Why Trucks are getting WORSE

[TJC]

This video parallels my perspective on the modern truck.

Thoughts?

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[AzScorpion]

I don't even have to watch the video to tell you why trucks and everything else made is getting worse. Government involvement! Take away things that worked and replace mandate them with things that don't. Let companies outsource everything overseas with cheap labor and you have a what we have today. Then add in they're trying to make trucks more like cars. Now I do love some of the tech and creature comforts but they should make a good old fashioned stripped down work truck. One with no options, no power windows or door locks a regular radio, heck even throw in an 8 track tape option. ?

Remember when you could actually buy an appliance that had a 10 year warranty and would last several decades? There's still some ugly green & pink appliances still going strong from the 70's in some older homes today. We've become a disposable country hooked on cheap crap.

 

[MountainGoat]

The trucks and new vehicles in general have grown as the length of the auto loan has grown. It always comes back to the banksters.

Previously someone could not live so far beyond their means, no matter how stupid with money they might be. Over the decades small 12 month payment plans have become 96-month loans. The average auto loan is now 69 months for a new car and 67 months for a used car. And in the 1950s a new car was less than 50% of average household income while today it is over 80%. But who cares? People just finance the hell out of it and so manufactures add more expensive features into it. Without the auto loans people simply could not buy these cars no matter what the government or EPA mandated be put into them.

Would you believe Henry Ford had a simple weekly payment plan...interest free. He was opposed to going into debt to finance a vehicle. GM's president Aflred Sloan had a different idea. "How do you get people to buy things that they can't afford with the money in their pocket?" He created the first auto loan company called GMAC. And it's off to the races. And as an aside the Dodge Brothers actually sued Henry Ford for giving his employees a $5 dollar raise, saying the extra money should go to shareholders not employees. Banksters.

 

[RedlandRanger]

I don't even have to watch the video to tell you why trucks and everything else made is getting worse. Government involvement! Take away things that worked and replace mandate them with things that don't. Let companies outsource everything overseas with cheap labor and you have a what we have today. Then add in they're trying to make trucks more like cars. Now I do love some of the tech and creature comforts but they should make a good old fashioned stripped down work truck. One with no options, no power windows or door locks a regular radio, heck even throw in an 8 track tape option. ?

Remember when you could actually buy an appliance that had a 10 year warranty and would last several decades? There's still some ugly green & pink appliances still going strong from the 70's in some older homes today. We've become a disposable country hooked on cheap crap.

Well, as with most things it isn't one thing - it is a combination of things, the EPA being one. But it is also automakers desire for higher profitability and consumers preference for "bigger is better".

I totally believe that the corporate push for profitability at all costs is to blame for a lot of these things. There should be other things besides profitability that are important. Like providing decent wages to employees rather than going to executives. Providing products that are not disposable. I could go on. I hate the fact that products have become disposable but I don't know how you change that.

It was a very interesting video and I have to say I agree with most of what he said.

 

[RedlandRanger]

The trucks and new vehicles in general have grown as the length of the auto loan has grown. It always comes back to the banksters.

Previously someone could not live so far beyond their means, no matter how stupid with money they might be. Over the decades small 12 month payment plans have become 96-month loans. The average auto loan is now 69 months for a new car and 67 months for a used car. And in the 1950s a new car was less than 50% of average household income while today it is over 80%. But who cares? People just finance the hell out of it and so manufactures add more expensive features into it. Without the auto loans people simply could not buy these cars no matter what the government or EPA mandated be put into them.

Would you believe Henry Ford had a simple weekly payment plan...interest free. He was opposed to going into debt to finance a vehicle. GM's president Aflred Sloan had a different idea. "How do you get people to buy things that they can't afford with the money in their pocket?" He created the first auto loan company called GMAC. And it's off to the races. And as an aside the Dodge Brothers actually sued Henry Ford for giving his employees a $5 dollar raise, saying the extra money should go to shareholders not employees. Banksters.

Follow the money...... That is how corporations have been able to push all these ridiculous price increases on people - and the marketing departments make people think they can't live without any of it. A perfect storm.

