Medium Duty

[7Mary3]

In think if Ford really is serious about the 650 and 750, they need to get a dedicated marketing staff together for these trucks. They need to focus the advertising and go after some of the big fleets. You never see Fords in the large national fleets anymore.

[Joe771476]

I just saw some Asplundh tree trucks and of course they were GMCs. I always wondered and suspected they owned a GMC dealership and that was confirmed somewhere in a thread here. So what will they buy now?

[7Mary3]

Here is some Navistar/Escobedo news:

 

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/s....html?ana=yfcpc

 

I heard from someone with close ties to Navistar the other day. Story is that Navistar considers Escobedo an efficient, low cost plant, and wants to maximized utilization there. My guess is this was the reason for the rumors that Navistar was going to move a lot of heavy OTR and vocational truck production there from Chatham. Blue Diamond was mentioned, and this individual thinks that it won't be around much longer as Navistar wants to use more of the plant for their trucks and components. Of course this is just speculation on one person's part.

[Bob Rosadini]

Here is some Navistar/Escobedo news:

 

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/s....html?ana=yfcpc

 

I heard from someone with close ties to Navistar the other day. Story is that Navistar considers Escobedo an efficient, low cost plant, and wants to maximized utilization there. My guess is this was the reason for the rumors that Navistar was going to move a lot of heavy OTR and vocational truck production there from Chatham. Blue Diamond was mentioned, and this individual thinks that it won't be around much longer as Navistar wants to use more of the plant for their trucks and components. Of course this is just speculation on one person's part.

Interesting- I'm sure Escobedo is efficient- I don't think its that old and the labor cost is probably half the US number. Makes you wonder though- if they are shipping completed cabs back to the US (FT WaYNE??) or even cab panels whis at lest make a denser load then completed cabs, that has to be a big number- again I guess jsut goes to show how much cheaper Mexico must be-

 

As for Ford, one other thing I noticed the other day- no mention of 550 in any forward product news. Does this mean that the 550 gets incorporated into whatever becomes of 650/750? Or does it just go away?

[ausrutherford]

Interesting- I'm sure Escobedo is efficient- I don't think its that old and the labor cost is probably half the US number. Makes you wonder though- if they are shipping completed cabs back to the US (FT WaYNE??) or even cab panels whis at lest make a denser load then completed cabs, that has to be a big number- again I guess jsut goes to show how much cheaper Mexico must be-

 

As for Ford, one other thing I noticed the other day- no mention of 550 in any forward product news. Does this mean that the 550 gets incorporated into whatever becomes of 650/750? Or does it just go away?

 

The F-550 still lives. Infact the donated Fire truck given to LA was a 550:

 

http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/2011-ford-...uty-fire-truck/

[RichardJensen]

The 550 really doesn't get a lot of press, at any time, though. A few years ago when the SD was redone, they said almost nothing about the 550.

 

The rags don't really care about something that only comes in cab/chassis with the most spartan of appointments and typically in appliance white or some other non-metallic primary color.

[7Mary3]

I am sure the 550 will still be around. According to 'Heavy Duty Trucking', the 650 and 750 will get SCR for 2010 (we knew that) and some revised interior trim. Production will start in April. The magazine also has some interesting news about Dodge's class 8 aspirations too. I personally dismissed Dodge's hinting that they might return to class 8, assuming that such an effort would basically involve importing Iveco trucks from Italy. With heavy trucks in Europe being almost exclusively cab over engine, I thought there would be no market for that type of truck in the U.S.. I forgot about Iveco's Austrailian models:

 

http://www.iveco.com.au/powerstar.htm

 

I am not so quick to think I won't see a new Dodge class 8 anymore! If Dodge (or Fiat, as the case may be) is serious, they ought to go after all those now defunct Sterling dealerships right now. I remember hearing some time ago that Iveco wanted back in the U.S. commercial vehicle market. Fiat's deal with Chrysler could just be the way for them to return.

