How Air Curtains on F-150 Help Reduce Aerodynamic Drag and Aid Fuel Efficiency

•     New air curtain technology that guides airflow across the front wheels to reduce wind turbulence helps make the all-new F-150 the most aerodynamically efficient F-150 ever
•     Horizontal slots underneath the headlamps channel air from the front of the truck through ducting to openings in the wheel wells – directing it across the outer surface of the wheel and tire
•     Distinctive Built Ford Tough style of all-new F-150 pushes boundaries of bold design while increasing aerodynamic efficiency over the previous model

DEARBORN, Mich., July 15, 2015 – The 2015 Ford F-150 is the most aerodynamically efficient F-150 ever, thanks in part to new aero curtains that reduce wind drag by guiding airflow across the front wheels.

Air curtain technology, which first debuted on the all-new Ford Mustang, allows air to flow through a vent underneath the headlamps and out around the wheel. Side-by-side animations show how airflow is smoother at the front wheel and down the side of the truck with the air curtain, versus without it.

By optimizing the aerodynamic design of F-150, Ford designers and engineers reduced drag to help F-150 deliver a best-in-class gasoline EPA-estimated rating of 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway when equipped with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost® V6 engine.1 

Using air to manage airflow

“With the new F-150, an extensive amount of time was spent running aerodynamic simulations and doing wind tunnel tests,” said Rob Lietz, Ford technical expert in applied computational fluid dynamics. “Major advances in our computational fluid dynamics capability let us quickly see how we could improve airflow while maintaining the tough truck looks expected from F-150.”

It’s not obvious to the eye, but rotating wheels are a major source of drag. Enclosing the wheels in skirts to smooth the flow isn’t necessarily practical or attractive – especially on a vehicle as hardworking as F-150. So Lietz and team adopted a different approach.

Horizontal slots underneath the headlamps channel air from the front of the truck through ducting to openings in the wheel wells – directing it across the outer surface of the wheel and tire. The wall of high-speed air works much like a skirt to reduce drag, while still leaving the alloy wheels fully exposed.

Other F-150 aerodynamic efficiency improvements include:

•     Flush-mounted windshield eliminates need for molding that would disrupt smooth airflow
•     Tailgate top is designed to act as a spoiler, giving air that flows off the roof a place to land before smoothly trailing off – reducing turbulence behind the truck
•     Cargo box is narrower than the cab, with no reduction in box volume, which enhances airflow, while a trim piece prevents air from getting trapped between cab and box
•     Rear corners including taillamps are precisely angled so air breaks off cleanly – reducing turbulence behind the truck
•     Duct under headlamp channels air through to the wheelhousing and reduces the wake generated from the wheel

The result of the work of Ford engineers and designers is another incremental improvement in aerodynamics that helps F-150 earn its position as the most fuel-efficient gasoline pickup in the light-duty truck segment.

12015 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 4x2 model tested for EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined. Actual mileage will vary. Class is full-size pickups under 8500 pounds GVWR.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 194,000 employees and 66 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

Caseco Lube & Mechanics Truck New Features

Don Freeman, Vice-President of Business Development at Caseco talks with Joe Hughes, of the National Ford Truck Club about some of the changes and features of the Caseco lube and mechanics bodies. See much more about Caseco at http://www.casecotruck.com

Video: Ford Focuses on Alternative Fuel Options

Ford Focuses on Alternative Fuel Options, CNG, Propane, etc.

Business Spotlight - Supreme Truck Bodies

An overview of Supreme Truck Bodies

Utilimaster Shows Off the New Velocity Delivery Truck

Joe Hughes, President of the National Ford Truck Club gets a tour of a new product from Utilimaster by John Marshall, vice-president of sales & marketing. This new model named Velocity, will be available in the near future and is a lightweight body with unique features that delivery drivers are going to love.

See more about the Velocity and other products from Utilimaster at http://www.utilimaster.com

New F-150 Raptor Wraps Up Initial Desert Durability Testing

DEARBORN, Mich., July 7, 2015 – The 2017 F-150 Raptor – Ford’s toughest, smartest, most capable off-road truck ever – recently completed more than 1,000 miles of testing in the southwestern United States.

