According to SEMA's 2007 Automotive Lifestyles enthusiast survey, 27% of those surveyed own a pickup, and 85% of these consumers say they have purchased specialty equipment for their trucks within the last year. The following is an excerpt from the 2006 SEMA Light Truck Personalization Report, which provides demographic information about owners of specific pickup models.
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Truck Owner Age
The majority of the truck owners surveyed are between the ages of 35 and 64 with a mean age of 47.06 years for fullsize pickup owners and 49.37 for midsize owners. The Silverado seems to be the most popular fullsize choice for those between the ages of 18 and 24, while the Dakota is the most popular choice for those 65 and older.
Truck Owner Education
The results indicate that Silverado owners have the lowest education level, while owners of the Tundra have the highest. Overall for fullsize pickup owners, 64% of those surveyed have had some college education or less.
In 1999, 32.8% of the truck owners surveyed had some college education, 22% were college graduates and 9.4% had postgraduate degrees. The 2004 results represented an increase in truck owners with postgraduate degrees, a decrease in truck owners with some college education and an equal percentage of truck owners with college degrees. In 2006, the results are spread rather evenly for both the midsize truck owners and the fullsize truck owners. Ridgeline owners are most likely to be college graduates, while Silverado owners are more likely to have a high school education or less.
SEMA members can now receive their complimentary copy of the 2006 SEMA Light Truck Personalization Report as another benefit to being a member. This data-intensive report is filled with valuable light-truck specialty-equipment industry information and can be downloaded by visiting www.sema.org/research.