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Henkels & McCoy has been using Blue Diamond mediums for a while now, but I finally saw a new Chicago- built one!  By the way, has anyone pondered why it was called Blue Diamond and NOT Red Oval?  LOL  Because I think Peterbilt would have been a little upset!  Talking about cabovers: Have you noticed all the Tesla, Nikola, the Ford concept truck at the IAA in Europe and all of the mfrs. are building cabover concepts, not conventional cabs!  Looks like Ford will be able to march right into the USA with F-Max with just a few modifications!  Sorry to see the Cargo name dropped though.  That name is just about world-renowned!  

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On 11/25/2018 at 8:42 AM, Joe771476 said:

Henkels & McCoy has been using Blue Diamond mediums for a while now, but I finally saw a new Chicago- built one!  By the way, has anyone pondered why it was called Blue Diamond and NOT Red Oval?  LOL  Because I think Peterbilt would have been a little upset!  Talking about cabovers: Have you noticed all the Tesla, Nikola, the Ford concept truck at the IAA in Europe and all of the mfrs. are building cabover concepts, not conventional cabs!  Looks like Ford will be able to march right into the USA with F-Max with just a few modifications!  Sorry to see the Cargo name dropped though.  That name is just about world-renowned!  

Just curious Joe-did you notice if the H & M truck was a Power Stroke?  Surprised they didn't feature Henkels & McCoy in their 2018 Calendar that was sent out with a Work Truck mag issue given fact they are such a large Ford fleet.

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Just how clueless is Ford marketing?  The general manager, commercial vehicle sales  & marketing gets an interview opportunity with Work Truck Magazine.   Good opportunity right?  In particular with GM  and International about to launch a major effort aimed at class 4-6.   What does this person talk about?  Well the by line is..."Earlier this year, the automaker announced a major change to its vehicle portfolio, shifting to around 90% trucks, utilities and commercial vehicles by 2020."

Think we are going to read a lot about medium trucks?   Wrong.  One sentence.." It is the only full-line manufacturer to offer commercial vehicles in class 1-7".  That's the only reference in the article remotely focused on class 4-7.  The rest of it is all "Hackett speak".

Oh- she did say..."Just like the readers of Work Truck Magazine, we make decisions about our business after considering many factors, both internal and external, such as industry trends, product demand, and economic forecasting."

Really?  Well if Ford IS paying attention, what I read is in the distribution world,  the cost of a CDL driver is rising and more importantly the CDL pool is getting smaller considering demand.  Business is beginning to see a value in utilizing smaller class 6 trucks.  GM sees that as does Navistar, Freightliner etc.  Ford?  Who knows.  I was talking to a Ford sales guy and he had no clue of the pending arrival of the new GM Navistar product.  You would think Ford would be getting their sales force ready with a list of reasons why Ford should be the commercial truck of choice.

But they are not.  And articles like the one I described support that opinion as I see it.

 

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Henkels & McCoy has been using Blue Diamond mediums for a while now, but I finally saw a new Chicago- built one!  By the way, has anyone pondered why it was called Blue Diamond and NOT Red Oval?  LOL  Because I think Peterbilt would have been a little upset!  Talking about cabovers: Have you noticed all the Tesla, Nikola, the Ford concept truck at the IAA in Europe and all of the mfrs. are building cabover concepts, not conventional cabs!  Looks like Ford will be able to march right into the USA with F-Max with just a few modifications!  Sorry to see the Cargo name dropped though.  That name is just about world-renowned!  

 

 

No Bob, I couldn't tell, i was driving by the lot.  But I'm confused.  I was just reading spec listings in Bulk Transporter magazine for Ford mediums and only Allison and Eaton transmissions are mentioned, not Ford's.  Huh?

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6 minutes ago, Joe771476 said:

Henkels & McCoy has been using Blue Diamond mediums for a while now, but I finally saw a new Chicago- built one!  By the way, has anyone pondered why it was called Blue Diamond and NOT Red Oval?  LOL  Because I think Peterbilt would have been a little upset!  Talking about cabovers: Have you noticed all the Tesla, Nikola, the Ford concept truck at the IAA in Europe and all of the mfrs. are building cabover concepts, not conventional cabs!  Looks like Ford will be able to march right into the USA with F-Max with just a few modifications!  Sorry to see the Cargo name dropped though.  That name is just about world-renowned!  