Over 1,028 miles of desert trail designed to parallel the Baja race course in Mexico, the 66-mile route featured a wide range of surfaces including fast sandy washes, deep-rutted silt beds, steep climbs in deep sand, and slow meticulous crawls through tight trenches. The truck topped speeds of 100 mph in places, slowing to 10 mph in others, for an average speed of approximately 50 mph. The 2017 Raptor is 25 percent faster than the current truck based on lap times.

At the end of each lap, the new Raptor completed a tabletop jump consisting of a steep ramp up to a two-foot plateau, then a step-off back to level ground. The vehicles tested were early build prototypes made from a mix of 2015 F-150 and 2017 F-150 Raptor components.

As is the case with all Built Ford Tough trucks, Ford engineers pushed the new Raptor harder in a few days than it will be pushed over the lifetime of a typical vehicle – far exceeding what an owner would do on the trail.

Testing of the next Raptor, first revealed earlier this year, continues into 2016. The 2017 F-150 Raptor goes on sale in fall 2016.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 194,000 employees and 66 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

Ford F-150 Earns Highest Truck Score Ever as Ford Trucks Sweep AutoPacific 2015 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards

DEARBORN, Mich., July 8, 2015 – The most satisfied owners of full-size pickups chose Ford trucks, according to the automotive researchers and consultants at AutoPacific. The all-new Ford F-150 – the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 ever – and the Ford F-Series Super Duty have swept the firm’s 2015 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards.

The 2015 Ford F-150 – with best-in-class towing, payload and EPA-estimated gasoline fuel economy, along with the government’s top five-star crash test rating for every cab configuration – won the Vehicle Satisfaction Award for light-duty pickups with the second-highest owner score ever recorded by AutoPacific and the highest rating ever for a truck.

Ford F-Series Super Duty – with best-in-class diesel horsepower and standard torque – won the Vehicle Satisfaction Award for heavy-duty pickups, giving Ford a clean sweep in both truck classes measured by AutoPacific.

AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Awards objectively measure owner satisfaction with 50 separate attributes ranging from fuel economy and performance to interior comfort and styling.

“The Vehicle Satisfaction Awards look at the big picture, including owners’ experiences with overall quality and safety,” said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, “but it goes deeper than that. We also take into account the heart of the ownership experience to determine those vehicles that are extremely satisfying to their owners.”

AutoPacific’s press release is available here.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 194,000 employees and 66 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.
About AutoPacific

AutoPacific is a future-oriented automotive marketing and product-consulting firm. Every year AutoPacific publishes a wide variety of syndicated studies on the automotive industry. The firm also conducts extensive proprietary research and consulting for auto manufacturers, distributors, marketers and suppliers worldwide. Company headquarters are in Tustin, California, with an affiliate office in the Detroit area. Additional information about AutoPacific and the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards can be found on AutoPacific's websites: www.autopacific.com and www.vehiclevoice.com.

Ford, Hewlett-Packard Using Coffee Stops, Big Data to Better Manage Fleets and Personalize Employee Drives

•     Ford and HP Fleet Insights experiment analyzes information from daily driving to lead to more efficiently managed fleets, car sharing and personalized driving experiences
•     Experiment gathered information from national HP fleet vehicles and HP employee volunteer drivers around the U.S., learning HP drivers share similar coffee, airport parking and refueling habits, which could be leveraged to reduce operating costs while improving convenience and services
•     The Fleet Insights experiment is one part of the Ford Smart Mobility plan aimed at better understanding consumers’ mobility needs around the globe

Ford Motor Company engineers have completed a real-world driving experiment with HP, one of the world’s largest technology companies, discovering which commuting commonalities could provide future breakthroughs for better managing fleets, personalized services and recommendations for individual drivers.

Using HP’s Big Data Discovery Experience Services and the HP Haven big data platform, the engineering team gathered data and analyzed it to determine possibilities for lowering operating costs and optimizing underutilized vehicles for fleets as well as personal driving.

Among the observations of the experiment: Regardless of location, most HP drivers grabbed coffee at the same national coffeehouse and refueled with the same brand of gasoline, while traveling employees often left vehicles unused at the airport for days.

While it’s no surprise road-tripping employees stop for coffee, data analysis about commutes and driving routines could lead to greater economies of scale for company fleets and new solutions for optimizing underutilized vehicles.

