New Light & Medium Duty News

[Bob Rosadini]

My town DPW has a new 550 on order- V-10 which will have a wing plow in addition to front blade. Can't say that I agree with that but hey, better to knock someones mailbox off with a small truck than a big one!

 

In any case talking to DPW super and he thinks its 3 mos out in schedule- At what point do aluminum cabs go into production?

[fordmantpw]

My town DPW has a new 550 on order- V-10 which will have a wing plow in addition to front blade. Can't say that I agree with that but hey, better to knock someones mailbox off with a small truck than a big one!

 

In any case talking to DPW super and he thinks its 3 mos out in schedule- At what point do aluminum cabs go into production?

 

From http://www.donlen.com/buildstart-trucks-ford.html. This is for the Al SD...pickups at KTP and C&C trucks at OHAP.

 

Superduty production start up date is 7/11/16 for KTP and 08/15/16 for OHAP.

[Bob Rosadini]

 

From http://www.donlen.com/buildstart-trucks-ford.html. This is for the Al SD...pickups at KTP and C&C trucks at OHAP.

 

F'man-thx for quick response. My guy will not be happy-he thinks he is getting a steel cab! In Mass the muni's buy under a state contract from a big firm that sells all brands. The amount of mis info is amazing.

[J-150]

4 mos YTD, KW/Pete has a combined 17.45% OF CLASS 7 market share puttingthem third behind FL and Navistar. Around here you see plenty of small fleets with them-in particular roll-backs and home heating oil. Guys don't seem to mind the premium price.

My previous employer had Kenworth single axle dumps. It was the very favorable leasing terms from Paccar Financial that did it.

[twintornados]

My previous employer had Kenworth single axle dumps. It was the very favorable leasing terms from Paccar Financial that did it.

.

So, in fleet, it's not the truck, it's the buck.

[lfeg]

Place I walk by every so often has single axle and tandem delivery trucks for heavy (weight wise) construction materials. Last few years most have been Freightliners. Saw a new one the other day - a Fuso cabover single axle flatbed. I have never seen a Fuso with such a heave frame before.

[Bob Rosadini]

Place I walk by every so often has single axle and tandem delivery trucks for heavy (weight wise) construction materials. Last few years most have been Freightliners. Saw a new one the other day - a Fuso cabover single axle flatbed. I have never seen a Fuso with such a heave frame before.

to the best of my knowledge biggest Fuso is 17,995 gvw.

[Joe771476]

I thought I posted this, but I don't see it. Anyway, I went to the Fire Expo at Foxwoods Casino. Most of the vehicles were from various depts. in New England including a pumper from nearby Portland CT. There were maybe 15 pumpers, 12 rescues and ambulances, and 6 aerials outside. The 12 Class 4 & 5 rescues/ambulances were all Fords, mostly on F-series chassis. Also, I had just read in a fire magazine that some guy had replicated the Squad 51 resuce truck from the Emergency TV series and put Lost Angels on the doors and lo and behold it was also at the Expo. Rosenbauer did have a huge demo pumper, blacked out with blue running lights, warning lights and interior lights and featured an electric stow-away ladder. Nice unit.

[Bob Rosadini]

I thought I posted this, but I don't see it. Anyway, I went to the Fire Expo at Foxwoods Casino. Most of the vehicles were from various depts. in New England including a pumper from nearby Portland CT. There were maybe 15 pumpers, 12 rescues and ambulances, and 6 aerials outside. The 12 Class 4 & 5 rescues/ambulances were all Fords, mostly on F-series chassis. Also, I had just read in a fire magazine that some guy had replicated the Squad 51 resuce truck from the Emergency TV series and put Lost Angels on the doors and lo and behold it was also at the Expo. Rosenbauer did have a huge demo pumper, blacked out with blue running lights, warning lights and interior lights and featured an electric stow-away ladder. Nice unit.

Nice-surprised there weren't a couple of F-liner or International heavy ambulances-don't know if "heavy ambulance" is the right term but what else do you call a class 6 truck??

[J-150]

.

So, in fleet, it's not the truck, it's the buck.

In our case, yes it was.

