Alternatively, buying and maintaining a second vehicle (insurance, wear and tear, etc.) is more expensive than just using your current vehicle, which you alread

Alternatively, buying and maintaining a second vehicle (insurance, wear and tear, etc.) is more expensive than just using your current vehicle, which you already need to use a few times a month to haul things in the bed which you'd prefer to do yourself instead of looking for outside help as that takes time. If there were economically affordable smaller trucks that are likely more fuel efficient than the behemoth trucks - the Ford Maverick hybrid seems to be the start of that trend - then I'm sure you'd see more people purchasing these vehicles used and new. This is completely ignoring subcultures in the US that roll coal and drive lifted trucks, etc. etc. as they just think that stuff's cool.