2018 Ford F-150 – Review and Road Test

Despite the F-150’s sales leadership Ford continues to innovate their full-size pickup truck. Combining lightweight aluminum construction and a range of powerful engines with countless bed, cab, and equipment choices there is an F-150 for all needs and budgets. In this video Kelley Blue Book’s Micah Muzio commands the latest F-150 to see if it deserves its status as the king of pickup trucks.

Compare 2018 Ram ProMaster With 2018 Ford Transit | Head to Head | Ford

Thinking about buying a 2018 Ram ProMaster? Consider the 2018 Ford Transit with more vehicle configurations than any other full-size van in its class* and best-in-class maximum interior height among gas-powered cargo vans.** Become part of America's best-selling† brand with the 2018 Ford Transit.

*Class is Full-Size Vans based on Ford segmentation. Based on body type, body length, wheelbase and roof height.
**When properly configured. High roof, extended-length wheelbase. Excludes other Ford models.
†Based on 2017 CY sales.

Introducing the 2019 F-150 Raptor | F-150 | Ford

With enhanced off-road capability that allows drivers to maximize traction in all off-road environments, the upgraded 2019 F-150 Raptor is ready to claw at the terrain. See the new Trail Control, new FOX Live Valve shocks, and new Recaro front seats in action.

 Learn more about the Raptor: https://ford.to/2x67JGt

EverLast™ Service Bodies

The BrandFX line of EverLast™ Service Bodies are made from advanced composite construction that deliver a high-strength and lightweight build with industry-leading durability—providing up to 20 years of continual use. That’s why BrandFX has been named the Life Cycle Value Leader.

Our composite body design offers numerous advantages compared to traditional steel and aluminum bodies, including zero-corrosion and zero-oxidation construction that will not bend, dent, crack or rust. The lighter weight bodies are also up to 60% lighter, improving fuel efficiency and reducing wear on tire, brakes, and suspension systems. To top it all off, these premium service bodies are designed to maintain their quality appearance for a sleek, professional look across entire service fleets.

Feel free to download our whitepaper, Advanced Composite Construction Changing the Truck Body Business. for in-depth discussion about how composite bodies are revolutionizing the industry.

Reading Truck Body Introduces the RVSL Steelhawk™ - 2018 NTEA

Something big landed at the 2018 Work Truck Show as Reading Truck Body introduced the new RVSL Steelhawk™. The much lighter RVSL Steelhawk is made with A60 Galvannealed Steel for optimal corrosion resistance and comes standard with steel diamond plated floors for better grip and slip resistance, and has more load-carrying capacity. This RVSL Steelhawk, designed for the Ford Transit cutaway chassis, is up to 700 lbs. lighter than current Ready Van SL bodies without compromising functionality or durability. That saves real money on fuel without impacting your ability to get the job done. Backed by Reading Truck’s legacy of service, the RVSL Steelhawk has a comprehensive six-year structural warranty and a three-year coating warranty. Standard packages include: secure, weather-tight compartments, interior & exterior LED lighting, easy cab access, infinitely adjustable shelving, and small parts storage.

Ford Restarting F-150, Super Duty Production Ahead of Schedule after Fire at Magnesium Parts Supplier

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• Ford is resuming production of the F-150 pickup at Dearborn Truck Plant on Friday. Ford team has also successfully repaired the supply chain for Super Duty; production targeted to restart by Monday for Super Duty at Kentucky Truck Plant and F-150 at Kansas City Assembly Plant
• Ford marshaled a global team of experts, that included partners and suppliers, following a May 2 fire at Meridian Magnesium Products in Eaton Rapids, Mich., to quickly refurbish and relocate tooling needed to produce parts for the Ford F-150, Super Duty and five other vehicles – Ford Expedition, Explorer, Flex and Lincoln Navigator and MKT
  
• Because of this quick action, Meridian is producing truck parts again at its Eaton Rapids facility. Plus, Ford airlifted tooling to a Meridian facility in the U.K. to produce parts for F-150, which will further speed production ramp-up
  
• Ford Expedition, Explorer, Flex and Lincoln Navigator and MKT production continue uninterrupted
  
• Company reaffirms 2018 adjusted EPS guidance range of $1.45 to $1.70; expects adverse impact of $0.12 to $0.14 per share in second quarter due to lost production  ¹  

DEARBORN, Mich., May 16, 2018 – Ford Motor Company is restarting production of the popular F-150 at Dearborn Truck Plant Friday after just over one week of downtime. The company has also successfully repaired the supply chain for Super Duty, with production targeted to restart by Monday at the Kentucky Truck Plant as well as the Kansas City Assembly Plant that also makes F-150 pickups.

