03 Gmc Sierra Regular Cab Mason Dump Truck 4wd 4x4 6.6l Lb7 Duramax Dmax Diesel on 2040-cars

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Huge, pricey trucks haul jobs and profits for the Detroit Three

DECATUR, Texas — Mickey McMaster is on his 12th pickup truck. The 61-year old farm equipment dealer in Decatur, Texas, two weeks ago treated himself to a 2019 GMC Denali for around $69,000 — a reward for long hours at work. "For me this is the Cadillac of trucks, it's a real luxury vehicle," McMaster said. "I've worked my way up to afford a truck like this and it shows that I've earned it." McMaster is the kind of customer General Motors Co is banking on as it plans to add 1,000 jobs at a plant in Flint, Michigan that will build a new generation of its largest pickups. Demand from Texas and other heartland states for big pick-ups is providing a lifeline to many workers the No. 1 U.S. automaker is laying off at plants elsewhere. The Detroit Three automakers and thousands of their U.S. workers are counting on customers like McMaster to keep buying bigger and more luxurious pickup trucks even if overall U.S. vehicle demand weakens this year, as most analysts predict. At Flint, GM will build a new generation of its heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierras, including luxury models that are some of the most profitable vehicles on the planet. GM, Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's Ram division own the segment and are each doubling down with new or redesigned models launching this year. Sales of heavy-duty pickups in the United States have grown to more than 600,000 vehicles a year, up more than 20 percent since 2013, according to industry data. Prices for luxury models can easily top $70,000. GM on Tuesday celebrated the launch of a new generation of heavy-duty GMC and Chevrolet pickups at the assembly plant in Flint, Michigan, that is now building all such trucks for the company. At the same time that GM is laying off thousands of U.S. workers and planning to shutter five North American factories, Flint is hiring. The plant runs on three daily shifts, six days a week. As the new model's assembly system ramps up, the plant's capacity will increase by more than 25 percent, plant manager Mike Perez told Reuters. The Flint plant plans to add 1,000 workers, more than half of the 1,500 factory workers who have asked to transfer from plants GM has targeted for shutdown as part of CEO Mary Barra's restructuring plan. "We're bringing in 50 to 100 people every week," said Perez. Workers last week were still finishing the job of retooling the Flint factory to build the new heavy-duty trucks as part of a $1.5 billion investment project.

Regular-cab, short-bed Chevy Silverado Trail Boss pickup looks great

For all the wild popularity of full-size pickups, there's one configuration that U.S. buyers are no longer offered: the regular-cab, short-bed truck. Interestingly, however, GM still does make this configuration, and both the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra are offered with it — in the Mexican market. That body style, however, is available solely in ultra-basic work-truck form. But a custom wheel shop, JC Wheels in the Mexican city of Culiacan, has converted one of these Silverados to Trail Boss trim, and we're digging the result. The sporty shorty Silverado Trail Boss comes to our attention via GM Authority, after the shop posted it on their Instagram feed. The shop added a 3-inch lift, assist steps, Chevy alloy wheels, a Trail Boss front fascia including red tow hooks, and Trail Boss badging. They also added dark window tint, which seems like a good idea in sunny Mexico. In the U.S., the Silverado Trail Boss isn't offered at all in regular-cab form; it only can be had as a double cab or a crew cab, the latter with a choice of a short bed or standard bed. But size is often a hindrance for trucks that actually get driven on trails, where this regular-cab, short-bed variant's smaller wheelbase would be an advantage. Beyond that, the Trail Boss upgrades keep this configuration from looking like a basic-spec machine. That's even more true of the same outfit's previous efforts: the conversion of the GMC Sierra regular-cab, short-bed pickup into a Denali. With so many buyers choosing pickups as personal-use vehicles, it's not hard to think that this configuration could find an audience here. But the key would be to do as this Mexican firm has done and offer it in the desirable off-road and luxury trims, rather than as a basic work truck. Would you buy one? Sound off in the comments below. The next step would be to use this configuration as the basis of a full-size, two-door SUV, in the mold of the classic Chevy K5 Blazer and GMC Jimmy.

2024 GMC Canyon AT4X AEV teased on 35-inch tires

Last month, Chevrolet Performance teased the 2024 Colorado ZR2 Bison, which will be the ultimate hardcore off-road variant for that model developed in collaboration with American Expeditionary Vehicles (AEV). Since that camouflaged preview appeared, we've welcomed debuts of the competition, the 2024 Ford Ranger Raptor and 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro. Bookending a solid month of 4x4 delights, GMC teased the coming 2024 Canyon AT4X AEV. We can look at this as the GMC version of the Colorado ZR2 Bison, the Canyon's new-for-2024 AT4X trim given an additional boost in spec and capability. This isn't the truck's first flirt with the public. During media drives for the 2024 Sierra HD AT4X, one of the new heavy duty rigs showed up to the site pulling a trailer bearing a covered pickup. The mid-size form factor, 35-inch tires, and appearance at a GMC event were clues enough to the pickup's identity.  The official preview is proof of what we've been expecting. The revised front fascia wears a high-clearance bumper. Don't expect that winch to be included; the red hook in the tease is a digital add-on. You can expect the winch opening, boron steel underbody skid plating, and Multimatic dampers. The standard AT4X got a three-inch lift over the non-hardcore Canyon variants, in part thanks to being fitted with 33-inch tires. The 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory MT 315/70 17 tires on the AT4X AEV are thought to help provide 11 inches of ground clearance. Beefier wishbones and hydraulic bump stops help protect owners who want to test limits. Reports by folks who walked around the covered truck predict a set of beadlock-capable AEV Salta wheels like the kind sold with the full-size Sierra AT4X AEV Edition. The cover couldn't hide the sport rack in the bed nor the bed-mounted spare tire carrier. Those, like the winch, are likely options that add to the price. Don't be surprised if engine output is unchanged. The 2.7-liter H.O. turbocharged four-cylinder makes 310 horsepower and 430-pound feet of torque. We'll never complain about more, but that's plenty for a truck envisioned as a low-speed obstacle crosser.  All GMC is saying for now is, "An even more off-road capable Canyon is coming." It debuts on July 6. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.