Gas prices fell dramatically during the second half of 2014 and still remain very low as 2015 gets underway and oil continues to lose value.

This has sparked a ripple effect throughout the automotive remarketing industry, turning many consumers toward truck and SUV purchases, as well as pushing prices up in the auction lanes for these very same vehicles.

And it seems to be impacting the leasing industry, as well, as recent data from Swapalease.com shows that there was a drastic increase in leasing trucks in 2014.

Expanding credit availability and lower fuel prices perhaps played a role in this movement, even though trucks traditionally haven’t made up a significant portion of the lease market.

According to Swapalease data, when comparing truck inventory and consideration data from 2014 against 2012, the site find that there has been significant growth in both the number of shoppers driving truck leases, and those looking for truck leases.

"It has always been interesting to see trucks as a top driver of overall sales historically without this translating over to lease activity," said Scot Hall, executive vice president at Swapalease. "I think what you're seeing today, however, is a shift among traditional drivers of trucks who now see the value of strong lease deals available for popular truck models. Furthermore, the typical driver of a truck has always had the mindset of holding onto that vehicle for a long period of time, and truck technology is now advancing and refreshing more frequently, giving rise to the number of drivers who wish to upgrade every few years."

On top is the Chevy Silverado, which has seen a 286.4-percent jump in Swapalease.com inventory and an 89.6-percent spike in shopping consideration over the last two years.

The Ford F-150 has also seen growth, as inventory for this model on the site has grown by 69 percent when compared to 2012, while searches jumped up by 89.6 percent.

The Dodge Ram 1500, another example of truck interest, saw a 79.3-percent jump in inventory and an 11.1-percent increase in searches.

Lastly, the Toyota Tundra saw an impressive jump of 110 percent in inventory and 27.6 percent in searches.

Interestingly, the increased interest in trucks also served to push average transaction prices up in the used market last year.

That’s according to analysts at Edmunds.com, whose latest Used Vehicle Market Report shows in 2014, the average 1-year-old vehicle sold for almost $30,000, which is 5.7 percent higher than in 2013.

Rapidly dropping gas prices played a role in boosting average retail used-car prices, Edmunds analysts pointed out.

According to the report, lower gas rates drew consumers toward larger, less fuel-efficient vehicles, which tend to tout higher price tags — such as trucks.

Also, as lower interest rates were more prevalent and longer loan-terms became the norm last year, shoppers were able to purchase more expensive used vehicles.

And dealers looking to ramp up used inventory of trucks to meet demand may be paying a bit more in the lanes.

According to the latest Guidelines report from NADA Used Car Guide, gas prices are also expected to play a part in ramping up truck prices during February and March.

Pickup prices were already on the way up during the first month of the year, with prices rising by 7.9 percent year-over-year, according to NADA UCG.