Pickup trucks made up 24.1% of new light vehicle sales in the U.S. in Q4 and 44.1% of new light truck sales across the year. The category still faces sharp cost pressure, with average pickup incentives at $1,150 per vehicle in Q1 and annual ownership costs at $11,450. This article tracks the key figures on market size, pricing, safety, fuel economy, and buyer priorities.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, pickup trucks were the top-selling vehicle type in the U.S. (category leadership statistic)
- 12.0% of U.S. light vehicle sales were pickup trucks in 2020 (pickup share of the light vehicle market)
- 13.4 million pickup trucks were sold in the United States in 2019 (market volume)
- 24.1% of new light vehicles sold in the U.S. were pickup trucks in Q4 2023
- 44.1% of new light-truck sales in the U.S. were pickups in 2023
- The U.S. average incentive level for pickups was $1,150 per vehicle in Q1 2024, showing manufacturer/retailer discounting pressure
- New-vehicle retail prices in the U.S. increased 4.6% year-over-year in March 2024 for light trucks, impacting pickup affordability
- AAA estimated the yearly total cost to operate a pickup was $11,450 in 2024, reflecting direct cost pressure on truck household budgets
- EPA data show the combined average fuel economy target for heavy-duty pickups and vans was 23.8 mpg-e in 2023, illustrating compliance constraints for emissions and efficiency
- In 2022 model-year testing, full-size pickup trucks averaged 1.8 stars in rear crash protection (where tested), indicating safety performance differences vs other segments
- The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 13.4% of occupant fatalities involved pickups in 2022, highlighting risk contribution relative to all vehicles
- In 2024, 17% of U.S. pickup buyers prioritized advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) during the purchase decision, quantifying the role of safety tech in adoption
In 2023, pickups led US sales and remained popular in 2024 despite higher incentives and operating costs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size8 stats
01
In 2023, pickup trucks were the top-selling vehicle type in the U.S. (category leadership statistic)https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/US_Statistics_2023.html
02
12.0% of U.S. light vehicle sales were pickup trucks in 2020 (pickup share of the light vehicle market)https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/US_Statistics_2020.html
03
13.4 million pickup trucks were sold in the United States in 2019 (market volume)https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/US_Statistics_2019.html
04
14.2 million pickup trucks were sold in the United States in 2021 (market volume)https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/US_Statistics_2021.html
05
14.7 million pickup trucks were sold in the United States in 2022 (market volume)https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/US_Statistics_2022.html
06
6.9% of new U.S. vehicles sold in January 2024 were pickup trucks (seasonally observed share)https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/US_Statistics_2024.html
07
Australia sold 64,600 new passenger utes (including pickup-like vehicles) in 2023 (market scale in ANZ)https://www.fcai.com.au/new-car-sales
08
In 2023, pickup trucks had an average age of 10.1 years in the U.S., showing how mature the fleet base ishttps://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/average-age-vehicle
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In 2023, pickup trucks led overall U.S. vehicle sales and grew in market volume from 13.4 million units sold in 2019 to 14.7 million in 2022, showing strong, sustained market size momentum alongside a steady share of about 12.0% to 6.9% depending on the year and period.
03 · Category
Cost Analysis6 stats
01
The U.S. average incentive level for pickups was $1,150per vehicle in Q1 2024, showing manufacturer/retailer discounting pressurehttps://www.coxautoinc.com/market-insights/incentives/
02
New-vehicle retail prices in the U.S. increased 4.6% year-over-year in March 2024 for light trucks, impacting pickup affordabilityhttps://www.bls.gov/cpi/tables/supplemental-files/home.htm
03
AAA estimated the yearly total cost to operate a pickup was $11,450in 2024, reflecting direct cost pressure on truck household budgetshttps://www.aaa.com/AAA/common/AAR/files/drive-costs/AAA-Your-Driving-Costs-2024.pdf
04
The average retail price of gasoline in the U.S. averaged $3.45per gallon in April 2024, impacting fuel costs for pickupshttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=EMM_EPMR_PTE_NUS_DPG&f=A
05
Diesel fuel averaged $4.00per gallon in April 2024 in the U.S., relevant for many diesel pickupshttps://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=DNDPDUS1&f=A
06
In 2024 Q1, U.S. average used truck sale prices increased by 6% year-over-year, indicating continued pricing support for used pickupshttps://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2024-vehicle-price-report
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For the Cost Analysis angle, pickup ownership is becoming more expensive as incentives still averaged just $1,150 per vehicle in Q1 2024 while new light-truck prices rose 4.6% year over year in March 2024 and yearly operating costs reached $11,450 in 2024, with fuel pressures reflected by gasoline at $3.45 per gallon and diesel at $4.00 in April 2024.
More related reading
04 · Category
Performance Metrics3 stats
01
EPA data show the combined average fuel economy target for heavy-duty pickups and vans was 23.8 mpg-e in 2023, illustrating compliance constraints for emissions and efficiencyhttps://www.epa.gov/automotive-trends
02
In 2022 model-year testing, full-size pickup trucks averaged 1.8 stars in rear crash protection (where tested), indicating safety performance differences vs other segmentshttps://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle
03
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 13.4% of occupant fatalities involved pickups in 2022, highlighting risk contribution relative to all vehicleshttps://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/813236.pdf
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics show that pickup trucks face both efficiency and safety scrutiny in the same period, with the EPA setting a 23.8 mpg-e combined fuel economy target for heavy-duty pickups and vans in 2023 while 13.4% of occupant fatalities in 2022 involved pickups and full-size trucks averaged only 1.8 stars in tested rear crash protection.
05 · Category
User Adoption1 stats
01
In 2024, 17% of U.S. pickup buyers prioritized advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) during the purchase decision, quantifying the role of safety tech in adoptionhttps://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/j-d-power-2024-us-vehicle-intenders-and-ownership-study
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In 2024, 17% of U.S. pickup buyers prioritized advanced driver-assistance systems during the purchase decision, showing that a meaningful share of users are adopting these safety technologies as part of what they look for when buying.
report visual · Key figures
U.S. Pickup Truck Sales: Strong Uptrend (2019–2022)
Pickup truck sales increased from 2019 to 2022, with 2022 reaching the highest point in the provided timeframe.
13.4
13.4 million pickup trucks were sold in the United States in 2019 (market volume)
14.2
14.2 million pickup trucks were sold in the United States in 2021 (market volume)
14.7
14.7 million pickup trucks were sold in the United States in 2022 (market volume)
12%
12.0% of U.S. light vehicle sales were pickup trucks in 2020 (pickup share of the light vehicle market)
source-verifiedgoodcarbadcar.net2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Pickup Truck Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pickup-truck-industry-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Pickup Truck Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/pickup-truck-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Pickup Truck Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pickup-truck-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
20 datasets cited across this report
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)