[ausrutherford]

I am sure the 550 will still be around. According to 'Heavy Duty Trucking', the 650 and 750 will get SCR for 2010 (we knew that) and some revised interior trim. Production will start in April. The magazine also has some interesting news about Dodge's class 8 aspirations too. I personally dismissed Dodge's hinting that they might return to class 8, assuming that such an effort would basically involve importing Iveco trucks from Italy. With heavy trucks in Europe being almost exclusively cab over engine, I thought there would be no market for that type of truck in the U.S.. I forgot about Iveco's Austrailian models:

 

http://www.iveco.com.au/powerstar.htm

 

I am not so quick to think I won't see a new Dodge class 8 anymore! If Dodge (or Fiat, as the case may be) is serious, they ought to go after all those now defunct Sterling dealerships right now. I remember hearing some time ago that Iveco wanted back in the U.S. commercial vehicle market. Fiat's deal with Chrysler could just be the way for them to return.

 

Forgive my ignorance, what is that?

[fordmantpw]

Forgive my ignorance, what is that?

 

Selective Calalytic Reduction

 

Essentially it's the new way to clean diesel exhaust with urea (DEF - Diesel Exhaust Fluid).

[ausrutherford]

Selective Calalytic Reduction

 

Essentially it's the new way to clean diesel exhaust with urea (DEF - Diesel Exhaust Fluid).

 

Thank you!

 

Would that count as a new powertrain since it involves how the engine runs?

Edited December 19, 2009 by ausrutherford

[J-150]

I forgot about Iveco's Austrailian models:

 

http://www.iveco.com.au/powerstar.htm

 

 

 

more Australian models? Jeebus!

 

Certainly Crapsler should look to Mulally befoe they look to Lutz for ideas.

[jpvbs]

With heavy trucks in Europe being almost exclusively cab over engine, I thought there would be no market for that type of truck in the U.S.. I forgot about Iveco's Austrailian models:

 

http://www.iveco.com.au/powerstar.htm

 

What happened to cabovers in the U.S? They seemed to be the norm 20+ years ago. They look to be more difficult to service, but are their other reasons?

[Bob Rosadini]

What happened to cabovers in the U.S? They seemed to be the norm 20+ years ago. They look to be more difficult to service, but are their other reasons?

I'll take a guess. they have to be more costly given the expense of the hydraulic tilting mechanism, and more importantly, as most states follow the 80,000 lb. limit , the bridge formula dictates 12000 max on the front axle and 34,000 on each of the tandems. I think that a cab over with a big bore engine will scale out over 12,000 on the front.

[7Mary3]

I'll take a guess. they have to be more costly given the expense of the hydraulic tilting mechanism, and more importantly, as most states follow the 80,000 lb. limit , the bridge formula dictates 12000 max on the front axle and 34,000 on each of the tandems. I think that a cab over with a big bore engine will scale out over 12,000 on the front.

 

That is a lot of it. The rest is the length laws are a lot less stringent.

[Joe771476]

Latest print ad in Light & Medium Duty mag shows a Connect, a Super Duty, an F-series medium and an E-series. Good news for now! Ford leads in class 3 thru 7 with 50K units. Amazingly Dodge comes in second at 40K! How? All brands in 2009 have yearly 25 to 48 percent drops from 2008 while Dodge is the ONLY player with an increase of 38 percent! Are they giving them away?

[J-150]

... Dodge is the ONLY player with an increase of 38 percent! Are they giving them away?

 

 

is there any point in the last 10 years where Chrysler didn't have a lot of cash on the hood?

Edited January 1, 2010 by J-150

[Joe771476]

I don't get your point J-150.

[theoldwizard]

What happened to cabovers in the U.S? They seemed to be the norm 20+ years ago. They look to be more difficult to service, but are their other reasons?

I know the Ford Low Cab Forward (LCF - actually built by the Ford-Navistar joint venture Blue Diamond) never sold well and has (or will be shortly) phased out.

[Deanh]

I know the Ford Low Cab Forward (LCF - actually built by the Ford-Navistar joint venture Blue Diamond) never sold well and has (or will be shortly) phased out.

day late and dollar short, complete with "issues", great to bring a substandard product to an established market....stamp "FAILED"

[ausrutherford]

day late and dollar short, complete with "issues", great to bring a substandard product to an established market....stamp "FAILED"

 

Time to bring Cargo!

[7Mary3]

The LCF went up against 3 established competitors with great reputations for high quality reliable trucks. Unfortunately, the LCF proved to be quite unreliable and failed miserably. Quality and reliability are not 'Blue Diamond' strong points! Perhaps it would have done better with a different drivetrain. As for the Cargo, I hope it stays gone. It was never as good as the old C series, and didn't improve when it became a Freightliner product.