 

 

No Bob, I couldn't tell, i was driving by the lot.  But I'm confused.  I was just reading spec listings in Bulk Transporter magazine for Ford mediums and only Allison and Eaton transmissions are mentioned, not Ford's.  Huh?

Well, with no massive traditional engine, you don't need to waste all the space in a conventional cab for the engine/hood.

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2 hours ago, rmc523 said:

Well, with no massive traditional engine, you don't need to waste all the space in a conventional cab for the engine/hood.

Huh? Any class 6,7,8 truck will have a fairly large engine. The F Max just stuffs it under the driver like any COE.

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2 hours ago, Joe771476 said:

Henkels & McCoy has been using Blue Diamond mediums for a while now, but I finally saw a new Chicago- built one!  By the way, has anyone pondered why it was called Blue Diamond and NOT Red Oval?  LOL  Because I think Peterbilt would have been a little upset!  Talking about cabovers: Have you noticed all the Tesla, Nikola, the Ford concept truck at the IAA in Europe and all of the mfrs. are building cabover concepts, not conventional cabs!  Looks like Ford will be able to march right into the USA with F-Max with just a few modifications!  Sorry to see the Cargo name dropped though.  That name is just about world-renowned!  

 

 

No Bob, I couldn't tell, i was driving by the lot.  But I'm confused.  I was just reading spec listings in Bulk Transporter magazine for Ford mediums and only Allison and Eaton transmissions are mentioned, not Ford's.  Huh?

Chicago built? Avon Lake is closer to Cleveland.

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5 hours ago, Joe771476 said:

Henkels & McCoy has been using Blue Diamond mediums for a while now, but I finally saw a new Chicago- built one!  By the way, has anyone pondered why it was called Blue Diamond and NOT Red Oval?  LOL  Because I think Peterbilt would have been a little upset!  Talking about cabovers: Have you noticed all the Tesla, Nikola, the Ford concept truck at the IAA in Europe and all of the mfrs. are building cabover concepts, not conventional cabs!  Looks like Ford will be able to march right into the USA with F-Max with just a few modifications!  Sorry to see the Cargo name dropped though.  That name is just about world-renowned!  

 

 

No Bob, I couldn't tell, i was driving by the lot.  But I'm confused.  I was just reading spec listings in Bulk Transporter magazine for Ford mediums and only Allison and Eaton transmissions are mentioned, not Ford's.  Huh?

Joe..."Fake News"?

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9 hours ago, Bob Rosadini said:

I think he was talking about the Tesla and the Nikola electrics.

But those need space for the battery pack, and the associated weight. The transmission may be simpler with those, but will still be fairly heave to handle the torques involved..

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I just saw a Ford truck ad on TV with a parade of new and previous generation Ford trucks (mostly just class 1 thru 3). The message at the end was "Built Ford Proud."  Maybe I missed something, but I didn't see any medium duties!  Why not?  And they could show some old class 8 fire trucks (C-series!), dump trucks, even school buses (B700) etc. if they wanted to, just to aggravate Freightliner and International!!   

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1 hour ago, Joe771476 said:

I just saw a Ford truck ad on TV with a parade of new and previous generation Ford trucks (mostly just class 1 thru 3). The message at the end was "Built Ford Proud."  Maybe I missed something, but I didn't see any medium duties!  Why not?  And they could show some old class 8 fire trucks (C-series!), dump trucks, even school buses (B700) etc. if they wanted to, just to aggravate Freightliner and International!!   

Rosadini beat you to it.....

 

 

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1 hour ago, Joe771476 said:

I just saw a Ford truck ad on TV with a parade of new and previous generation Ford trucks (mostly just class 1 thru 3). The message at the end was "Built Ford Proud."  Maybe I missed something, but I didn't see any medium duties!  Why not?  And they could show some old class 8 fire trucks (C-series!), dump trucks, even school buses (B700) etc. if they wanted to, just to aggravate Freightliner and International!!   

My guess is because;

- They don't care about medium duty

-Medium duty is history

-Medium duty has their own advertising budget

-They are too stupid.

