It's changed, and recently. In the last 10-20 years the utility of pickups has changed substantially, as well as the fortunes of the people who used them in their jobs. Construction, lumber, and similar are familiar as part of the market of an industry that I'm working with. Until 10-20 years ago, you could hop into a new pickup's bed, or reach the bed floor over the rails. New pickup beds come with folding ladders built in, because they're so high off of the ground it's a requirement for many owners.
New pickups do still get used for construction - but only by the owners and some management can afford a new pickup. New pickups on construction sites pull trailers to put cargo at a human accessible height.
Pickups in lumber jobs are also a luxury. Any vehicle driven to lumber sites will effectively be destroyed, they get bent, bashed, and permanently embedded with filth. The rank and file drive what they can afford and don't mind destroying due to the nature of the job, or they ride in with the rest of a crew, or more and more often they don't drive to a site because they're forced labor rented from prisons.
People who need pickups for everyday, practical uses are using vans, trailers, or buying older pickups. 20 year old pickups are so much more practical than new that certain models in excellent shape will sell for more now than they did when new. New pickups and their predecessors are entirely different vehicles.
New pickups do still get used for construction - but only by the owners and some management can afford a new pickup. New pickups on construction sites pull trailers to put cargo at a human accessible height.
Pickups in lumber jobs are also a luxury. Any vehicle driven to lumber sites will effectively be destroyed, they get bent, bashed, and permanently embedded with filth. The rank and file drive what they can afford and don't mind destroying due to the nature of the job, or they ride in with the rest of a crew, or more and more often they don't drive to a site because they're forced labor rented from prisons.
People who need pickups for everyday, practical uses are using vans, trailers, or buying older pickups. 20 year old pickups are so much more practical than new that certain models in excellent shape will sell for more now than they did when new. New pickups and their predecessors are entirely different vehicles.