Test Your Knowledge With These Questions Every Truck Owner Should Know

AUTO

By: Dave Davis

7 Min Quiz

Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

Pickup truck owners are a different breed of driver. Not content to simply get themselves from place to place, they want to be able to move cargo — in some cases a massive amount of cargo — with them. On average, they are considered by most to be more capable and handier than their car-only counterparts on the road. Are you a pickup driver, or do you aspire to be one? Prove you belong in the ranks of pickup owners by showing what you know about this vehicle class on our quiz!

It didn't take long for the pickup to be developed — vehicles that offered the drivability of a car and the carrying capacity of a truck showed their value on the front in World War I — but it's only in recent years that the pickup came into its own in popularity. The best-selling vehicle in the U.S. today is, in fact, a truck. (Do you know which one? It might be coming up in a question soon.)

There's an old joke that one of the features that come standard with any pickup is a supply of friends wanting your help to move things, but the truth is a real pickup driver doesn't mind. They are more than willing to put their truck to use; if they didn't want to, they would have just settled for a car. 

So, are you pickup truck material? We're about to find out, so open up the tailgate, load it up with answers and let's see if you can pull your weight — and then some — on this quiz about this beloved vehicle!

What should new pickup drivers keep in mind when first getting behind the wheel of their truck?

On average, a pickup truck can weigh almost 2,000 pounds more than a standard car, and that mass needs to be taken into account when driving, as it affects acceleration, braking and handling. It's a big vehicle; make sure you give it the respect it deserves.

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The Tundra and Tacoma are trucks built by which manufacturer?

The Tacoma, introduced in 1995 and the larger Tundra, released in 2000, are the pickup trucks currently offered by Toyota. The Tacoma is currently one of the best-selling trucks in the U.S. market, averaging more than 20,000 sold each month in 2018 and 2019.

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What is "rolling coal" when it comes to pickup trucks?

"Rolling coal" is the practice of modifying a pickup truck's diesel engine to belch huge clouds of black smoke from the vehicle's exhaust system. This is often done to protest "rampant environmentalism," and it certainly makes the vehicle no friend to the environment.

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The Frontier and Titan are trucks made by which automaker?

Although the Japanese automaker is credited with making the first compact truck — the Datsun 1200, released in 1960 — Nissan currently makes mid-sized and full-sized pickups in the Frontier and Titan, respectively. The Frontier, also called the Navara in different markets, started production in 1997, and the Titan first hit the streets in 2003.

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The Ford F-250, Ram 2500 and Silverado/Sierra 2500 are examples of what type of pickup?

The three-quarter-ton pickup truck, which is classified by the U.S. government as a "Class 2" vehicle, generally weighs about 6,000 pounds empty, can carry a payload of between 3,000 and 4,000 pounds and hauls about 13,000 pounds.

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Which of these is the best-selling pickup truck of all time in the U.S. market?

The Ford F-Series (of which the F-150, F-250 and F-350 are all a part of) is not only the best-selling pickup truck line of all time, but the F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for decades. In 2017, there was a record of 896,764 F-Series trucks sold.

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It's a car! It's a truck! Which of these manufacturers produced the Ranchero?

The Ford Ranchero was classified as a "couple utility," and lived up to the name. Built on a two-door station wagon frame, the passenger cabin was all car, and the bed behind it was all pickup. Produced from 1957 to 1979, the Ranchero inspired what would be an even more famous car, the Chevrolet El Camino, in 1959.

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Which of these companies partnered with Ford to create a special model of the F-Series truck?

In 2000, motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson partnered with Ford to create a special edition line of the F-Series (the F-150 in 2000 and the F-250/350 in 2004). These vehicles were clad in black trim, had an augmented engine and offered leather on the seats usually reserved for HD biker jackets. The line ran until 2011.

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What is a "chassis cab" when it comes to pickup trucks?

