just transportation. They’re a platform that supports the lifestyle their owners prefer. In other words, these buyers are more similar than they are different, and it’s cool to see data backing that up.
