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March 15, 2010
A trailering trek up and down a winding mountain road, including the chance to drive heavy-duty competitors from Dodge and GM, resulted in Ford having the smoothest steering and, not surprising given the torque, the strongest pulling power. The all-new Dodge heavy-duty is a damn good truck, and it performed very well, but Ford held an edge. By comparison, the GMC Sierra had twitchier steering and I didn’t feel as confident in it. It was the current generation, which is showing its age: an all-new version should be coming along this summer. GM has already sent out preliminary specifications, indicating that its 6.6-litre Duramax will top this newest Ford at 397 horsepower and 765 lb-ft of torque.
 The trucks easily pulled loaders weighing 85,000 lbs. Click image to enlarge |
Some of the Ford trucks did exhibit an odd bump on gear changes, though, especially on upshifts. An engineer riding shotgun in an F-450 couldn’t pinpoint it – no one ever did – and suggested it might be the truck’s suspension reacting to a particularly heavy fifth-wheel trailer. Perhaps that’s true, but when I later drove an F-550 with fifth wheel and even more weight, it was silky smooth. Not all of the F-350 trucks did it, either, and it remains a mystery.
From there, it was out to the quarry, where Ford had set up several demonstrations. The off-road course showed off the new hill descent control, while a “drag race” had us pulling 38,555-kg (85,000-lb) Caterpillar front-end loaders a short distance. (Once the front wheels gained traction, it felt like there was hardly any weight behind the truck at all.) I also got to pilot a water truck and dump truck, showing off the company’s new Live Drive PTO (power take-off). Linked to the engine crankshaft through the torque converter, the PTO can be operated any time the engine is running, allowing me to raise and lower the dump bed both when moving and sitting still.
   Bottom photo: Joe Francis of Ford shows the Work Solutions computer and printer. Click image to enlarge |
Speaking of which, sitting still is quite pleasant, thanks to the redesigned interior, which now incorporates seats from the new F-150. Other new items are a flow-through console that sends hot or cold air to rear passengers, a console bin that holds two laptop computers or hanging files, and enough cupholders to run Tim Hortons dry. Crew cabs have a bin under the rear seats, lockable on both sides, that can be separated with a divider, or opened up into a single compartment that’s large enough to hold hunting rifles or fishing rods.
Ford Work Solutions, already available in the United States, comes to Canada this year as well. It consists of four separate packages: an on-board computer with wireless Internet, keyboard and available printer; a tool tag system that warns if you’ve left a tagged tool behind; a telematics and diagnostics system for fleet management (Ford reps were able to pinpoint the location and speed of our test vehicles using the system); and a bed-mounted cable lock to keep items secure in open vehicles.
Only the three domestics compete in this segment – Nissan and Toyota don’t go beyond the half-ton designation – but it’s an important one. Fleets buy trucks in multiples, and drivers often make their personal vehicle purchases based on what they drive on company time. The stuff that really matters in this segment matters a lot, and Ford has made good on it. All three automakers produce good heavy-duty trucks, but I think that, for now at least, Ford has a work hauler that comes out on top.
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