This follows the massive May 2 fire at the Meridian Magnesium Products facility in Eaton Rapids, Mich.

Ford teams, together with suppliers including Walbridge and other contractors, worked nearly around the clock to get America’s best-selling vehicle franchise back on line as quickly as possible.

The teams removed 19 dies from Meridian’s badly damaged facility, and in one case, moved an 87,000-pound die from Eaton Rapids, Mich., to Nottingham, U.K., via an Antonov cargo plane – one of the largest in the world – in just 30 hours door-to-door. A die is a tool used to cut or shape material using a press.

“Faced with unexpected adversity, the Ford team, including our global supply partners, showed unbelievable resiliency, turning a devastating event into a shining example of teamwork,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s executive vice president of Product Development and Purchasing. “Thanks to their heroic efforts, we are resuming production of some of our most important vehicles ahead of our original targets.”

Work started immediately in the aftermath of the May 2 fire. Teams removed and remediated safety concerns – including dangling siding – and restored electricity, gaining approval to access the site while debris still smoldered inside.

This allowed Ford and Meridian to safely retrieve and relocate tools to more quickly resume part production and work to minimize the financial impact of the stalled plants.

Ford recovered, repaired and validated most dies that were at the Eaton Rapids facility, and Meridian is now producing parts for the F-150 at two locations – Eaton Rapids and Nottingham, U.K.

Production of bolsters for Super Duty is also restarting at the Eaton Rapids plant.

Under normal circumstances, moving tooling the size of a bolster die would take approximately 10 days just to get the proper import and export approvals. However, Ford and its suppliers managed to cut the total time for the entire move to 30 hours, including trans-Atlantic flight time.

When the team removed the die from the Eaton Rapids factory, it was shipped to Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus, Ohio. Rickenbacker had both the capacity to handle such a large piece of equipment and allowed an Antonov An-124 Russian plane, one of the largest planes in the world – typically used to transport trains, dump trucks and even a 25-foot sea yacht – to take off as soon as the equipment was loaded.

Nearly 4,000 miles away, a team in Nottingham was waiting to receive the die and take it to Meridian’s nearby factory. In between, the Ford team received a U.K. import license for the die – a mere two hours before the plane touched down.

Parts produced at Nottingham are being shipped via daily flights on a Boeing 747 jet until production in Eaton Rapids returns to pre-fire levels.

Inventories of Ford’s best-selling F-Series pickups and other vehicles remain strong and customers won’t have a problem finding the model they want.

¹ Adjusted earnings per share is a non-GAAP financial measure. Ford does not provide guidance on an earnings per share basis, the comparable GAAP financial measure. Ford’s earnings per share in 2018 will include potentially significant special items that have not yet occurred and are difficult to predict with reasonable certainty prior to year-end, including pension and OPEB remeasurement gains and losses.

Cautionary Note of Forward-Looking Statements
Statements included or incorporated by reference herein may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking statements are based on expectations, forecasts, and assumptions by our management and involve a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated, including, without limitation:

