It's a bad time to be dependent on pickup truck sales.  Ford and Dodge, however, are stuck.  Both have invested millions in new pickups that are coming to market at a time when no one can buy them.  Press accounts say the 2009 Dodge Ram and Ford F-150 are both well-designed trucks that could meet the needs of millions who can no longer afford them.  What to do?  Discount them like crazy, apparently.

Kicking Tires reports, "If you're one such person, the 2009 Dodge Ram and 2009 Ford F-150 are already featuring cash-back deals that could convince you the time is now. The Ram 1500 gets $1,000, while the 2500 and 3500 get $2,000. The F-150 SuperCrew and regular F-150 share a $2,000 incentive, too."  The discounts, apparently, apply nationwide.

Until recently, it was almost unheard of for an automaker to discount a new vehicle the day it hit showrooms.  But Autoblog comments, "The move comes as little surprise as the construction projects in the US have slowed and this summer's $4 per gallon gasoline has scared thousands of potential buyers out of the truck market. Both Ford and Chrysler (GM?) are hoping monetary assistance will bring those buyers out of hiding and into their local Ford or Dodge dealer." 

These are just a sampling of the deals available now.  Check out the best car deals we found in October for more discounts on new cars and trucks.