A Girl and Her Truck

Tales of a Pickup Mom

By Becky J. Beall

“Mom, you can’t drive a truck,” my son says. I’m not sure how that stereotype evolved but even my 10-year old son associated pickups with the male gender. Good thing he wasn’t born in the 70s – he would really freak out over some of the things I do!

Maybe it’s a southern thing, maybe not, but I am certainly noticing that today’s society is much more accepting of women and their trucks. As few as ten years ago, a woman driving a pickup truck would be commonly referred to as a “redneck.” I felt like anything but a redneck driving the 2005 GMC Sierra 1500 2WD extended cab pickup truck.

PERFORMANCE
The 6.0L V8 Vortec engine offers an abundance of power which proves useful when merging into heavy traffic and carpool moms seem to always be in “heavy traffic.” The smooth ride is made possible by the high performance suspension which makes almost anyone seem like a seasoned pickup driver, taking turns with precision and poise.

The sleek exterior needs no introduction…it turns heads, as my children say. You can’t help but notice the 5-spoke 20” chrome wheels but what you can’t see from the outside may be the best part. The power sunroof and stereo (XM Satellite Radio and 6-CD changer) with BOSE speaker system brings out the teenager within me. I find myself asking, “Does anyone need to go anywhere? I’ll be glad to take you.” I don’t need much of an excuse to drive the fire red truck.

FUNCTIONAL AND PRACTICAL
Saturday morning is usually the time when I announce what all we would do today if we could borrow someone’s truck. Today, we just do it. Hauling everything from kids to bags of mulch, I am finding that my new red “toy” is also a functional and practical addition to our family. No matter what the load, the ride is never compromised – not even when an animal suddenly dashes in front of me causing an abrupt stop.

Stopping for gas, a passerby inquires about my mileage. “I bet you get gallons to the mile instead of miles to the gallon in that truck,” he laughs. “No sir,” I replied. “I’m averaging 14.5 mpg,” I recite as I check my driver information center conveniently located on my steering wheel. Saying it out loud makes me realize that this is better than the mpg I typically get from my SUV. And this is in-town mileage…on the highway it gets up to 19 mpg. Not bad for a full size truck!

CONVENIENCE AND COMFORT
My family has become so lazy upon entering a vehicle. They are what we call vehicle snobs. They think it’s a joke that some people actually turn a handle to roll up the window. With that in mind, this pickup is meant for us. Power doors and windows, cruise control, dual zone air conditioning and leather seats round out an interior package that really spoils us. And did I mention the wide access rear doors? I don’t even have to get out of the truck to let the kids in…great feature! Speaking of great features, we all loved the seat-mounted safety belts – no tangling up while loading the vehicle.

SAFETY
I may have listed safety last but it is first on my list of things I look for in a vehicle. For the GMC Sierra, safety is definitely a priority. Standard equipment on this pickup includes driver and passenger air bags, auto-control halogen headlamps, daytime running lamps, theft deterrent ignition and front head restraints. Knowing my family is safe, whether we are going on a trip or just across town, gives me peace of mind in purchasing a vehicle. I think you will agree.

ROAD TRIP
Agreed, it’s hard to measure a vehicle’s real worth until you take it on the road. Not to the grocery store but on a road trip. And so I did. As I merged onto the freeway, the whirring of the engine never flinched as I glided smoothly into the flow of traffic. I did have to keep an eye on the speedometer as it hastily hung toward the right. I hit rain, challenging rain, complete with thunder, lightning and wind gusts. This would normally be quite the deterrent for me. I just don’t find enjoyment in feeling my way through a southern afternoon thunderstorm but to my surprise, I went through it without delay. Hugging the road like an old teddy bear, this truck is more than pleasing to the eye…it is a dream to drive! I would drive it, with all its’ comfort and amenities, from here to California and back without ever thinking twice about reliability or security.

PRICING
Pricing for the 2005 GMC Sierra 1500 2WD Ext Cab Pickup is slightly less than $40,000 even with the performance edition package which includes the high output engine, chrome wheels, XM Satellite Radio and bed extender among other amenities. For more information visit the GMC web site at www.gmc.com.

My son wants a ride to a friend’s house. “Hey, mom…let’s take the truck!” he insists. Boy how times change. I don’t feel like “mom” any more…I just feel like a girl with a truck!