• Ford’s long-term competitiveness depends on the successful execution of fitness actions;  
• Industry sales volume, particularly in the United States, Europe, or China, could decline if there is a financial crisis, recession, or significant geopolitical event;
• Ford’s new and existing products and mobility services are subject to market acceptance;  
• Ford’s results are dependent on sales of larger, more profitable vehicles, particularly in the United States;
• Ford may face increased price competition resulting from industry excess capacity, currency fluctuations, or other factors;
• Fluctuations in commodity prices, foreign currency exchange rates, and interest rates can have a significant effect on results;          
• With a global footprint, Ford’s results could be adversely affected by economic, geopolitical, protectionist trade policies,
  or other events;
• Ford’s production, as well as Ford’s suppliers’ production, could be disrupted by labor disputes, natural or man-made disasters, financial distress, production difficulties, or other factors;    
• Ford’s ability to maintain a competitive cost structure could be affected by labor or other constraints;
• Pension and other postretirement liabilities could adversely affect Ford’s liquidity and financial condition;
• Economic and demographic experience for pension and other postretirement benefit plans (e.g., discount rates or investment returns) could be worse than Ford has assumed;
• Ford’s vehicles could be affected by defects that result in delays in new model launches, recall campaigns, or increased
  warranty costs;
• Safety, emissions, fuel economy, and other regulations affecting Ford may become more stringent;
• Ford could experience unusual or significant litigation, governmental investigations, or adverse publicity arising out of alleged defects in products, perceived environmental impacts, or otherwise;
• Ford’s receipt of government incentives could be subject to reduction, termination, or clawback;
• Operational systems, security systems, and vehicles could be affected by cyber incidents;
• Ford Credit’s access to debt, securitization, or derivative markets around the world at competitive rates or in sufficient amounts could be affected by credit rating downgrades, market volatility, market disruption, regulatory requirements, or other factors;
• Ford Credit could experience higher-than-expected credit losses, lower-than-anticipated residual values, or higher-than-expected return volumes for leased vehicles; 
• Ford Credit could face increased competition from banks, financial institutions, or other third parties seeking to increase their share of financing Ford vehicles; and
• Ford Credit could be subject to new or increased credit regulations, consumer or data protection regulations, or other regulations.

We cannot be certain that any expectation, forecast, or assumption made in preparing forward-looking statements will prove accurate, or that any projection will be realized.  It is to be expected that there may be differences between projected and actual results.  Our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of their initial issuance, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.  For additional discussion, see “Item 1A.  Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, as updated by subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 202,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.

Electric Powertrains Are the Future. Will Fleets Be Ready?

 

Most readers of Government Fleet are seasoned professionals pursuing careers either in public fleet management or in corporate roles in support of public sector fleets. For a moment, however, put aside your current career history and aspirations and try to remember when you were a younger person, weighing career options and considering just what path to take.

The public fleet industry is on the threshold of a truly cosmic shift, and it’s quite possible that young people today are looking at our industry and questioning those options. We should, as those young people may be doing, consider what this shift will mean when it occurs.

The shift will be toward a predominance of electromotive powertrain technology and away from the internal combustion engine (ICE). Is it true that the demise of the ICE is greatly overstated, or, should we, like those young people still contemplating their career paths, be reading the tea leaves and presume they portend a very different future for us?

LEARN MORE AT: http://www.greenfleetmagazine.com/channel/electric/article/story/2018/03/electric-powertrains-are-the-future-will-fleets-be-ready.aspx

Adrian Steel General Service Van Interior Package

CargoGlides Extreme Test VS. Competitor

Say goodbye to the aggravation of a normal truck bed. With CargoGlide, you can stop crawling in the back of your truck or van every time you need to reach your gear. So, stop scuffing your knees and hurting your back! Install a CargoGlide in your truck or van and get your gear and materials out where you need them! Loading and unloading your tools, toys or any other materials is considerably faster, safer and easier when you have a CargoGlide.

PTO Driven Air Compressor Now With Hydraulics: Save 600 lbs in GVW

Reduce Truck GVW By Up To 600 lbs With VMAC’s PTO Driven Air Compressor & Hydraulic Pump

 When spec’ing out equipment for a medium duty Class 5 truck with a max GVWR of 19,500 lbs, like a Ford F550, every pound counts. Truck upfitters are supplied with a list of required equipment from a customer, and it can be tough to accommodate everything when under tight weight restrictions. Preferring not to upsize to the next weight class, upfitters and customers are always looking to get creative with Lightweighting and save as much weight as possible, while retaining functionality on their service trucks.

VMAC DTM70-H PTO Driven Air Compressor & Hydraulics Saves Weight

VMAC’s Direct-Transmission Mounted PTO Driven Air Compressor & Hydraulics (DTM70-H) weighs only 180 lbs and combines two systems, allowing customers to run both the air compressor and the hydraulic pump at the same time. Combining these two types of power into one innovative multi-power system not only saves space, but also reduces weight on service trucks to save up to 600 lbs. This PTO driven system saves hundreds of pounds of weight as it requires no air storage tank to mount on the truck deck and requires a 50% smaller hydraulic tank size compared to other hydraulic systems.