“The Fleet Insights experiment is one of the first steps to better understand and learn about how driving behavior is changing,” said Marcy Klevorn, Ford vice president and chief information officer. “Fleets could see operating costs lowered through national buying contracts and improved utilization and maintenance, while individual drivers could receive coupons or create cooperative pools to share unused vehicles.”

The Ford Fleet Insights experiment included HP fleet vehicles that were equipped with wireless sensors plugged into each vehicle. Ford data scientists and IT leaders used the HP Vertica analytics engine, part of the HP Haven platform, to explore patterns and multiple dimensions of fleet driver activity. Also, each driver could access their data using a custom smartphone app to recall trip details, if needed.

“HP and Ford share a common vision around bringing together data, mobility, and analytics to explore new ways to deliver better customer experiences, new revenue streams, and lower fuel and maintenance costs in the automotive industry,” said Martin Risau, senior vice president, Analytics & Data Management Practice, HP Enterprise Services. “The results of this experiment can help unleash improvements for business operations for fleet management and personal driving experiences.”

Observations during the experiment included:

•     Regardless of location, most drivers visited the same national coffee house and refueled with the same brand of gasoline
•     Traveling employees often left their vehicles unused at the airport for days. These vehicles could be utilized more effectively by nearby drivers
•     70 percent of trips took place during weekdays and typical trip distances were 13 miles or less

Trips fell into four groups:

•     City block driving (34 percent): Involved frequent direction changes, driving near the speed limit, idling at stoplights with short distances.
•     Freeway driving (21 percent): Involved few driving direction changes with large deviations from the speed-limit depending on traffic, and long trip durations and driving distances with less stop and go than City Block Commute.
•      Non rush-hour Driving (29 percent): Short trip duration and short-distance with less stops and idling
•      Rush-hour driving (16 percent): Short trip duration and short-distance with frequent stops and idling during peak drive hours

The Fleet Insight experiment data collection phase was completed in June after gathering information from nearly 100 vehicles. Data analysis continues through the end of 2015.
About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 194,000 employees and 66 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

•     Ford and HP Fleet Insights experiment analyzes information from daily driving to lead to more efficiently managed fleets, car sharing and personalized driving experiences
•     Experiment gathered information from national HP fleet vehicles and HP employee volunteer drivers around the U.S., learning HP drivers share similar coffee, airport parking and refueling habits, which could be leveraged to reduce operating costs while improving convenience and services
•     The Fleet Insights experiment is one part of the Ford Smart Mobility plan aimed at better understanding consumers’ mobility needs around the globe

Ford Motor Company engineers have completed a real-world driving experiment with HP, one of the world’s largest technology companies, discovering which commuting commonalities could provide future breakthroughs for better managing fleets, personalized services and recommendations for individual drivers.

Using HP’s Big Data Discovery Experience Services and the HP Haven big data platform, the engineering team gathered data and analyzed it to determine possibilities for lowering operating costs and optimizing underutilized vehicles for fleets as well as personal driving.

Among the observations of the experiment: Regardless of location, most HP drivers grabbed coffee at the same national coffeehouse and refueled with the same brand of gasoline, while traveling employees often left vehicles unused at the airport for days.

While it’s no surprise road-tripping employees stop for coffee, data analysis about commutes and driving routines could lead to greater economies of scale for company fleets and new solutions for optimizing underutilized vehicles.

“The Fleet Insights experiment is one of the first steps to better understand and learn about how driving behavior is changing,” said Marcy Klevorn, Ford vice president and chief information officer. “Fleets could see operating costs lowered through national buying contracts and improved utilization and maintenance, while individual drivers could receive coupons or create cooperative pools to share unused vehicles.”

The Ford Fleet Insights experiment included HP fleet vehicles that were equipped with wireless sensors plugged into each vehicle. Ford data scientists and IT leaders used the HP Vertica analytics engine, part of the HP Haven platform, to explore patterns and multiple dimensions of fleet driver activity. Also, each driver could access their data using a custom smartphone app to recall trip details, if needed.

“HP and Ford share a common vision around bringing together data, mobility, and analytics to explore new ways to deliver better customer experiences, new revenue streams, and lower fuel and maintenance costs in the automotive industry,” said Martin Risau, senior vice president, Analytics & Data Management Practice, HP Enterprise Services. “The results of this experiment can help unleash improvements for business operations for fleet management and personal driving experiences.”

