GM Ramps Up The Truck Wars, 10 Billion FSD Miles, Big Bulky Delivery

Shoot us a Text.
Episode #1337: GM looks to capitalize on Ford’s pickup shortage, Tesla hits a major FSD milestone (without the autonomy leap), and Home Depot takes on the messy world of big-and-bulky delivery.

Show Notes with links:
GM is looking to stock up where it counts—full-size pickups—after missing early-year demand. With Ford still recovering from supply issues, GM sees a prime opportunity to gain ground in the most profitable segment on the lot.GM ended Q1 with 9% fewer pickups on dealer lots, citing factory downtime and strong prior sales.
The plan: boost inventory over the next few quarters while staying cautious on overall demand.
Ford’s F-150 supply is down over 40% after a supplier fire, creating a short-term opening.
Ram could also benefit, with stronger inventory and fewer production constraints.
“GM should pick up a lot of share in Q2,” said Morningstar analyst David Whiston.

Tesla just crossed 10 billion miles on its Full Self-Driving system—a milestone Elon Musk once tied to achieving unsupervised autonomy. But despite the headline, drivers still need to keep their hands on the wheel… and eyes on everything.Musk previously suggested that milestone could unlock “safe unsupervised” driving.
The reality check is that FSD remains a Level 2 system requiring constant driver attention.
Liability still sits with the driver—not Tesla—unlike fully autonomous competitors like Waymo.
The gap between milestone and reality highlights ongoing questions around autonomy timelines.

Home Depot is tackling one of retail’s toughest challenges: delivering big, bulky items faster—and with visibility. While small packages have gotten slick, lumber and concrete are a different beast entirely.Home Depot is rolling out real-time tracking for large deliveries, targeting a long-standing “blind spot.”
Over 55% of SKUs now qualify for same- or next-day delivery, tripling since 2022.
The company is investing in specialized distribution centers for bulky goods like lumber and concrete.
Most big-item deliveries (about 90%) are still handled by third-party logistics providers.
“The final-mile bulky goods delivery network is… the most complex,” said NHDA’s William Lecos.

Join Paul J Daly and Kyle Mountsier every morning for the Automotive State of the Union podcast as they connect the dots across car dealerships, retail trends, emerging tech like AI, and cultural shifts—bringing clarity, speed, and people-first insight to automotive leaders navigating a rapidly changing industry.

Get the Daily Push Back email at https://www.asotu.com/
JOIN the conversation on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asotu/