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Actually, the F-150 came about as a slightly higher GVW F-100 to get around the catalytic converter requirement for vehicles under 6,000#'s GVW in 1975. All the manufacturers had heavy duty 1/2 tons to beat this regulation. Ford had their F-150, Chevy had the Big-10, GMC the Heavy Half, Dodge the D-150. Law changed in 1981 to include trucks under 8,501 GVW.

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Actually, the F-150 came about as a slightly higher GVW F-100 to get around the catalytic converter requirement for vehicles under 6,000#'s GVW in 1975. All the manufacturers had heavy duty 1/2 tons to beat this regulation. Ford had their F-150, Chevy had the Big-10, GMC the Heavy Half, Dodge the D-150. Law changed in 1981 to include trucks under 8,501 GVW.

 

That's when they split Class 2

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Speaking of cutaways, I have seen where cutaways with a box body have been replaced with tall roof versions of the Sprinter and Nissan van. It will be interesting to see what happens when the Transit hits the lots, will the tall roof version (with the DRW option) cut into the E Series cutaway volumes? There are quite a few cutaway box trucks out there.

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Thinking a bit more about this---yes, Toyota covers a breadth that is almost equal to Ford's but the depth is nowhere near as close, and the other commercial vehicle lines are even farther back:

 

 

You've got cab/chassis, dual and single wheel variants of the Transit and E-Series, and wagon and panel versions of the Transit and Transit Connect, as well as the F-150, Super Duty and Medium Duty stuff. That's a lot of variation.

 

100% agree... no arguments here. Ford is far and away the leader in commercial fleet sales due to the depth of the offering.

 

Toyota doesn't even sell Tacoma and Tundra in cab chassis (they used to sell cab chassis "Pickup" way back when it was imported that way to avoid Chicken Tax). And clearly, Toyota has found the van market too intimidating to enter.

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Check this out! Talk about taking the wraps off! Gee that's a beautiful truck! It appears to be an extended cab with dump body. I know I've asked this before and Bob has answered, but again: Is it a 100 percent yes that Ford will soon be able to supply a municipal highway dept./State DOT Garage with a truck than can compete with Freightliner and International and carry a salt/sand spreader and plow? I can do my own mechanical car repairs and house repair, but honestly I'm not a nuts and bolts guy when it comes to truck specs, so I appreciate the expertise that Bob R., Richard, and 7M3 and others provide in here.

 

 

Truck Fleet Management :: Work Truck Show 2014

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Same engine.....isn't it? Shear speculation on my part and based solely on a hunch....maybe an Ecoboost motor as yet unannounced?

 

Well, it said 'three engine choices', not 'three different engines.'. The choices would be 6.7L, 6.8 gasser, 6.8 CNG. Not saying it's correct, just saying what I think it is.

 

That being said, I would be overjoyed if it were an EB engine, as that means it would probably show up in the F2-450 soon.

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Check this out! Talk about taking the wraps off! Gee that's a beautiful truck! It appears to be an extended cab with dump body. I know I've asked this before and Bob has answered, but again: Is it a 100 percent yes that Ford will soon be able to supply a municipal highway dept./State DOT Garage with a truck than can compete with Freightliner and International and carry a salt/sand spreader and plow? I can do my own mechanical car repairs and house repair, but honestly I'm not a nuts and bolts guy when it comes to truck specs, so I appreciate the expertise that Bob R., Richard, and 7M3 and others provide in here.

 

 

Truck Fleet Management :: Work Truck Show 2014

Joe- my two cents is not many people will have the confidance to put a Power stroke in that service-at least initially. I guess this version has significant mods over what was available say in a 550 but it will have to prove itself. Other big question mark is the transmission. Can the Ford trans hold a candle to an Allison in that kind of severe service? Other unknown is axle specs. In the Bluediamond 750 you could get a 37,000 lb gvw-23,000 rear and a 14,000 front. I think most DOT's want a big front end on a plow truck-we don't know at this point if that will be a contiued option.

 

Plus the competition is tough- f'liner and Navistar own that market now and will not give it up easily-again another segment Ford owned before 1998.

 

on the other side of the coin, a lot of local municipals in this area are buying more and more 550's. When you look at what a big truck costs, it seems all of a sudden the 19,500 lb GVW is "good enough".

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"along with a new dedicated tractor model for heavy towing" . . . :)

Yes-what does "heavy towing" mean? Not exactly the language that a truck guy would use with the term "tractor". Tractor in my mind is self explanatory-it pulls a trailer. I'm getting inference they are not pitching this thing as a tractor in the traditional sense-that is Old Dominion or ABF won't be buying 500 of these things to pull 27' pups in P & D service.

 

Rather they will be used to "tow" gooseneck campers, gooseneck toy haulers, gooseneck horse trailers etc.

 

In amu case they are good looking!

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....Tractor in my mind is self explanatory-it pulls a trailer. I'm getting inference they are not pitching this thing as a tractor in the traditional sense-that is Old Dominion or ABF won't be buying 500 of these things to pull 27' pups in P & D service.