Observations during the experiment included:

•     Regardless of location, most drivers visited the same national coffee house and refueled with the same brand of gasoline
•     Traveling employees often left their vehicles unused at the airport for days. These vehicles could be utilized more effectively by nearby drivers
•     70 percent of trips took place during weekdays and typical trip distances were 13 miles or less

Trips fell into four groups:

•     City block driving (34 percent): Involved frequent direction changes, driving near the speed limit, idling at stoplights with short distances.
•     Freeway driving (21 percent): Involved few driving direction changes with large deviations from the speed-limit depending on traffic, and long trip durations and driving distances with less stop and go than City Block Commute.
•      Non rush-hour Driving (29 percent): Short trip duration and short-distance with less stops and idling
•      Rush-hour driving (16 percent): Short trip duration and short-distance with frequent stops and idling during peak drive hours

The Fleet Insight experiment data collection phase was completed in June after gathering information from nearly 100 vehicles. Data analysis continues through the end of 2015.
About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 194,000 employees and 66 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

Knapheide + Sortimo - A PARTNERSHIP AT IT'S BEST.

Sortimo by Knapheide is a strategic partnership between Sortimo International, a global leader in mobile racking products and The Knapheide Manufacturing Company, the nation’s leading provider of commercial vehicle solutions. This partnership is focused on storage systems especially for commercial vans...our product is called EXXPAND.

Knapheide Manufacturing

Since 1848 Knapheide has provided its customers with high quality, work ready transportation solutions. The Knapheide family has owned and operated the company since its beginning over 165 years ago. Today, The Knapheide Manufacturing Company is the nation’s leading manufacturer and provider of commercial vehicle solutions. Knapheide’s main manufacturing facility is located in Quincy, Illinois and is over 480,000 square feet. This facility is highly automated and has the most technologically advanced equipment and processes in the industry. Products manufactured by Knapheide include: Service Bodies, KUV Bodies, Platform Bodies, Gooseneck Bodies, Dump Bodies, Forestry Bodies, Pick Up Accessories, Mechanics Trucks, Water Trucks, and Fuel/Lube Trucks. Knapheide’s vast distribution system includes 200+ distributors strategically located throughout North America. The ability to evolve into new technology, processes, and products has made Knapheide the leader in the industry and allowed the company to move into new markets to better serve our distributors, fleet customers and end users.
Sortimo International

Headquartered in Zusmarshausen, Germany Sortimo International has more than 40 years of experience in the in-vehicle equipment industry. Located in Bavaria, Sortimo International offers van racking solutions for all light commercial vehicles and has become a leader in van racking solutions of the automotive industry in terms of organization, safety and future-oriented concepts. Sortimo International works with materials of the highest quality that  are extremely resilient and long lasting. Well thought out ergonomics and the best level of passive safety are further factors which distinguish Sortimo products. With strength in innovation, Sortimo International has a solid position in the market and is a technological leader in van storage solutions.

New Camera Technology Helps Drivers See Around Corners; Next Super Duty to Offer Ford’s Most Advanced Cameras Yet

•     New split-view camera debuts on new Ford Edge and Explorer in the United States and China, helping customers see obstacles coming around corners
•     Next Ford Super Duty to feature the company’s most advanced camera technology yet – up to seven cameras and all-new digital architecture – helping customers see more angles around a truck and trailer than ever before
•     Ford plans to make rear-view cameras standard on all its North American light passenger vehicles by 2018 and front cameras available on a majority of its vehicles globally by volume by 2020
•  

PALO ALTO, Calif., June 23, 2015 – Ford is introducing new vehicle camera technology that can help see around corners even when drivers cannot, aiding in reducing driver stress and potentially averting accidents.

The new available split-view camera feature helps drivers see traffic and obstacles that enter the vehicle’s path from the side by displaying a 180-degree view of the area in front of or behind a vehicle. It is the latest example of how Ford is using camera technology to help make driving easier.

Split view uses real-time video feeds from 1-megapixel wide-angle lens cameras in the grille and tailgate. A tri-panel display in the 8-inch screen helps customers understand quickly whether an obstacle is coming from either side or straight on. Split view is activated at the touch of a button and automatically shuts off when vehicle speed reaches 6.2 mph (10 kph).