A "chassis cab" pickup is a truck that has a full cabin but only rails behind where the bed usually is found. This type of vehicle allows the user to modify the vehicle for various uses and is usually a larger pickup (three-quarter-ton or larger).

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The Ram 3500, Silverado/Sierra 3500 and the Ford F-350/450 are all examples of which type of pickup?

When you need to move some heavy things from place to place, the one-ton truck is the truck for you. They generally weigh more than 6,000 pounds empty, can carry their own weight in the bed, and modern versions can pull more than 30,000 pounds.

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The Chevy Silverado 1500, the Ford F-150 and the Ram 1500 are all examples of what type of truck?

Light-duty pickup trucks are the most common type of vehicle sold in this sector, with most having a payload capacity of between 1,500 and 3,000 — more than enough for most uses people have for their truck.

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What do a sports utility truck and a crew cab truck have in common?

There are differences between standard pickup trucks with crew cabs and sports utility trucks (SUTs), but the one thing they have in common is the number of doors — four, to be precise. While the SUT — examples include the Chevrolet Avalanche and the Hummer H2 — might have fallen out of favor, some experts believe the category might be primed for a comeback in the near future.

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Which company made the first production pickup truck?

Although pickup trucks were developed and used in World War I, many consider the first production pickup truck to be made available to the general public was the Ford Model TT, developed in 1917. A year later, Chevrolet introduced its own pickup, the Model 490.

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What is the difference in the turning radius of a pickup truck and a car?

Pickup trucks can do a great many things a car cannot, but turning on a dime is not one of them. If you're used to driving a smaller, more responsive car, make sure you give yourself some extra room when making tight turns. Maneuvers you take for granted in a car require a little more thought in a pickup.

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Which automaker produced the iconic "Li'l Red Express"?

The Li'l Red Express was a variant of the third generation D series developed by Dodge. In addition to its bright red paint job and exterior package, it also had a 360-cubic-inch four-barrel V8, making it one of the fastest production vehicles at the time. Produced from 1978 to 1979, the Li'l Red Express was not available in certain states because of their noise restriction laws.

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Which of these is a bigger challenge to people not used to driving pickup trucks?

Because it's longer, a pickup truck's body is fundamentally different from a standard car (unless you're used to driving a 1977 Lincoln Continental; if you are, it's actually not that different). The front of the truck isn't that much different than a car's, but make sure you know where your back fenders are when backing up.

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In what year did the venerable Chevrolet C/K truck first hit the streets?

The Chevrolet C/K series first hit showroom floors in 1959 for the 1960 model year and was updated several times during its lifecycle. The C/K series was replaced by the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra models in 1999 (previously, the Silverado and Sierra were trim levels of the C/K line).

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July 20 is what special day for many pickup owners?

If you use your truck for what it was made to do, you're going to get some scratches, dings, dents, gouges and other "beauty" marks. On July 20, truck owners of well-used, well-loved trucks are encouraged to honor their automotive pal, and maybe enter it in a contest and get some accolades!

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The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor and the Dodge Warlock are examples of what type of vehicle?

Although not as popular as their muscle car cousins, there are a few examples of a pickup truck that more muscle under the hood that you might expect for a vehicle its size. The F-150 SVT Raptor and the Dodge Ram 1500 Warlock are members of this sector of the pickup market.

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What is the approximate towing capacity of a light-duty pickup truck?

A typical light-duty pickup can tow about 12,000 pounds, which is plenty for most people. If you need to tow more regularly, look at a medium- or heavy-duty truck or renting one for occasional jobs. Your light-duty transmission will thank you!

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What does the "C/K" denote in the Chevrolet C/K truck line?

The Chevrolet (and GMC) C/K pickups were equipped with either two-wheel drive (the "C" models) or four-wheel drive (the "K" models). There were many trim levels offered over the years, including CST, Cheyenne, Super Custom, Sierra Grande, Sierra and Silverado.

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New truck owners should watch out for which hazard when getting used to driving their vehicle?

