Driving through downtown Whitehorse, it isn't uncommon to see a number of large trucks parked at the side of the road with "For Sale" signs prominently displayed in the back windows.

Scattered across most of the parking lots in town, it seems like more people are trying to get rid of their big vehicles.

"It never pays to commute in a V8," Duane Preece, sales manager for Mic Mac Motors in Whitehorse, said in an interview Tuesday.

Preece said consumers have fuel efficiency in mind when they walk onto the lot, adding there is a huge interest in hybrid technology.

"It's price, first and foremost, that's on their mind. The next thing they ask is, ‘How is this for fuel?'" said Preece.

Even though many Yukoners need trucks for work or leisure, he said the trend is toward smaller vehicles.

Many are looking for a second vehicle for commuting. Sales have been skyrocketing recently, and his dealership is having trouble keeping enough stock.

"I'm not complaining here; this is a good problem to have. But people want to buy something they can see and touch, not something they're looking at in a catalogue," he said.

Preece estimated that the wait time for buying a hybrid vehicle is between 100 and 150 days across Canada.

He told the Star he can't even keep hybrids around for consumers to see, because they're being sold before they even arrive.

"We all got to drive, but we need to be looking at alternatives," he said.

"In the end, we all bow to the almighty dollar…and if you can get 10 Yaris for the same price as three trucks…it just makes sense," said Preece.

Rod Leiske, sales manager for Metro Chrysler Ltd., has also noticed the trend toward smaller cars.

"Small cars have been big," said Leiske.

He said demand is up, and the dealership is running out of stock. Though trucks are still selling, he's also observed that many people are trading in their pickups for compact vehicles.

"It's the difference between 40 miles a gallon and 13 miles a gallon," said Leiske. "That's definitely what's on people's minds."

Tammy Hamilton, general manager of Klondike Motors, saw a difference in her sales as soon as the gas prices started going up.

She said the number of cars going off the lot is significantly higher, and that customers are fixated on fuel efficiency.

Hamilton feels people are now finding alternatives wherever they can. If they can use the truck on weekends, then drive a small car to their jobs Monday to Friday, then that's what they'll do, she said.

Derek Kindervater, sales manager at Whitehorse Motors, the local Ford dealership, has concerns about hybrid technology.

He said there are significant safety factors, adding hybrids are not designed for the northern climate.

His dealership does not sell any hybrids, though the Escape hybrid is available in other places across Canada.

He related a story of an Emergency Medical Services paramedic being electrocuted while trying to cut a victim out of a hybrid car in the United States. He said emergency crews are not yet properly trained to deal with hybrids.

However, Kindervater has seen a huge increase in smaller car sales.

"Sales have been steadily increasing all year long, so I don't know if I can relate it exactly to the gas prices. But we've definitely got increased traffic coming in looking for something inexpensive."

He said his most popular car is the 2008 Ford Focus sedan, which gets 50 miles per gallon of gas.

In the end, most managers at local dealerships did not seem overly concerned with the slippage in truck sales.

"The fact of the matter is, you need a truck, you buy a truck," said Hamilton.

Her sentiment was echoed by all of her competitors, who are stocking up on smaller cars nonetheless.