Ford introduced split view on the 2015 Ford Edge and 2016 Explorer in the United States and China. Front split view is offered on Edge. Front and rear split view comes standard in the United States on the 2016 Explorer Limited on sale now and Explorer Platinum, on sale soon. Front split view is coming to the all-new Ford S-MAX and Galaxy in Europe, available to order now. Split view will be offered on nearly all Ford SUVs globally by 2020.

A tiny telescopic jet washer keeps the front camera clean on every vehicle with split view. Explorer also incorporates a washer for the rear camera.

More cameras rolling out across Ford lineup
Ford plans to make rear-view cameras standard on all of its North American light passenger vehicles by 2018 – and front cameras available on a majority of its vehicles globally by volume by 2020 – meaning the company plans to put more than 2 million new cameras a year on the road.

Ford introduced rear-view cameras in the 2007 Expedition and now offers an available backup camera in every Ford car, SUV and light truck in North America. Backup cameras are standard in Focus, Fusion, Explorer, Escape, Edge and Mustang.

Next Super Duty to feature Ford’s most advanced camera tech yet
Ford announced today the next Ford Super Duty will offer the company’s most advanced camera technology, helping with lane-keeping assistance and enabling customers to see more angles around a truck and trailer than ever before.

The next Super Duty is featuring up to seven cameras and all-new digital architecture, making Ford an industry leader in advanced camera technology and helping customers better maneuver alone and in tight spots.

The 2016 F-150 has up to five cameras available, the most of any vehicle in the Ford lineup. Four cameras in F-150 are mounted in the outside mirrors, and rear and front of the vehicle to enable a 360-degree view and backup view functions.

A forward-looking camera mounted behind the rearview mirror is used to activate auto high beams and lane-keeping assist, which looks for lane deviations. The driver never sees the image from this camera, but the vehicle’s computer uses the visual signal to operate the rest of the system.

Camera technology also is a key enabler in Pro Trailer Backup Assist available on the 2016 F-150, which helps a customer steer the trailer with a control knob while the truck steers its wheels.

Dynamic Hitch Assist is another F-150 feature that uses cameras. It provides a center sight line in the display that helps the driver properly line up the truck to the trailer to hitch up.

Ford cameras are tested under extreme conditions – beyond what they will endure during a typical vehicle lifetime. Each camera component is subjected to more than 1,000 hours of testing to make sure it can withstand temperature changes, humidity, dust, salt and more. Ford engineers also immerse cameras to confirm the casing does not let water leak in.

Driver-assist features are supplemental and do not replace the driver’s attention, judgment and need to control the vehicle.
About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 194,000 employees and 66 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

New Knapheide Commercial Pickup Toppers at the NTEA

Knapheide Manufacturing Company has recently expanded their Knap Cap truck cap or truck shell offerings to include not only the previous steel units, but also a complete fiberglass line. The commercial shell market has been growing and Knapheide shows off some unique features in this product line. Our thanks to Tony Marshall with Knapheide for giving us a tour of their new product line. See more at http://www.knapheide.com

2016 F-150 Continues to Innovate With Available Pro Trailer Backup Assist, Alternative Fuel Capability and SYNC 3

• Pro Trailer Backup Assist helps make backing up a trailer as easy as turning a knob
• New Special Edition Appearance Packages available on XLT and Lariat with unique wheels, graphics and finishes
• Compressed Natural Gas/Propane gaseous fuel prep package available for 5.0-liter V8-equipped F-150s, helping reduce operating costs and tailpipe CO2 emissions

The 2016 Ford F-150, part of Ford F-Series, America’s best-selling truck for 38 years, continues to innovate with the addition of breakthrough towing technology, new Special Edition Appearance Packages, SYNC 3 and alternative fuel capability.
 
All-new Pro Trailer Backup Assist makes it easier for drivers of all skill levels to back a trailer up to launch a boat or park in a driveway. The segment-first technology allows customers to steer a trailer instinctively by turning a knob left or right to indicate direction; the truck controls its steering and limits vehicle speed. Leveraging advanced camera technology, Ford engineers developed the system and tested it for almost a decade. Along the way, Ford earned five patents for the technology, with 10 more pending.
 
