There are lots of things you can put on the back of a truck without fear that are too dirty/grimy/smelly/wet to be comfortable throwing in the back of the van. Most of the "work" an American truck sees is light yard work and maybe moving around dirt, seed, mulch, lawn decorations, or small machines. The rest is fully recreational or stylistic. Trucks are really, really nice to have and no one would be judgemental about whether you "really need one" if it weren't for global warming. Most Americans also couldn't give less of a shit about global warming no matter what they say.