 

[Jason B]

I don't even have to watch the video to tell you why trucks and everything else made is getting worse. Government involvement! Take away things that worked and replace mandate them with things that don't. Let companies outsource everything overseas with cheap labor and you have a what we have today. Then add in they're trying to make trucks more like cars. Now I do love some of the tech and creature comforts but they should make a good old fashioned stripped down work truck. One with no options, no power windows or door locks a regular radio, heck even throw in an 8 track tape option. ?

Remember when you could actually buy an appliance that had a 10 year warranty and would last several decades? There's still some ugly green & pink appliances still going strong from the 70's in some older homes today. We've become a disposable country hooked on cheap crap.

Shoot, if some auto makers have their way, you won't be getting AM radio. They'll probably save about a dollar per vehicle if they remove AM. There's a bill in congress called the “AM for Every Vehicle Act” to mandate that all cars have AM radio 'for safety reasons'. I don't listen to AM, so I don't understand the 'safety reason'. There's nothing on AM doesn't isn't on FM or thru smart phones.

 

[AzScorpion]

Well, as with most things it isn't one thing - it is a combination of things, the EPA being one. But it is also automakers desire for higher profitability and consumers preference for "bigger is better".

I totally believe that the corporate push for profitability at all costs is to blame for a lot of these things. There should be other things besides profitability that are important. Like providing decent wages to employees rather than going to executives. Providing products that are not disposable. I could go on. I hate the fact that products have become disposable but I don't know how you change that.

Sadly I don't think there's any way to change it now. Most companies put profits over quality now and their shareholders are demanding more, especially with these higher interest rates. Just read any financial article and you can see it. When the Fed gives and indication that they may not lower rates (or raise rates in the last 2 years) Wall Street throws a fit and the markets will be in the red. They're so hooked on lower rates and cheap money they could care less about what that really does to the economy (and country) as a whole. We had 15+ years of "free money" (0%) it should take that long to correct itself but Wall Street wont let that happen.

As soon as the Fed starts to lower the rates (if they do it to soon which I'm sure they will) things are going to get out of control again and inflation will spike even faster this time. Housing will not get any cheaper it will actually do the opposite. Add the out of control government spending (both parties!) which is only devaluing our dollar even more and we'll be right back to where we were 2 years ago with 8%+ inflation. I only wish they'd add in the numbers for energy, insurance and food because the real inflation numbers are more like 18% -22%. Ya gotta love government math!

 

[AzScorpion]

Shoot, if some auto makers have their way, you won't be getting AM radio. They'll probably save about a dollar per vehicle if they remove AM. There's a bill in congress called the “AM for Every Vehicle Act” to mandate that all cars have AM radio 'for safety reasons'. I don't listen to AM, so I don't understand the 'safety reason'. There's nothing on AM doesn't isn't on FM or thru smart phones.

My guess it has something to do with the EBS (Emergency Broadcast System) and that it was set up to broadcast over am radio. Like you I can't remember the last time I listened to am radio. Probably back when I was a kid and was forced to listen to my dads God awful country music. lol I either stream iHeart radio, use Sirius XM or my USB Flash drive.

 

[TJC]

Shoot, if some auto makers have their way, you won't be getting AM radio. They'll probably save about a dollar per vehicle if they remove AM. There's a bill in congress called the “AM for Every Vehicle Act” to mandate that all cars have AM radio 'for safety reasons'. I don't listen to AM, so I don't understand the 'safety reason'. There's nothing on AM doesn't isn't on FM or thru smart phones.

AM signals travel much further and tend to be noisier. But there is a place for AM in case of emergencies. Local stations may be out but on a clear night AM can travel great distances giving news updates to areas where the infrastructure has failed. Same with internet drops. Smart phones won't work. But AM, like HAM radio operators will still be active.

 

[TJC]

Sadly I don't think there's any way to change it now. Most companies put profits over quality now and their shareholders are demanding more, especially with these higher interest rates. Just read any financial article and you can see it. When the Fed gives and indication that they may not lower rates (or raise rates in the last 2 years) Wall Street throws a fit and the markets will be in the red. They're so hooked on lower rates and cheap money they could care less about what that really does to the economy (and country) as a whole. We had 15+ years of "free money" (0%) it should take that long to correct itself but Wall Street wont let that happen.

