Trucks are such a hot commodity in Southeast Missouri that dealers say they are having difficulty meeting demand.

Tim Coad, owner of Coad Chevrolet in Cape Girardeau, said he is now only able to secure enough trucks to last for a month. "Last year Chevrolet said we needed to have a 120-day supply of trucks at all times," Coad said. "Now I'm lucky if I can have a 30-day supply. I'll take as many S-10 Blazers as I can get."

Coad said some dealers are desperate enough to be willing to pay other Chevrolet dealers for trucks. "Some dealers will pay up to $3,000 per truck to meet the needs of their customers," Coad said.

Steve Ramey, sales manager at Cape GMC Pontiac, said truck sales are up nationally. However, Southeast Missouri dealers' truck sales exceed the national average.

"Our truck sales increased about 12 percent over 1993, and it looks like it will go higher this year," Ramey said. Features, which make trucks ride like a car but pull like a horse, have widened a market that now includes families along with single male and female drivers.

Jim Riehn, a salesman at Brenneke Chevrolet, said pickup trucks represent 71 percent of sales at the Jackson dealership. "With a farming community here, there's a big need for trucks," Riehn said. He said Blazers and Suburbans are the top-selling trucks in Jackson.

Stan Irwin, quality control manager for Ford Groves, said extended cabs in pickup trucks allow families, construction workers and farmers to store necessary items while enjoying the leg room and comfort afforded by a car.

Irwin said intense competition between Ford and Chevrolet in the truck market has paved the way for new features. "Ford and Chevy are in a race to develop a third door on the passenger side that would allow you to load from three different areas and get into the cab without using the side door," Irwin said. Irwin said the F Series pickup truck is one of the hottest selling items at Ford Groves.

Tom Jaster, sales manager at Auffenburg Chrysler Plymouth, said the Dodge Ram pickup truck has made a serious dent in the market of late. "It's one of the hottest selling trucks in the market," Jaster said. "The Dodge Ram was named Truck of the Year by Motor Trend Magazine. That's a prestigious honor."

The award has spurred brisk sales of Dodge Ram trucks, Jaster said. The Dodge Dakota, a mid-sized truck, is also a popular item at Auffenburg Chrysler Plymouth.

Ken Griffor, general manager at Crown Cadillac, Oldsmobile and Nissan, said the two-wheel drive, five-speed truck is "the best kept secret" in Cape Girardeau. "It seems like as soon as we get them on the lot, they're gone," he said.

Griffor said used trucks are also a hot item in the region. "There is just a fantastic market for used trucks here," he said. "I wish we could get more of them."

Nissan, Toyota and Mazda trucks compete in the smaller truck market. However, Toyota has made a move to compete in the larger truck market as well.

Wade McDonough, business manager at Cape Girardeau Toyota, said the new T-100 is Toyota's first venture into the mid-size truck market. "It's been a real popular model since it came out," he said.

McDonough said the compact truck is still Toyota's best selling truck, however.

David Kinder, sales manager at Wieser Honda-Mazda, said that four-wheel drive trucks are selling at a healthy pace. "The market is very strong in four-wheel drive, and it seems that not just farmers or construction workers are buying them," he said. "The baby boomers who are now having families see trucks as a practical and comfortable means of transportation."