Moving from driving a car to a pickup truck is not as difficult as it used to be; thanks to advancements in power steering and other tech, modern vehicles handle similarly now. Nevertheless, being mindful of a different type of blind spot is essential for safe driving. Also, you can always say "no" when people want you to move heavy objects.

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In what year did NASCAR start its truck series?

The rising popularity of pickup trucks prompted NASCAR to add a truck series because people love to see their make of vehicle compete on the track. Started in 1995, the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, as it's known today, fields entries from Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota and more.

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Which company announced that, except for a certain popular model, it would cease making passenger cars for the U.S. market, focusing on trucks and SUVs?

Citing the falling demand of passenger cars and the rising demand for pickup trucks and SUVs, Ford announced in 2018 that it would shift its production focus toward the larger vehicles, leaving only the Mustang in the lineup as the only true passenger cars beginning in the 2020 model year.

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In 2019, how long did it take the world's fastest production truck go from 0 to 60?

In February 2019, a Roush-tuned Ford F-150, dubbed the Roush F-150 Nitemare, posted a 0-to-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds, believed to be the fastest-to-date speed of such a test. The two-door truck had a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that put out 650 horsepower.

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How many generations of the F-Series truck have been made since its introduction in 1948?

Ford's best-selling pickup line has had a lot of facelifts and overhauls over its long career. The 13th generation hit the streets in 2015 and was made 750 pounds lighter than the previous generation. The 14th generation is expected to appear in showrooms for the 2021 model year.

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Which automaker introduced the concept of a "crew cab"?

The Travelette, built in 1957 by International Harvester, has the distinction of being the first mass-produced pickup truck with more than one row of seats; it had two, which would seat six. In 1961, the Travelette was built with four doors (earlier models only offered three).

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Which of these companies is developing the first modern electric pickup?

Expected to hit the street in the 2021 model year, the Rivian R1T will be the first modern all-electric pickup truck to be available on the consumer market. The all-wheel-drive vehicle should be able to travel 400 miles on a single charge and can tow more than 11,000 pounds.

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How many consumer pickup trucks were manufactured in the U.S. in 1944?

The production might of the U.S. was put into full use in World War II, with factories making planes, tanks and other weapons and vehicles for the war effort. The U.S. government suspended all production for civilian trucks during this time.

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When it comes to pickup trucks, what does the term "technical" mean?

A "technical" refers to a civilian pickup that has a heavy weapon (machine gun, an anti-tank weapon, etc.) mounted in the bed. The term is believed to have originated in Somalia during that country's civil war, where "technical assistance grants" were used to convert civilian trucks into military vehicles.

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Which of these trucks was the first pickup made by Toyota?

Toyota developed its first pickup truck, the G1, in 1935, just a few months after developing its first car, the A1. The Stout was the first Toyota pickup sold in the United States, hitting showroom floors in 1964.

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In the U.S., about how many vehicles on the road are pickup trucks?

About a fifth of vehicles on U.S. roads today are pickup trucks (the F-150 is, in fact, the most popular vehicle on North American roads). This is a uniquely American phenomenon, by the way; in Europe, pickups only make up about 1% of vehicles sold.

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About how many pickup owners report using their vehicle for work?

Only about 15% of truck owners say that they use their pickup trucks in the day-to-day operation of their businesses. That's not to say that people who own trucks don't work when they drive it — moving a couch is work — but the truck isn't necessary for them to make a living.

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Which state has the most pickup trucks in the U.S.?

Thanks to construction booms and other economic factors, California has the most pickup trucks of any state in the union (about 4.7 million as of 2016). Texas comes in second with 4.2 million, and Florida rounds out the top three with 2.1 million.

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Which country has the most pickup trucks per capita?

While the U.S. has more pickup trucks than Thailand, the market share of pickup trucks in that country is over 50 percent, meaning that, if you own a vehicle in Thailand, it's probably a pickup.

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