John Gives us a short tour of a 2015 Ford Transit XLT 150 8-Passenger standard height Wagon with plenty of storage space in the back. Traveling comfort and economy in a new design passenger van. See more at http://HanselWorkTrucks.com.
1/30/15
Ford Transit 150 Wagon Walkaround
John Gives us a short tour of a 2015 Ford Transit XLT 150 8-Passenger standard height Wagon with plenty of storage space in the back. Traveling comfort and economy in a new design passenger van. See more at http://HanselWorkTrucks.com.
1/28/15
10 Reasons to Outfit Your Van with Sortimo Equipment
Outside Ford - inside Sortimo
You have decided to purchase a new vehicle?
Now all that is missing is the Sortimo equipment. Have a look at our standard solutions for your make of vehicle.
Branch specific add-ons and individual demands are absolutely no problem for us. Your local contact person will be glad to be of further assistance.
While each benefit directly translates into a dollar value for your customer, the importance of each will vary according to individual customer needs.
1. Highest Safety Since 1994, Sortimo equipment has been regularly crash-tested for safety with a full load. These tests have been conducted by independent agencies in Germany, UK, and France. Sortimo also offers various means of securing your cargo – from tool boxes to ladders to gas tanks – for safe transportation.
2. Lighter Weight Sortimo equipment is up to 65% lighter than predominantly steel-made components available in the U.S. market which results in greater fuel efficiency.
3. Higher Resale/Residual Value Sortimo’s equipment is installed without drilling into the vehicle resulting in greater resale value or residual value on a leased vehicle.
4. Transferable Upfit Sortimo’s equipment can easily be transferred to another vehicle, extending the life cycle of our products, and eliminating the need to purchase new equipment for replacement vehicles.
5. Increased Productivity Better organization means increased productivity of technicians who spend less time on each call, serving more customers each day.
6. Ergonomic Design Tools and equipment are easily accessible – for working inside or outside the vehicle.
7. Mobility Using a variety of Sortimo boxes, technicians can take their tools and parts from curbside to worksite.
8. Inventory Management Sortimo bins and boxes can be labeled and are removable. This gives customers the flexibility to organize in the warehouse and/or van, making it easy to load all job-specific tools and parts before going out on service calls, reducing the amount of excess inventory.
9. Optimum Space Utilization Locked-in drawers, bins, and tool boxes are arranged to optimize shelf space, allowing you to carry bigger payload in the same space, or the same payload in a smaller vehicle.
10. Versatility Sortimo’s modular design enables customers to quickly and easily re-configure bins and BOXXes to accommodate changes in working conditions. Upgrades and modifications can be made to the existing system without having to uninstall or re-install.
Source: http://www.sortimo.us/
1/26/15
Re-inventing The Factory | 2015 Ford F-150 Truck | Built Tough Test
The
factory that mass-produces the 2015 F-150 is as innovative as the truck
itself. See how new processes pay off in a truck that's built like no
other. See more at www.ford.com/trucks/f150
1/24/15
Maintainer Truck Bodies: Service Truck Overview
See all the truck bodies and options available at www.maintainer.com
1/22/15
The Ins and Outs of the New Harbor Trademaster for the SRW Transit
Harbor Truck Bodies has developed the WorkMaster Body for the all-new 2015 Single Rear Wheel Ford Transit cutaway.
The Harbor WorkMaster is an enclosed Service Body and often called a "plumbers body" with a roof and additional useful features. It is available in a 10' (10' 4") for the single rear wheel cutaway chassis. In the dual rear wheel models, it is available in a 10', 12' and 14' models and can be mounted on cutaway chassis or on conventional chassis cabs.
It is surprising how much storage and work space is available in the Trademaster 10 foot model mounted on the SRW Transit. There is storage for tools and parts in the lockable outside cabinets as well as the inside shelving. The bed area is lighted and has room for standing up and space available for working in an enclosed, covered area. The interior ladder rack keeps it out of sight. Rear grab handles provide for safe access into the bed area. Conduit and pipe can be loaded and accessed through a small rear door without unlocking or opening the rear doors.
Find a detailed description of the WorkMaster features
Ford Transit:
The Ford Transit is a major transformation in the full-size van you’ve been accustomed to driving. And it’s engineered to Built Ford Tough® standards for durability. Cutaway and chassis cab models with three wheelbases open to a world of versatile upfit possibilities.
