Welcome to the forum from a fellow Californian! Looking forward to see what you get and what you do to it! The first thing I would do, even before you get a new vehicle, is get a Scangauge 2 or Ultragauge. If your new truck is pre-1996 (pre-OBDII), you can build an MPGuino for the same use (lots of threads here about that!). It will help you learn what driving style is best for you and your vehicle, especially most efficient speed.
Here is the ultragauge website:
UltraGauge Automotive Information Center and OBDII Scan Tool
And this is for the scangauge, however, you can get it here at EM for a discount:
ScanGauge - Trip Computer + Digitial Gauges + ScanTools
Keep us posted!