---
date: 2026-03-07T23:30:48-07:00
description: "From a legal loophole in the 70's, we now deal with tanks on American roads."
image: "/images/ford-f150.webp"
image_alt: "An image of a vintage blue Ford F150"
lastmod: 2026-03-09T00:32:23-06:00
showTableOfContents: false
tags: ["cars", "politics"]
title: "How Cars Became Trucks"
type: "post"
---

# An American Saga

As every great story in the U.S. of A. goes, what started small and mighty is now big and ugly.

The American car manufacturers played a big role in American life and in American government. They represented the heart of this country's manufacturing as well as the force that got everyone where they needed to go.

No other country adopted the car quite so integrally as the United States did.

But, as the [government cracked down on polluting cars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_Air_Act_(United_States)#Regulatory_programs) coupled with the [1973 oil embargo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis), consumer sentiments toward these gas guzzlers started to shift. Car manufacturers were obligated to reach a target MPG of 27.5 of the average car sold in their fleet by 1985.

{{<aside>}}
I was shocked to learn this was the _average_ MPG of an entire manufacturer's offering. 30 years ago!
{{</aside>}}

This new legislative requirements for efficiency and safety applied to cars. However, a little slice was cut out for light trucks, work trucks, non-passenger work trucks. Seems like there are multiple terms for it...

Which makes some intuitive sense. A farmer's work truck shouldn't be held to the same standard as a commuting vehicle, its very hard to achieve that sort of fuel efficiency while idling half the day outside the barn.

## The Truck-Shaped Loop-Hole

However, the American car manufacturers notice something interesting:
People will pay more for bigger cars, we can make bigger cars for cheaper. If we classify them as work trucks they aren't beholden to the same safety regulations, and sell them for a larger margin!

Long story short, massive trucks flood the streets of you average road in the U.S. It's evolved into a collective action problem due to the danger these huge vehicles pose.

With regular cars, there are tighter regulations on the bumper, namely how high off the ground they sit. But for work trucks? No, we gotta get over some rocks, raise that bumper up!

A [great video on the topic (YouTube)](https://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=JPm4de6-eTg) was recently published by Climate Town on YouTube, I enjoy their stuff so I recommend giving it a watch!