 

Rather they will be used to "tow" gooseneck campers, gooseneck toy haulers, gooseneck horse trailers etc.

 

In any case they are good looking!

 

The fact it has a fifth wheel plate on it is contradictory to your statements....I see this as a hauler of those 27' pups and also hauling (or towing) daily delivery of goods and sundries....

 

But, I agree, they do look good....now, if Ford can create a line of similar chassis trucks using Transit full size cab....THAT would really put vocational 6 and 7 on their ear...call them T-650 and T-750.....BOOM....vocational would be OWNED!!

Edited by twintornados
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The fact it has a fifth wheel plate on it is contradictory to your statements....I see this as a hauler of those 27' pups and also hauling (or towing) daily delivery of goods and sundries....

 

But, I agree, they do look good....now, if Ford can create a line of similar chassis trucks using Transit full size cab....THAT would really put vocational 6 and 7 on their ear...call them T-650 and T-750.....BOOM....vocational would be OWNED!!

Oh I hear you on the fifth wheel- BUT if you are going to "talk the talk", I guess I've never seen the term "towing" used in a description for tractors. In my old mind it infers an application other than what the term "tractor" implies.

 

Added thought? If I were getting that red tractor ready for a show, I also would have had a rear plate on it with a pintle hook. Significance? A real legit P & D tractor would have a hook on it to facilitate moving dollies around in the yard to facilitate hooking up a set of doubles ready for the road.

 

Your comment on the "T-650, T-750", I think that will in fact be the next generation. I view this truck as a transition piece to get out of Bluediamond and get up and running at Avon Lake. (although keep in mind-"T" always stood for "tandem" in the old days)

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Oh I hear you on the fifth wheel- BUT if you are going to "talk the talk", I guess I've never seen the term "towing" used in a description for tractors. In my old mind it infers an application other than what the term "tractor" implies.

 

Added thought? If I were getting that red tractor ready for a show, I also would have had a rear plate on it with a pintle hook. Significance? A real legit P & D tractor would have a hook on it to facilitate moving dollies around in the yard to facilitate hooking up a set of doubles ready for the road.

 

Your comment on the "T-650, T-750", I think that will in fact be the next generation. I view this truck as a transition piece to get out of Bluediamond and get up and running at Avon Lake. (although keep in mind-"T" always stood for "tandem" in the old days)

 

I would have loved to have seen a corporate tie-in with say a Coca Cola trailer behind that red F-750.....oh, and the "old days" are just that.....Ford did have a T-Series a long time ago in the "old days" and yes, I see the picture is of a tandem axle tractor...

 

ford-t-series-08.jpg

 

...and don't forget the N-Series.....from 1963.

 

1960-1969-ford-trucks-21.jpg

 

...and the C-series....

 

1960-1969-ford-trucks-31.jpg

Edited by twintornados
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My opinion is that for most vocational they will need more engine. I see very few vocational trucks with engines in the dispalacement range of the 6.7. Pickup and delivery - yes. I see that as the sweet spot for the Ford offerings.

 

And for snow removal, what I see where I live, I am noticing in other places. No more one size fits all. My city has several heavy spec tandems and triaxles fitted with plows, spreaders, and liquid deicer tanks. They also have about a half dozen one ton dumps with 8 foot plows and tailgate spreaders. The big stuff is used on main roads and as "openers" after a snow. The one tons are used for lighter accumulations and to keep things clean. I do not know the exact front axle rating on the tandems and tris, but they look heavier than 14K (they are Internationals with reinforced frames). And 11 liter class engines. I do not see the F650/F750 making inroads there, but the F350 (and some F450s) are very popular. And they are much more manuverable.

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Oh I hear you on the fifth wheel- BUT if you are going to "talk the talk", I guess I've never seen the term "towing" used in a description for tractors. In my old mind it infers an application other than what the term "tractor" implies.

 

Added thought? If I were getting that red tractor ready for a show, I also would have had a rear plate on it with a pintle hook. Significance? A real legit P & D tractor would have a hook on it to facilitate moving dollies around in the yard to facilitate hooking up a set of doubles ready for the road.

 

Your comment on the "T-650, T-750", I think that will in fact be the next generation. I view this truck as a transition piece to get out of Bluediamond and get up and running at Avon Lake. (although keep in mind-"T" always stood for "tandem" in the old days)

Yes, tractor denotes towing. They really have no other use. I just hope that in the literature that the line "tractor equipped for towing" never appears. That is akin to stating that a car is equipped for driving. Of course it is - why restate the obvious. And I remember when the mainstay of the Roadway Express local pickup and delivery fleet was C Series single axle tractors - with pintle hooks. Short and manuverable for getting just about any trailer into a tight dock.

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Ok,...so, 6.8L Triton V10 and 6.7L Powerstroke have already been announced...any word on the third option??

Gas and CNG versions of the V10?

 

 

The "gaseous fuel prep" engine is considered "unique" because it has sodium filled valves.

Edited by theoldwizard
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