Amid gloomy overall numbers, pickups are shining brighter than other segments. While the American auto industry as a whole rose 14 percent last month, demand for Ford's F-150 went up by 29 percent, and sales of the 2011 F-Series Super Duty shot up a whopping 58 percent. Overall for 2010, Ford's pickup sales rose by 33 percent -- and it's not just Ford seeing the benefits. Excerpts from a report on Automobile.com:

"In June, GM’s largest trucks, the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado, experienced a sales increase of more than 25 percent. For the year, they are up by 11 percent.

"Demand for the Nissan Titan truck rose 24 percent in June and overall is up 26 percent this year. At Toyota, the sales of light trucks have risen by 17 percent this year. Sales of the Tundra pickup exploded 49 percent in June and are up 26 percent so far this year."

Well, truck drivers tend to be loyal to the segment, so there's little surprise that the buyers walking onto dealer lots are choosing pickups. Once again, those who drive trucks are doing the heavy lifting -- this time, though, it's in terms of auto sales.