Detroit’s boom-and-bust history was built on a dependence on big, fuel-thirsty vehicles. Now, with freshly stocked showrooms of new cars and more-efficient trucks, U.S. automakers are gaining ground on their Asian competitors with the best lineup in a generation.

Ford Motor Co. will add 2,000 jobs at a factory near Kansas City, Mo., to meet surging demand for pickup trucks and to build a new van.

U.S. pickup truck sales boomed in April, contributing to double-digit sales gains at Detroit auto makers as improving home construction spurred new-vehicle purchases by contractors and tradesmen.