As soon as the Fed starts to lower the rates (if they do it to soon which I'm sure they will) things are going to get out of control again and inflation will spike even faster this time. Housing will not get any cheaper it will actually do the opposite. Add the out of control government spending (both parties!) which is only devaluing our dollar even more and we'll be right back to where we were 2 years ago with 8%+ inflation. I only wish they'd add in the numbers for energy, insurance and food because the real inflation numbers are more like 18% -22%. Ya gotta love government math!

And Government Inflation calculations have been played with until it has become meaningless. They had behind the fake data to proven that this is no inflation.

Below is ShadowStats Inflation rates calculated on the methods used by the US Government in 1980 and then again in 1990. The red lines are the "Official US Government Inflation Rate. The blues lines are the Official US Government Rates used in 1990 (top chart) and 1980 (bottom chart)

We peaked at 17% 2022-23 using 1980 calculations, and a tad over 12% using the 1990 based calculations. Of course the US Gov states we only made it to 9%.

John Williams and his now deceased partner knew their business. shadowstats.com tells the truth when it comes to the US economy.

Remember way back in 1971 when Nixon was President, he froze wages and prices nationwide due to the high risk of an unbearable 4% inflation rate. Wikipedia will tell you the inflation rate went to 5.84% at that time, but they bend the facts to suit their agenda. I remember the event very well.

Here is how Shadowstats explains it

​

Alternate Inflation Charts​

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The CPI chart on the home page reflects our estimate of inflation for today as if it were calculated the same way it was in 1990. The CPI on the Alternate Data Series tab here reflects the CPI as if it were calculated using the methodologies in place in 1980. In general terms, methodological shifts in government reporting have depressed reported inflation, moving the concept of the CPI away from being a measure of the cost of living needed to maintain a constant standard of living.​

 

[KNI]

Agree on the bed size. Would be nice to have it doubled.

130" bed would fit a standard pulpwood cut.

 

[Friday yet?]

My guess it has something to do with the EBS (Emergency Broadcast System) and that it was set up to broadcast over am radio. Like you I can't remember the last time I listened to am radio. Probably back when I was a kid and was forced to listen to my dads God awful country music. lol I either stream iHeart radio, use Sirius XM or my USB Flash drive.

Weirdly, I find that the older I get the more miles I can drive with zero radio of any type playing. I can remember not even backing out of the driveway without the tunes on. Now? 500 miles of quiet? No problem. Kind of strange really. ?‍

 

[AzScorpion]

Weirdly, I find that the older I get the more miles I can drive with zero radio of any type playing. I can remember not even backing out of the driveway without the tunes on. Now? 500 miles of quiet? No problem. Kind of strange really. ?‍

lol I totally get it! Like you there are times I can drive for miles and never realize I haven't put the radio on and enjoy the peace and quite now. There were times on some of our trips where Annie would say "can you put the radio on".

I think some of it's from all the loud music I use to listen to with in my cars/trucks and on the job site. When you're working construction that's pretty much all you hear all day long is music blaring from every subs radio which are all on different stations. When I moved to AZ I only did residential work and in 9 years I never brought my radio to work once. Only downside is you tend to get inside your head more and some days that's not a good thing. lol

 

[Friday yet?]

Plus... if we could go out today and buy a 1970 Ford F150, in line 6, manual trans, we would not need to even think about buying a replacement vehicle for what.... 25, 30 years or more? Well Ford can't have that! The public simply must have new vehicles every few years.

Another advantage? A minor "bump" into another object/vehicle might scratch the paint on the bumper... versus a $5K repair bill in today's vehicles.

Picking on Ford, but it's every manufacturer.

I plan to keep my Ranger until they carry me out of here. But in reality, will a modern vehicle last that long? (This comment assumes that a piano does not fall on my head in the near future.)

 

[Friday yet?]

downside is you tend to get inside your head more

Yep! That shit can get scary!!!!!

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