What would you do with up to 600 lbs of weight reduction on your service truck? Some ideas include:

•     Carry more materials or equipment
•     Take advantage of better fuel economy
•     Install taller tool cabinets
•     Downsize your service truck classification

More on the DTM70-H PTO Driven Multi-Power System

The DTM70-H is a direct-transmission mounted multi-power system that is designed for the F250-550 Super Duty 6.7L Power Stroke Diesel. As described above, these light and medium duty trucks benefit from lightweighting initiatives, which can help provide more options for customers.

While lightweighting is becoming an increasingly important consideration, the performance of the equipment used cannot be compromised. Here are some fast stats on the DTM70-H:

    Up to 70 CFM @ 175 psi*

        A VMAC North-American made rotary screw air compressor produces up to 70 CFM at 100% duty cycle. This provides enough CFM for air tools such as 1” impact wrenches, 60 lb jackhammers/pavement breakers, backfill tampers, OTR tire inflation, and more.

    Up to 14.9 GPM @ 3,265 psi*
        The DTM70-H control system integrates with standard crane controls for easy and simultaneous operations with the air compressor.

*Dependent on pump size and engine RPM.

Visit the DTM70-H product page for more information, and to request a quote.

Utilimaster at the NTEA's Work Truck Show 2018

Utilimaster and Spartan Upfit Services at NTEA's The Work Truck Show 2018

About BrandFX

Proven Performance and Trusted Excellence

Founded in 1984, BrandFX Body Company has grown to become the world’s largest producer of advanced composite service bodies, line bodies, inserts, toppers and covers. With the full support of a team of industry experts, we focus on designing and producing premium lightweight and durable composite truck bodies that deliver the highest life cycle value available on the market.

Our truck bodies have been proven to deliver more than 20 years of reliable service, while also maintaining their quality finish and appearance. That’s why for over 30 years, companies both large and small have counted on the long-lasting dependability of BrandFX products, including five out of the top six U.S. service fleets*.

Purpose-Built Innovation

The BrandFX line of innovative composite products have paved the way for significant industry improvements in service body design and performance. Today, we’re continually committed to working closely with our customers and meeting the market’s demand for higher life cycle value service bodies that perform under pressure. With over three decades of industry experience, our experts have the vast network of facilities and resources to produce innovative, highly durable truck bodies that redefine what it means to get the job done right.

Made in America

At BrandFX, we believe in American-made quality and all BrandFX service bodies are manufactured within the United States. To ensure the consistent quality of our truck bodies, we utilize some of the most advanced manufacturing and quality control processes in the industry. BrandFX has been ISO 9001 certified since June 2007. Our operations include nearly one million square feet of manufacturing space, with manufacturing facilities strategically located across the U.S.—supporting the efforts of more than 450 employees nationwide.

BrandFX Quality Policy

Commitment to meet our customer’s expectations, while meeting statutory and regulatory requirements, through continuous improvements of our:

• Processes
• Products and Services
• Relationships with our:
  • Customers
  • Employees
  • Suppliers

*Source: Fleet Owner Magazine, Feb. 2016

 http://brandfxbody.com/about/

A Day In The Life - Roman Pools

Rob Roman, owner/operator of Roman Pools and Spas, constantly evolves his business to remain at the top of the industry. Whether his job takes him to an emergency service call or a ground up pool build, Rob relies on his Knapheide service truck to get things done.

Honeycomb™ Headache Rack by Highway Products

Highway Products, Inc. manufactures honeycomb headache racks for pickup trucks. These honeycomb cab guards protect the rear window of trucks and deflect light coming in. Every headache rack Highway Products manufacturers is fully adjustable for a perfect fit.

To learn more, call 1-800-TOOL-BOX (1-800-866-5269) or visit us online at www.highwayproducts.com

For over 35 years, Highway Products has built custom toolboxes for professional work vehicles. Our Cross-Frame Box is a popular choice for custom utility vehicles, dump-trucks, semi-trucks and has endless applications for the storage and organization of your tools.

Day In The Life - Vine & Branch

Jud Scott, owner of Vine & Branch, needs quality, reliability and safety in every area of his business. Watch how the business utilizes Knapheide truck bodies to increase their success.