ice-capades

Per Friday's FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) the following timetable has been updated for the 2021/2022MY Escape. 04/30/2021 - 2021MY Fleet Final Order Due Date 05/27/2021 - 2021MY Last Day to Spec Change 08/13/2021 - 2021MY Balance Out Date 05/17/2021 - 2022MY Order Bank Open Date 06/24/2021 - 2022MY Scheduling Begins 08/16/2021 - 2022MY Job #1 Date

Per Friday's FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) the following timetable has been updated for the 2021/2022MY Escape. 07/02/2021 - 2021MY Fleet Final Order Due Date 07/15/2021 - 2021MY Last Day to Spec Change 09/17/2021 - 2021MY Balance Out Date 07/12/2021 - 2022MY Order Bank Open Date 08/19/2021 - 2022MY Scheduling Begins 09/20/2021 - 2022MY Job #1 Date

Per Friday's FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) the following timetable has been updated for the 2021/2022MY Lincoln Corsair. 04/30/2021 - 2021MY Fleet Final Order Due Date 05/27/2021 - 2021MY Last Day to Spec Change 08/13/2021 - 2021MY Balance Out Date 05/17/2021 - 2022MY Order Bank Open Date 06/24/2021 - 2022MY Scheduling Begins 08/16/2021 - 2022MY Job #1 Date

Per Friday's FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) the following timetable has been updated for the 2021/2022MY Lincoln Corsair. 07/02/2021 - 2021MY Fleet Final Order Due Date 07/15/2021 - 2021MY Last Day to Spec Change 09/17/2021 - 2021MY Balance Out Date 07/12/2021 - 2022MY Order Bank Open Date 08/19/2021 - 2022MY Scheduling Begins 09/20/2021 - 2022MY Job #1 Date

Just saw this online... Why you'll never catch a Ford pickup driver in a Chevy https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/autos-trucks/why-you-ll-never-catch-a-ford-pickup-driver-in-a-chevy/ss-BB19zQUQ?ocid=msedgntp

Based on the Covid-19 impact and the more recent impact on production caused by the microchip shortage I though it might be appropriate to create a new forum dedicated to matters related to inventory in stock, shortages, etc.

Order Guides have been updated for the following vehicles: 2020 Ford F-150 2020 Lincoln Aviator 2020 Lincoln Continental 2020 Lincoln Nautilus

An updated 2021 Bronco Order Guide (U.S & Canadian versions) has been uploaded to the Dealer Order Guides section.

Production week scheduling information for the week of May 28th. 2018 EcoSport - Clean up scheduling 2018 Edge - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 Escape - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-30 & 2018-08-06 2018 Expedition - No Scheduling 2018 Explorer - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 F-150 - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-06-18 2018 Fiesta - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-30 2019 Flex - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 Fusion - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-30 - Final 2018MY Fusion orders are due on Thursday, May 31st 2019 Mustang - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 F-Series Super Duty - 2018MY Super Duty has balanced out 2019 F-Series Super Duty - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 - Retail orders will begin scheduling on May 31st. Until the Okay to Buy has been achieved, orders will not ship 2018 Taurus - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-23 2018 Transit - Scheduling for Build Week 2018-07-30 2019 Transit Connect - Clean up scheduling Please let me know if this information is of interest!

SCHEDULING TOOLBOX - SCHEDULING PLAN This is the tentative scheduling plan for the production period. This is just a guide for scheduling. This information is tentative and may change at any time. Blue Oval Forums_Production Week Scheduling_2021-04-19.pdf

Per Friday's FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) here's the updated scheduling and production timetable for the 2021/2022MY Lincoln Aviator. 03/05/2021 - 2021MY Fleet Final Order Due Date 03/11/2021 - 2021MY Last Day to Spec Change 05/30/2021 - 2021MY Balance Out Date 03/15/2021 - 2022MY Order Bank Open Date 04/15/2021 - 2022MY Scheduling Begins 06/01/2021 - 2022MY Job #1 Date The 2022 Lincoln Aviator Order Guide will be uploaded to the Order Guides Section as soon as it is available.

Per Friday's FDNB (Fleet Distribution News Bulletin) below is the production timetable for the 2021/2022MY F-Series Super Duty. 02/18/2021 - 2021MY Final Fleet Order Date 03/11/2021 - 2021MY Last Day to Spec Change (KTP) 03/25/2021 - 2021MY Last Day to Spec Change (OHAP) 05/30/2021 - 2021MY Balance Out Date (KTP) 06/24/2021 - 2021MY Balance Out Date (OHAP) 03/15/2021 - 2022MY Order Bank Open Date 04/22/2021 - 2022MY Scheduling Begins (KTP) TBD - 2022MY Scheduling Begins (OHAP) 06/01/2021 - 2022MY Job #1 Date (KTP) 07/12/2021 - 2022MY Job #1 Date (OHAP)

An updated 2021 Transit Order Guide has been uploaded to the Dealer Order Guides section.

Your Dealer has 24/7 access to the Vehicle Visibility system that provides status updates on order, scheduling, production and shipping information.

