2008 has been one heck of a year for truck owners, or any other driver for that matter. Fuel prices have gone through the roof, so much so that many of us feel like we're no longer working to make ends meet for our families, but to hand over whatever we make to the big oil companies. It is absolutely infuriating to see oil companies make stupendous record profits quarter after quarter, and then have them tell us prices will likely go up even more because of Wall Street or because some of their refineries are "down for maintenance." And as if the outrageous cost of gas and diesel isn't bad enough, many of us are now stuck with vehicles whose resale value has collapsed because suddenly everybody wants a Prius. It's easy to panic when you discover you owe more on your truck than its now depressed resale value, if it even has one. The instinct of many truck owners is to ditch the vehicle, even at a loss. If you feel that way, don't do it. Everything is cyclical, the situation will look different a year from now, and often there are easy fixes that can make a big difference. For example, have you ever thought of getting a retractable tonneau cover?

In case you're not quite sure what retractable tonneau covers are, we're talking about easily installed roll top covers that convert the open bed of your pickup truck into a bedlocker. Some are full metal for extra security, some have remote controls for easy use, some have special locks, and there are "jackrabbit" retractable systems that make it super-easy to open and close the cover. The overall idea of a tonno is add utility to a truck by letting you close off the bed. That way you can keep cargo out of sight and also nice and dry when it rains. It makes an awful lot of sense, especially since you can simply roll the tonne up when you don't need it. The whole cover retracts into a small box mounted behind the rear window.

The point I am trying to make here is that there are always going to be situations that force people into knee jerk reactions. When gas prices hit four dollars a gallon in mid-2008, a lot of shortsighted folks dumped their trucks and SUVs and bought smaller, less utilitarian vehicles at grossly inflated prices. I am all for efficiency, and some of our trucks are perhaps a bit bigger than they have to be, but it makes no sense to over-react. Not when you can actually safe a lot more by doing a combination of sensible things like cutting out unnecessary trips, inflating tires properly, making sure the air filter is reasonably clean, and keep the foot off the accelerator no matter how tempting it is to hear that engine roar.

Or treat yourself to a cool truck tonneau. It just makes sense. They don't cost a lot, they go on easy (you don't even have to drill), they look great, they add utility, and they even save gas. Yes, those retractable tonneau covers improve the aerodynamics of the truck and that, in turn, reduces fuel consumption. Not by a lot, but perhaps a mile per gallon or two. If you drive a lot, that adds up.