The Special Edition Packages for XLT and Lariat further personalize F-150 to customer tastes, adding all-new unique 20-inch premium anodized dark-painted aluminum wheels with red sport lettering, black running boards, smoked headlamps, unique bodyside graphics and badging, special edition seats with Alcantara® inserts, red contrast stitching and red bolsters, and unique red stitching on the steering wheel, transmission gear selector boot and instrument panel. This package also features a dark anodized grille with black mesh on XLT while the Lariat dark anodized grille receives red accents.
 
F-150 also features SYNC 3 – Ford’s newest communications and entertainment system that features enhanced voice recognition, high-speed performance and capacitive touch screen and easier-to-understand graphical interface.
 
Responding to customer requests, the 2016 Ford F-150 with the 5.0-liter V8 engine will offer a gaseous-fuel prep option, making it the only light-duty pickup capable of running on compressed natural gas or propane.
 
New features and color choices
Other changes for the 2016 F-150 include:

• SYNC 3 replaces Sync with MyFord Touch
• XLT and Lariat models add available Special Edition Appearance Package (requires Sport Appearance Package)

• Shadow Black replaces Tuxedo Black
• Lithium Gray replaces Guard Metallic
• 20-inch machined aluminum wheels with painted silver pockets available on XL

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 194,000 employees and 66 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.

New Weather Guard E-Z Glide 2 Drop Down Ladder Rack

Jeff Coats from Weather Guard shows off the new E-Z Glide 2 Drop Down Ladder Rack that Weather Guard had on display at the NTEA Work Truck Show. See more about this product and a wealth of other truck and vanaccessories at http://www.weatherguard.com/

Large Panel Van of the Year 2015

Can a big van ride and handle superbly, offer an admirably crisp and precise gearchange, boast low noise levels and be cost-effective to run? It certainly can, if it happens to be a Ford Transit. In its latest incarnation it achieves all of these goals, and quite a few more. That's why we have given it our Large Panel Van of the Year award again.

With over 450 variants prospective purchasers cannot complain about a lack of choice. Transit is on offer with front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or as a 4x4, and in van guise delivers up to 15.1m³ of carrying space.

Buyers can select from two different roof heights and three different lengths. Gross weights go up to a hefty 4.7 tonnes and some of the larger models in the line-up can haul a braked trailer with a gross weight of up to 3.5 tonnes.

Transit is additionally produced in Double Cab-in-Van (Ford-speak for a crew van) guise, as a minibus with up to 18 seats and as a chassis with either a single or a double cab. Five different lengths of single-cab and four different lengths of double-cab chassis are listed, with the L5 ranking as the longest production Transit chassis ever built. The chassis are ideal platforms for the dropside, tipper, curtainsider, Luton and box bodies Ford can offer.

Ford Transit Large Panel Van of the Year 2015Under the bonnet you will find a 2.2-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel at 100hp, 125hp or 155hp. In ECOnetic guise it can deliver a combined diesel consumption figure of 44.1mpg with CO2 emissions as low as 169g/km. Like its smaller brother, the Custom, Transit will be getting an all-new 2.0-litre Euro 6-compliant diesel engine line-up in 2016.

Ford's big baby looks cost-effective to maintain and repair. Two year/30,000-mile service intervals are available with the time required for scheduled maintenance over 90,000 miles cut from 5.4 to 4.2 hours compared with its predecessor.

Transit is available with a near-bewildering variety of intelligent and useful features including Ford SYNC. It helps ensure the emergency services are summoned if the vehicle is in a collision bad enough to cause an airbag to inflate. Nor should the advantages of Electronic Stability Control with Curve Control be ignored. If a driver hurls Transit into a sharp bend with more enthusiasm than skill then it will slow things down and keep the vehicle stable.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Transit just keeps on going from strength to strength and its not solely a European product these days. It’s now taking the US by storm.

Click here for the full Award winner results.

Adrian Steel Releases New Interior Ladder Storage Solution

Introducing the Interior Ladder Rack 

brought to you by Adrian Steel 

 

Adrian Steel introduces an innovative solution for the transport of step ladders inside of work vans.  This solution provides a safe and efficient means of transport for your step ladder from job site to job site.  Such transport is possible thanks to a new product, the Interior Ladder Rack, which allows you to store your ladder inside of your van by mounting it to either the partition or shelf panel.