Ford Dealers can submit vehicle orders via either the traditional CONCEPS ordering system or the newer WBDO (Web Based Dealer Ordering) system. Fleet orders and/or specification changes must be made via CONCEPS. The WBDO system only accepts stock (Dealer Stock, Demonstrator) orders and all variations of retail orders (Retail, A/X/D Plan, Etc.). Both ordering systems generate error notices and will not display pricing information until any errors are corrected. The CONCEPS ordering system requires the Dealer to manually enter all the order codes… Year, Body Code, Priority Code, Option Codes, etc. The newer WBDO system uses plain language descriptions, etc. and only displays options available for that vehicle’s Model Year, Body Code & Order Code. Retail orders using the WBDO system default to Priority Code “19”. Dealers assign priority codes to each order based on the Order Type. Stock orders are assigned priority codes 20-80, retail orders are assigned priority codes 10-19. Fleet orders are assigned special alpha numeric codes that represent a requested production week. The priority codes determine the order for which vehicle orders are to be selected and/or considered for scheduling. This overview doesn’t consider commodity issues (model, powertrain or option scheduling restrictions) that may be in place for a scheduling week. Commodity issues and/or restrictions can apply at either or both the regional and national levels. The highest priority that a Dealer can use for a retail order is 10. An order with a “10” priority code will schedule ahead of an order with an “11” priority code, etc. This allows Dealers to prioritize the order in which vehicles are scheduled, especially when a Dealer may have multiple retail orders in the USOB (Unscheduled Order Bank). With the WBDO ordering system, retail orders default to priority code “19” so it’s important that a Dealer change the priority code to a lower number if they want the order to be considered for scheduling earlier compared to other orders. Ford provides Dealers with a schedule for vehicle allocation each week on Monday mornings which shows how many vehicles of each model line that the Dealer has allocation for scheduling that week. That same weekly allocation report also includes information on any regional commodity issues or restrictions. On Monday afternoons, the Scheduling Toolbox Report is released which provides more detailed information on commodity issues and scheduling availability on a national basis. On Tuesday mornings, the AM Scheduling Preview Report is available to show Dealers which vehicle orders have been selected or previewed, on an initial basis, to be selected for scheduling that week. The same report is updated and available on Wednesday morning to show any changes based on commodity issues that may have changed. On Wednesday afternoon, the Regional Scheduler issues a notice informing Dealers of the vehicle specifications available for scheduling for orders not already showing on the AM Preview Report. This provides Dealers with information on what vehicle specifications are available for scheduling should they have orders showing on the AM Preview Report that are not what the Dealer wants. Ford generates what are called “SIMS Orders” each week which are Ford’s suggested orders based on commodity information available at the time. If a Dealer has vehicle allocation for scheduling that week and has no Dealer orders in the USOB or orders that don’t meet the commodity restrictions in place for that week, the scheduling system will default to trying to schedule SIMS (Smart Inventory Management System) orders if they meet any commodity restrictions in place. The SIMS orders are available to Dealers online Monday mornings and in print form on Tuesday mornings. Dealers can enter their own vehicle orders or change the Ford generated SIMS orders. Ford Dealers earn vehicle scheduling allocation each month based on reported vehicle sales, current inventory, projected sales, etc. Each month, Dealers usually meet with their Ford Zone Manager to review the allocation offered for scheduling the following month. A Dealer can accept the suggested allocation per vehicle line or change their commitment. Should a Dealer want more allocation than offered for a vehicle line, they can submit a request for supplemental allocation which will be considered based on total allocation available and commitments from other Dealers in their Zone. There are times when Dealers accept less allocation than offered for a vehicle line which makes that allocation available to other Dealers that may be looking for additional inventory. At other times, a Dealer may want more allocation for a vehicle line than Ford has offered. A supplemental allocation request is how Dealers can get allocation for extra inventory. A Dealer needs allocation each week for scheduling for each vehicle line. Even without allocation for a vehicle line, Ford is pretty good at trying to schedule retail orders even when a Dealer doesn’t have allocation that week. When a Dealer knows that they don’t have scheduling allocation, it’s always a good idea for them to provide the retail order information (Body Code & Order Number) to their Ford Zone Manager and the Regional Scheduler. The Regional Scheduler can reprioritize the retail order to priority code “01” which basically forces the Ford scheduling system to schedule the unit ASAP unless extreme commodity restrictions prevent the scheduling. When a Dealer doesn’t have allocation, the Ford Zone Manager may try to get the allocation from another Dealer that is willing to give up their allocation. Ford scheduling is done on Thursday’s but at times scheduling may be carried over to Friday’s due to scheduling, commodity or other issues. Vehicle scheduling confirmations are available on Friday mornings for allocation scheduled on Thursday. With only a few exceptions (Focus RS, EcoSport, Transit Connect) VIN numbers are generated at the time that an order is “Submitted to Plant” for scheduling. The initial scheduling information will show an order scheduled for a production week. Afterwards, the information will be updated to show production for a particular date. Along the process, the vehicle order status information will be updated along with the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) at the dealership. Years ago, the ordering process was much easier, with few or limited commodity issues to deal with. Ford’s vehicle scheduling was mostly driven by scheduling and building vehicles based on Dealer orders to meet Market demands. For a number of years now, the ordering process has become more complex and time consuming based on the constantly changing commodity issues and restrictions. It is now not uncommon for allocation to roll over to the following week because manufacturing can’t accurately forecast how many vehicles can be scheduled for production. In many cases, it seems that either because of vendor supply issues or other factors that Ford skews vehicle scheduling to higher content models in order to maximize corporate profits rather than scheduling vehicle production to meet Dealers orders or Market demand. The overall vehicle order process, scheduling and status updates is listed below for reference. · Dealer places order into the USOB (Unscheduled Order Bank) · When Dealer has vehicle allocation for scheduling, orders are scheduled based on Order Type, Priority Code and commodity restrictions. o Scheduled vehicle orders display as “Submitted to Plant” on the Dealer’s daily schedule status report. o Vehicle orders are assigned a VIN number when scheduled except for certain vehicle lines (EcoSport, Focus RS, Transit Connect) o The initial vehicle scheduling notice will include information for the scheduled week of production. The initial ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) is usually provided within a few days of the scheduling notice. o Dealers can change vehicle specifications for a scheduled vehicle up until the vehicle is “locked in” for production or about two weeks prior to the scheduled build date. Specifications for certain vehicle lines (EcoSport, Focus RS, etc.) cannot be changed once scheduled. § Dealers are limited to making 6 changes to scheduled orders. § Dealers cannot change Order Type, Body Code, Order Code (Package/Trim Level) · Vehicle order is next updated with a scheduled production date. · Vehicle goes into production and shows as “Sent to Plant” on the Dealer’s daily status report. o Vehicle invoices and window stickers are generated and available to Dealers at about this time. · Dealer’s daily status report shows updates on production status. · Vehicle status updated to “Produced” · Vehicle status updated to “Released” meaning that the vehicle has been released for shipment. · Vehicle is loaded on rail car. Dealer is provided with carrier information (Canadian National, Norfolk Sothern, etc.) along with the actual rail car number. · Vehicle status is updated to show arrival at the final rail destination (Ramp 41/Newark, NJ) · Vehicle is received by the car carrier (Fleet Car, Diversified Automotive, etc.) for delivery to the dealership. · Vehicle is delivered to the dealership. Dealers have access to the “Vehicle Visibility” application which provides status updates on a 24/7 basis for any vehicle order. This information is provided to answer the most often asked questions about the vehicle ordering process by the Ford enthusiasts that are members of the Blue Oval Forums. I’ll update this information as conditions warrant.