Chassis Cab and Cutaway Model:
Ford Transit does everything from hauling cargo or transporting passengers. The Transit Chassis Cab accommodates delivery box, utility and flatbed updfits. And the Transit Cutaway with convenient direct cab-to-body access is ideal for applications from delivery to ambulances, shuttle buses and motorhomes.
Find the specs for the Ford Transit cut-away at: http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/transitchassis/trim/cutaway//viewall/
1/20/15
Roush Reports Ford 6.8 Liter CARB Nod
California Certification Paves the Way
for Retrofit Sales in All 50 States
Roush CleanTech reports California Air Resources Board certification for the retrofit of all Ford 6.8-liter engine-powered, model year 2012 to 2015 vehicles to propane autogas – and says it’s the first company to receive such approval.
With California Air Resources Board certification, any 2012-2015 model year Ford E-450, F-450, F-550 (shown), F-650, F-53 and F-59 vehicle can be converted to run on propane autogas in all 50 states, says Roush CleanTech.
The CARB nod means that any 2012 through 2015 model year Ford E-450, F-450, F-550, F-650, F-53 and F-59 vehicle with the spark-ignition V-10 engine can be converted to run on propane autogas, “making it easier,” Roush says, “for U.S. fleet operators to transition to this clean-burning, domestically produced alternative fuel.”
“We’ve seen increased demand for medium-duty trucks powered by propane autogas,” Roush sales and marketing VP Todd Mouw said in a release. “These high-mileage workhorses can be converted to autogas well into their long life and still provide a smart return on investment.”
Pre-Title/New Vehicle Upfits Too
Roush continues to offer a wide range of CARB-certified, dedicated liquid propane autogas fuel systems for new-vehicle/pre-title installation too. Offerings include Ford F-series trucks and E-series vans.
“These propane autogas powered vehicles offer equivalent horsepower, torque and towing capabilities as conventionally fueled counterparts,” Roush says, noting that it remains the only Ford QVM/Qualified Vehicle Modifier for propane autogas fuel systems: “All of Roush CleanTech’s system components have been designed, developed and integrated in collaboration with Ford,” the company says.
Source: http://www.fleetsandfuels.com/fuels/propane/2015/01/roush-reports-ford-6-8-liter-carb-approval/
1/18/15
Announcing the Harbor WorkMaster Body for the Ford Transit
Harbor Truck Bodies has developed the WorkMaster Body for the all-new 2015 Ford Transit cutaway. The Harbor WorkMaster is a Service Body and often called a plumbers body with a roof and additional useful features. It is available in a 10' (10' 4") for the single rear wheel cutaway chassis and comes with straight sides. In the dual rear wheel models, it is available in a 10', 12' and 14' models and can be mounted on cutaway chassis or on conventional chassis cabs.
Find a detailed description of the WorkMaster features at: http://htbi.net/workmasterbody.html
The Ford Transit is a major transformation in the full-size van you’ve been accustomed to driving. And it’s engineered to Built Ford Tough® standards for durability. Cutaway and chassis cab models with three wheelbases open to a world of versatile upfit possibilities.
Chassis Cab and Cutaway Model:
Find the specs for the Ford Transit cut-away at: http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/transitchassis/trim/cutaway//viewall/
1/16/15
2015 Detroit Auto Show Video: 2017 Ford Raptor
The Ford Raptor has been gone from the F-150 lineup for more than a year and we're still more than a year away before this new one goes on sale. Here's a closer look.
Cars.com photos by Evan Sears
Source: http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2015/01/2015-naias-video-2017-ford-raptor.html
1/14/15
Reinventing the F-150 Truck with Aluminum
The Ford F-Series has been an icon in the pickup truck market for more than 60 years. Now in its 13th generation, the truck is up to 700 pounds lighter than its predecessor model, increasing available payload without sacrificing strength.
"What do fleet customers want? They want to haul more, tow more, and go faster. But, they want to pay less for fuel. And, that is just what this truck does," according to Scott Fosgard, F-150 communications at Ford Motor Co. "The aluminum body on a lightweight high-strength steel frame allows us to use a 2.7L EcoBoost engine so customers can choose the best engine to best meet towing and payload requirements."
Needing to Change
This feat of structural engineering did not happen overnight.
"Back in 2008, we had a new platform for the F-150 and were thinking about what we could, and should, do," said Peter Friedman, Ph.D., manager of the Manufacturing Research Department at Ford Research and Advanced Engineering, with a background specifically in aluminum body construction. Friedman is responsible for the development and implementation of new automotive manufacturing technologies.
