Fresh from a fifth year of growth in the U.S., carmakers are rolling into the new year with yet another sign of good fortune: Cheap fuel is gassing up truck sales. Consumers bought more pickups, minivans and sport utility vehicles than cars in every month of 2014. That’s something Detroit ’s carmakers and their rivals haven’t enjoyed since 2004 when a barrel of oil sold for less than $40. And the industry’s bonanza in the world’s most valuable market should continue. Hot-selling pickups like the Ram 1500 and luxury SUVs such as the Cadillac Escalade command higher prices and fatter profits than most passenger cars. Available credit, cheap gas, and good lease deals have given consumers the confidence to buy more of both. All automakers are projected to report on Monday that sales rose in December. Last month’s annualized sales pace, adjusted for seasonal trends, may have been 16.9 […]