-Combinations of all of the above.

In any case the ad is great, and if you are still drinking Kool Aid, you won't see anything wrong with it?

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Check out this Reuters article;

 

Nick Carey, Reuters  /  December 4, 2018

FLINT, Mich. — General Motors is intensifying its attack on rival Ford's lead in sales to U.S. commercial fleets to prop up profit margins amid weakening consumer demand, according to executives at the No. 1 U.S. automaker.

GM is counting on new medium-duty Silverados — outfitted as tow trucks, utility bucket trucks and delivery trucks — to lift demand for its light-duty trucks and cars. Automakers estimate for every medium-duty truck a corporate customer buys, they purchase up to six pickups, SUV, crossovers or cars.

The need for automakers to bolster U.S. sales and keep plants humming was highlighted last week when GM slated five North American factories for potential closure, including two making the type of sedan that has fallen out of favor with American consumers. Ford announced it would shuffle workers from slower to busier plants.

Most major automakers on Monday also reported lower U.S. November sales.

But a 24 percent jump in commercial fleet sales in November vs. the same month in 2017 helped GM offset a 1 percent retail sales drop, according to a source briefed on figures GM does not make public on a monthly basis.

GM North America chief Alan Batey says the automaker has pursued a long-term strategy to cut lower-margin rental fleet sales and boost more lucrative commercial sales.

GM's rental sales are around 10 percent of total sales this year, down from 15.8 percent in 2013. In the same period, GM's commercial sales have risen to more than 11 percent from 7.8 percent of sales.

Batey said production of GM's medium-duty trucks, which begins this week under a partnership with truck maker Navistar International Corp. as an extension of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup line, is a milestone in the automaker's move to increase market share.

GM exited the segment during its bankruptcy in 2009. It originally announced the planned Navistar venture in September 2015.

GM and Ford compete for business from companies like engineering-services firm U.S. Infrastructure Co., which has around 9,000 vehicles, mostly light-duty Chevrolet Colorado pickup trucks. USIC's workers mark cable lines, water pipes and other underground infrastructure before contractors start digging holes in the ground.

USIC fleet manager Phil Samuelson said in a recent interview the company needs around 20 medium-duty trucks, fast. GM won his order by promising to accelerate production of his trucks.

Otherwise, Samuelson would have tried Ford or Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

"We have a great relationship with GM and we saw no reason not to continue that," he said.

Satisfying customers like USIC could help GM next year when Ford launches its Ranger pickup, a direct competitor for the Colorado.

Rising commercial fleet sales have lifted GM's net profit by $1 billion over the last five years, according to sources familiar with GM's financials.

Tax overhaul boost

Commercial fleet sales are increasingly important as consumer vehicle sales are set to weaken over the next couple of years after an eight-year recovery.

Ford, GM and FCA control around 77 percent of commercial fleet sales for Classes 1 through 6 — from cars to the biggest medium-duty trucks — though Ford dominates at 40 percent, according to data compiled by Cox Automotive for Reuters from nonpublic sources. GM has around 25 percent market share.

Ford executives say they have no special plans to counter GM's expanded truck portfolio. "We're just going to do what we always do," said John Ruppert, Ford's general manager for commercial vehicle sales.

Through November, GM's commercial fleet sales rose 14 percent compared with a 5 percent increase at Ford.

U.S. auto retail sales are forecast to fall over the next two years. But commercial fleet sales should rise, partly because of tax write-offs in the 2017 U.S. federal tax overhaul.

Desperate need

GM's decision to re-enter the medium-duty truck segment was driven by commercial customers that seek several types of vehicle in package deals.

"If I want a medium-duty truck I end up going to Ford and the chances are I'll also buy my pickup truck from Ford instead of GM," said one market analyst.

"Dealers desperately need these trucks to go after industries we haven't been able to go to with existing product," said John Schwegman, GM's commercial product director.

Keith McCluskey, owner of McCluskey Chevrolet in Cincinnati, Ohio, said his commercial fleets now account for 10 percent of his sales, down from 40 percent when he last sold GM medium-duty trucks.

McCluskey has built a new $8 million service facility partly for commercial customers and aims to sell 1,000 medium-duty trucks annually.

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