Trucks are expensive mainly because they are bigger, more complex, and in higher demand than ever, while costs and regulations have gone up across the whole auto industry.
Key cost drivers
- Modern trucks are much larger, more powerful, and more luxurious than older work trucks, which means more materials, more powerful drivetrains, and more complex engineering. This all raises manufacturing costs and sticker prices.
- Buyers tend to choose high-trim, feature-packed models (leather interiors, big touchscreens, advanced driver-assistance, off‑road packages), so manufacturers build fewer basic “stripper” trucks and focus on loaded versions with higher profit margins and higher average transaction prices.
- Supply chain issues (especially semiconductor shortages) and production bottlenecks left dealer inventories low while demand stayed strong, so both new and used truck prices climbed and stayed high.
Economic and regulatory factors
- Inflation has increased the price of raw materials like steel, aluminum, rubber, and plastics, as well as labor and transportation, and those higher costs get passed on to buyers.
- Safety and emissions rules push automakers to use lighter materials, more efficient engines, and additional safety tech, which all add development and production expense that shows up in the final price.
- Because trucks hold their value well and are in steady demand for both work and personal use, the used market is tight too, so even older trucks stay unusually expensive compared with many cars.