Prior to his current position, he led the Lightweight Materials and Processing group focused on the development of technologies that can enable expanded use of wrought aluminum products in automotive body structures.
After running, and re-running, sophisticated models, it came down to three possibilities, according to Friedman:
Make a smaller truck to deliver the customer better fuel economy.
Go with an alternative powertrain, although that wasn't currently what F-150 truck owners were looking for.
Significantly lightweight the truck to provide for additional payload or other additions later down the road without sacrificing fuel economy.
"Once we decided to go with lightweighting, the challenge was figuring out what we could change that would lighten the weight significantly. Not just change out a few panels here or there, but move enough weight to fundamentally change the truck enough to increase capacity and capability, and improve fuel economy — basically, make a better truck," Friedman said.
After other automakers utilized aluminum bodies, such as with Jaguar and Aston Martin, F-150 engineers decided that this was the road to take.
Testing the Possibilities
Ford engineers increased the use of high-strength steel in the all-new F-150 frame from 23 percent to 77 percent to create a pickup frame that is stronger, more durable, and structurally more rigid than the predecessor F-150, while saving approximately 60 pounds of weight. The remaining weight loss is due to the use of aluminum.
In designing the backbone of the F-150, Ford engineers improved the truck's fully boxed ladder frame. High-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloys are used throughout the F-150 body as well.
In 2009, Ford built a program called "Go Fast," in which the company built four aluminum F-150s utilizing the outgoing model, and performed the start of the truck's rigorous testing process.
"At the same time, we started designing the X1 — seven more trucks using the 'lessons learned,' and tested the trucks across the board," Friedman stated. "We performed the traditional durability cycle, and when we were done, we ran it 50-percent more, just because we could."
In testing the X1 prototype, the automaker had fleets test the vehicle without telling them it was an aluminum box. Fleets included those in the energy, mining, and construction industries.
The customers were told to drive and treat the trucks as they normally would in their daily working routines, but they were not told what parts of the trucks may have been different. After two years and more than 300,000 miles of abuse, teardowns, and inspections, new engineering tests and design changes were made to ensure the production box would be ready to handle customers' demands.
One thing that was confirmed: "Customers don't buy weight, but weight affects so many different things, such as fuel economy and drive quality, etc.," Friedman said. "But, if we are 700 pounds lighter, we can tow that much more, which directly impacts capability."
These updated trucks are also better in dent resistance.
"Since aluminum is roughly one-third the density of steel, you can make the metal thicker and still save weight," Friedman said. "For example, the new box floor went from 0.85 millimeters to 1.4 millimeters."
Another benefit of aluminum is that it is corrosion-resistant.
At a Glance
Some of the updates for the all-new aluminum truck include:
Lighter weight body, by approximately 700 pounds.
Increased box floor thickness for durability while still decreasing weight.
Increased use of structural adhesive and predominate use of self-piercing rivets.
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
With any new program, there are going to be challenges. There were several challenges in building the all-new F-150, from requiring spot welding and changes in the assembly process to requiring a large supply of aluminum, all while ensuring that line-speed and order-to-delivery times are not impacted.
First, the new design required a much larger stock of aluminum than the automaker previously had used.
"One of the biggest challenges was access to the amount of metal we were going to be using," Friedman explained. "Our aluminum suppliers did not have the capacity for this truck. New facilities were built to handle the increased capacity, including Alcoa, that made significant expansions to their systems."
However, with proper planning and working with its suppliers, the automaker was provided with an opportunity to rethink material specifications and tailor them to Ford's needs.
"Additionally, we operated a truly closed loop process for our aluminum, with any unused aluminum going back to the provider," he continued.
Another challenge was the simple fact that many new technologies were required to build the new trucks from the new materials.
"We have three times the amount of structural adhesive in the trucks and are predominately using self-piercing rivets and mechanical fastening. We do some resistance spot welding, but it's with new mid-frequency DC-welding techniques," Friedman noted. "It is a predominately stamped vehicle, but there are hydroformed extrusions and stress-banked aluminum extrusions, which are good ways to get structure into a tight package."
"One large hurdle was the turnaround time between Job Last and Job One, which was only four weeks," Friedman added. "Last year, one truck was built every 42 seconds and the new line rate is exactly the same."
