Ten years ago there were an array of new vehicle maker regulations, particularly around fuel economy, that scale based on vehicle weight. The vehicle weight bar

Ten years ago there were an array of new vehicle maker regulations, particularly around fuel economy, that scale based on vehicle weight. The vehicle weight bar for purchasers to receive business expense tax relief was also set high. These ended up being a perverse incentive toward making trucks larger and heavier than ever, while lacking proportionate power (because of fuel economy). The result is comically large trucks getting stuck on tiny obstacles. Now that large trucks have settled in consumer perception as the new and shiny, it's a self-enforcing vicious cycle regardless of regulatory reform.