Despite loud slogans about the “American workhorse,” most pickups in the US do not live on farms at all. According to Strategic Vision, about 90% of pickup truck owners never use them for their intended purpose, and 40% simply drive around “for fun.” That is, a Ford F-150 or RAM 1500 is more often parked near a Starbucks than near a construction site.
Moreover, a third of American pickups tow nothing, and one in ten trucks doesn’t carry any cargo at all. For most, it is just a status symbol and an embodiment of “American independence.” However, sometimes also a source of problems: according to IIHS, large pickups with high hoods are 45% more likely to cause fatal accidents with pedestrians.
And now for the sarcastic Ukrainian reality. Here, a pickup is not a lifestyle symbol, but a tool for survival. Ukrainian pickups work in the literal sense of the word: on the front lines, in mobile fire groups, on volunteer routes, and in the logistics of the Armed Forces.
Ukraine today is probably the only country in the world where pickups are seen more often than in the US. And if there they serve image, then here — in a country holding its defense — they serve the people.