Beyond the normal economic canary-in-the-coalmine vehicle sales indicator, the auto industry is having to come to terms with the frenzied vehicle upsizing scheme they have been working on for the past 15 years.

Nothing says “chump” quite like a temporary paper license plate on an newly purchased SUV these days, and the industry has done a darn good job convincing people that a truck is the only legitimate vehicle for just about any purpose.

Result? Well, no one wants to buy a new truck, and no one quite wants to downsize from a truck…not until their neighbors do anyway. So they are sticking with whatever they have…and dealing with the fuel payment as such.