Source: http://www.worktruckonline.com/article/story/2015/01/reinventing-an-icon-building-an-aluminum-truck.aspx#.VLLd5V7rCak.linkedin
1/12/15
Faster, Stronger, Smarter: Introducing Alcoa’s Micromill™
Only a company with deep understanding of technology and a constant drive to make things better could develop a breakthrough that so drastically improves the speed and composition of lightweight metal production. Find out how Alcoa innovated its most recent technology—the Alcoa Micromill™--to introduce the next generation of high tech metal that will benefit the automotive market and beyond. www.alcoa.com
1/10/15
2015 Utility Products Exposition - San Diego. February 3-5
10,000 individuals attended Utility Products Exposition, DistribuTECH and the Electric Light & Power Executive Conference 2014
- A record-breaking 64 countries were represented at these events
- More than 475* exhibiting companies
- 6 workshops were featured in the presentation theatre
- 10 product demonstrations were featured in the presentation theatre
- Video presentation of Storm Soldiers
- The latest safety products and newest technology on the exhibit floor
- Keynote Session by Gary Norland highlighting the importance of safety in the workplace
1/08/15
SpitzLift: Who We Are
The SpitzLift is the most payload efficient, material handling equipment available today.
1/06/15
2015 Work Truck Show and Seminars - Equipment Product Engineers On-Site at Exhibitor Booths
Visit the 2015 Work Truck Show - Indianapolis, IN March 4-6, 2015
- Lease or Capital Purchase
- Life Cycle Cost Analysis
- Rightsizing Your Fleet
- Developing Proper Truck Chassis Specs
- Dedicated Truck Productivity and Fuels Pavilion
- New Product Spotlight & New Exhibitor Showcase
- Sessions on improving fleet productivity through proper specification development
- Dedicated advanced technology and alternative fuels conference (Green Truck Summit)
- Sessions highlighting product updates by the leading chassis OEMs
- Green Truck Ride-and-Drive
- Intensive program on Fleet Management 101
- Dedicated advanced technology and alternative fuels conference (Green Truck Summit)
- Session on evaluating lease or capital purchase options for fleet managers
- Programming focused on equipment purchasing strategies, identifying fleet operating metrics and incorporating life-cycle cost analysis as a management tool
- Green Truck Ride-and-Drive
- Dedicated programming on boosting fleet efficiency and performance
- Insights from fleet managers who have developed successful action plans to deploy advanced truck technologies
- Intensive program on Fleet Management 101
- Examples of fleet operational metrics and best practices
- New Exhibitor Showcase
- Intensive Programming on Identifying Purchase or Lease Options
- 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing Feature
- Rhythm & Blues Extravaganza
- Truck and Equipment Displays Specifically for the Work Truck Industry
- NTEA Staff On-Site to Answer Your Technical and Regulatory Questions
- Intensive Programming on Truck Specification Development
- Access to Chassis OEM Update Sessions
- Truck Productivity and Fuels Pavilion
- Dedicated advanced technology and alternative fuels conference (Green Truck Summit)
1/04/15
F-150 Dominates New Vehicle Searches for 2014
If the number of searches on the Cars.com new- and used-vehicle listings is any indication, Ford is doing pretty well lately.
According to our sister site, Cars.com, the vehicles with the highest number of information and location searches in large cities and all 50 states are the Ford F-150 and Ford Mustang. Data show that the Mustang was tops in the West, Southwest and Florida, while the rest of the country was heavily dominated by the F-150.
Ford has just completed a 38-city test-drive tour around the country where tens of thousands of customers were invited to drive and learn more about the new 2015 F-150. The first of the new trucks built at the Ford Dearborn Truck Plant in Michigan started arriving at dealerships around Thanksgiving, while more of the first-wave crew cab and SuperCab models are making their way to dealerships now.
To see how the V-8 F-150 measures up to the competition, PickupTrucks.com will be publishing our 2015 Light-Duty V-8 Challenge in early January. Look for more information to come.
Cars.com graphic
Source: http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2014/12/f-150-dominates-new-vehicle-searches-for-2014.html
1/02/15
Introducing the all-new, 2015 Ford F-150
Your hard work is about to take a giant leap forward. Because the all-new Ford F-150 is here.
This is whole new age of truck. This is legendary toughness and capability, plus exclusive innovations to help you work smarter and think bigger than you ever could before. This is the Future of Tough.
Subscribe to our YouTube page to catch all of the action and see for yourself:
https://www.youtube.com/user/fordtrucks
1/01/15
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