Built to Order E-Mail Update & Customer Vehicle Order Tracking Website Ford_Built to Order E-Mail Update & Customer Vehicle Order Tracking_2021-04-16.pdf

I don't think you can blame the manufacturer because people have had antennas ripped off in the car wash. Most car washes remove those antennas before the vehicle goes through.

Ford Mustang is the world's best-selling 'sports car' again. Pony car is best-selling coupe for six years straight. https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/ford-mustang-is-the-worlds-best-selling-sports-car-again

Yes, depending on the distance of course. And the final rail destination isn't necessarily the ramp facility closest to the dealerships. The routing changes usually when contracts are renegotiated and many times you'd have to question the logic used, or lack thereof, that was used. F-150's headed to southern CT used to go by rail to Newark, NJ but most are now going to Wilmington, DE and driven twice the distance on car carriers.

Time will tell! I actually like the current Escape's exterior but can understand the criticism of the current model overall. In addition, I think that Ford's done a poor job supporting or promoting the Escape.

Yes, but that was over 40 years ago and the Ranger has its own customer demographic that is totally different from today's F-150 buyer. Just because the Ranger was an F-150 trim so many years ago doesn't mean that Ranger should be included as a sub-brand of the F-Series today.

Since the last mid-cycle update for the 2018MY Mustang, the Mustang is an incredibly refined vehicle that covers all the bases for customers wanting a Mustang... price, performance, features, aftermarket upfit options, etc. Ford's done a great job with it's attention to the Mustang and it's sales performance worldwide is a testament to its heritage. The global expansion has also given Ford the opportunity to produce and sell more Mustang's but at a more profitable price considering the much higher prices for the export vehicles.

I think that the Ranger is too established on it's own over so many years to now try to include it under the F-Series banner.

The Priority Code range for retail orders is 10-19 with 10 being the most desirable. The WBDO (Web Based Dealer Ordering) system defaults to a "19" Priority Code for retail orders requiring Dealers to manually change it. As such, talk to your Dealer about changing your Priority Code. The Price Level code is generated automatically to reflect the price level in effect when the order was submitted to the USOB (Unscheduled Order Bank). Retail orders are "price protected" to the prices in effect when the order was submitted to Ford. As such, your purchase price will not change should Ford increase the price prior to your vehicle being invoiced.