The rising price of fuel has scared off some casual truck buyers, but, according to MSNBC.com, pickup sales are still the third-largest automotive segment in North America.

Yes, sales have fallen overall, from two million units down to 1.4 million in 2008, but that's still about 11 percent of all vehicle sales in the United States. The big difference? The people buying pickups are those who actually need them. While trucks will continue to serve as workhorses, you can expect less expensive, more fuel-efficient trucks to enter the market to lure back those who like the way trucks look but don't use them to go off-road, tow, or haul.