Dive Brief:

• Contractors and builders bought 51.2% of the pickup trucks sold in the U.S. in the first six months of this year, a level unseen since the mid 1980s.
• A fleet management consultant says the sales reflect construction hiring.
• Buyers will find redesigned 2014 models will have a larger percentage of the purchase price as their resale values.

Dive Insight:

The construction industry normally accounts for about 40% of pickup purchases, CNW Research said, and that fell to 39.4% in 2008, when the recession got traction. The Dodge Momentum Index grew in August, as did the AIA Architectural Billing Index, and contractors appear to be gearing up for more work.