Out of the Way, Never Out of Reach. The Interior Ladder Rack from Adrian Steel…

•    Allows you to store your ladder inside while providing quick and easy access to your ladder from the outside of your vehicle. 
•    Does not take up, limit, or reduce vertical standing room in your van, allowing you to make full use of your vehicle. 
•    Eliminates the outside wear and tear on your ladder, as it will be stored inside and thus protecting your ladder from the elements, theft, and road grime. 
•    Customers will appreciate your use of clean, well taken care of equipment rather than bringing the outside mess into their home.
•    Features plastic coated clamps to protect the ladder rungs during transit. 
•    Perfect for carrying 4ft and 6ft step ladders and works best in medium and high roof vans.

About Adrian Steel
Our goal is to optimize the value of the customer’s commercial vehicle by understanding the role of the vehicle in the customer’s business.  Adrian Steel provides solutions for a range of vehicles from crossovers to cargo vans.  Our customers include those with one vehicle in their fleet to 50,000 vehicles in their fleet.  Adrian Steel has upfitted over 1 million vehicles in our 60 plus years in business and has leveraged that expertise in engineering our innovative product line.  Adrian Steel’s installation network provides you options to get your vehicle upfitted regardless of where you need to get them done: at the factory, out of dealer stock, at your place of business, or through a bailment pool.  Adrian Steel’s strong reputation in cargo management solutions is only matched by our resolve to offer the industry’s best lead times and highest quality. 

Learn more at www.AdrianSteel.com or call (800) 677-2726.

Adrian Steel.  Because your work demands the best.

Print Your Favorite Ford Vehicle at Home: Ford First Automaker to Open One-Stop 3D Shop Online

•     Consumers can now download digital images and 3D-printable files of Ford vehicles at the first-ever automaker-licensed, one-stop 3D shop online
•     The Ford 3D Store offers printable files of F-150 Raptor, Shelby GT350R, Focus ST and Fiesta ST; more models will become available later
•     Online store is powered by TurboSquid.com, the leader in providing automotive digital imaging and 3D-printable files  

Want to 3D-print a Shelby GT350R at home? Or would you prefer to simply purchase an F-150 Raptor 3D digital image for a presentation? How about both?

Ford fans can now download digital images for Ford vehicles at the first-ever, automaker-authorized one-stop online store for 3D-printable vehicle files. The Ford 3D Store, 3d.ford.com, allows customers to use advanced technology to make their own models of Ford vehicles of the size and material they desire, or simply opt to purchase a 3D digital file from a growing library of more than 1,000 Ford images.

“3D printing at home is a growing trend, and it makes sense for us to offer our customers a chance to make their own 3D Ford models,” said Mark Bentley, licensing manager, Ford Global Brand Licensing. “At Ford, we’re using 3D printing every day to rapidly prototype parts, and now we want to share that fun with our fans.”

According to Juniper research, sales of desktop 3D printers will exceed 1 million units by 2018, from an estimated 44,000 sold annually in 2014.                                                                                            

Available 3D-printed Ford models include the new Ford GT, F-150 Raptor, Shelby GT350R, Focus ST and Fiesta ST. Printed models and digital files for additional Ford vehicles will be available at a later date.

3D-printed models available to order are 1/32nd scale in plastic, but purchasing a digital image allows users to have a Ford model 3D-printed to the scale and of the material they choose, either from their own printer or from an outside source. Professional 3D printers can create a model in materials ranging from soft plastics to sandstone and even various metals.

TurboSquid, a leader in marketing 3D image files commonly used in video games, built the new site for Ford and will provide order fulfillment.

“TurboSquid already allows customers to purchase more than 1,000 unique, licensed digital images of Ford products ranging from the Model T to the all-new Ford GT,” said Bentley. “We’re at the forefront of licensing 3D automotive images, and it made sense that TurboSquid help us complete that connection to the consumer.”

When a buyer purchases a model or digital image, he or she must register with the site and agree that the item will not be used commercially.

Visit 3d.ford.com to see the available 3D digital images and 3D-printed models.
About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 194,000 employees and 66 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.