[Bob Rosadini]

I have many times talked about the growing need for a decent low cost regional day cab tractor to serve the intermodal market-and I think other poster here as well have had the same opinion. Along with the thought that it would not take too much effort for Ford to come up with such a tractor. Again, we are not talking about a 500 HP "large car" with a high rise sleeper.

 

The following is from a Volvo press conference:

 

Volvo Trucks North America sees long haulers accounting for a shrinking portion of the truck market, as the industry responds to pressures including a driver shortage and recent upgrades to the Panama Canal.

Magnus Koeck, vice president – marketing and brand management, says that share has dropped to about 43% of the marketplace compared to 50% last year. In contrast, regional haulers account for about 35% of the market as more freight is regionalized, he said during a briefing for industry media, adding the impact will be “proportionally a little larger” in the U.S. than Canada.

The recently opened $5.4-billion upgrade to the canal will also allow the passage of neo-Panamax ships, which can carry 14,000 containers at a time. Many U.S. ports along the east coast of the U.S. are already expanding to accommodate them.

To this, add the continual improvement to the rail networks ability to handle double stack containers (based on overpass/tunnel mods) and untill we start making things in this country again, containers will dominate IMO

[7Mary3]

I have many times talked about the growing need for a decent low cost regional day cab tractor to serve the intermodal market-and I think other poster here as well have had the same opinion. Along with the thought that it would not take too much effort for Ford to come up with such a tractor. Again, we are not talking about a 500 HP "large car" with a high rise sleeper.

 

The following is from a Volvo press conference:

 

Volvo Trucks North America sees long haulers accounting for a shrinking portion of the truck market, as the industry responds to pressures including a driver shortage and recent upgrades to the Panama Canal.

Magnus Koeck, vice president – marketing and brand management, says that share has dropped to about 43% of the marketplace compared to 50% last year. In contrast, regional haulers account for about 35% of the market as more freight is regionalized, he said during a briefing for industry media, adding the impact will be “proportionally a little larger” in the U.S. than Canada.

The recently opened $5.4-billion upgrade to the canal will also allow the passage of neo-Panamax ships, which can carry 14,000 containers at a time. Many U.S. ports along the east coast of the U.S. are already expanding to accommodate them.

To this, add the continual improvement to the rail networks ability to handle double stack containers (based on overpass/tunnel mods) and untill we start making things in this country again, containers will dominate IMO

 

I agree completely that regional haulers are taking more of the freight market due to intermodal, but I am not sure that it would be all that easy or profitable for Ford to offer a suitable truck for that line of work. The current F-750 would need a different powertrain and cab to be the least bit competitive in that vocation, and all the class 8 manufacturers currently offer very suitable tractors for that specific application.

[Bob Rosadini]

 

I agree completely that regional haulers are taking more of the freight market due to intermodal, but I am not sure that it would be all that easy or profitable for Ford to offer a suitable truck for that line of work. The current F-750 would need a different powertrain and cab to be the least bit competitive in that vocation, and all the class 8 manufacturers currently offer very suitable tractors for that specific application.

No doubt 750 as is would not be competitive-I'm thinking more of next generation IF in fact it gets a purpose built cab OR if "One Ford" does something with the world Cargo. 9-13 liters and 6 x 2 configuration which seems to be the trend in drive lines. Not too much "reinventing the wheel" for Ford to be back in business in the short haul business.

[Bob Rosadini]

Here is an interesting story-in particular as the BAE bid for the HUMVEE replacement was going to be 6.7 powered.

 

according to this story 6.7's are on active duty.

 

KrAZ Trucks / July 1, 2016

At the annual Rapid Trident-2016 military exercises, held from June 27 to July 8 at the Yavorov training area in Lvov Oblast since 2006 as part of Partnership for Peace military cooperation program, the KrAZ “Spartan” armored vehicles made a strong impression.

Rapid Trident-2016 exercise participants include the ground forces of the United States, Ukraine, armies of NATO country-members and Partnership for Peace members.

Over 200 military vehicles including KrAZ-Spartan armored vehicles are used in these exercises. Old campaigners of Air Landing Troops fought hybrid war against cadets during tactical exercises covered in military TV program of Ukraine .

Ukrainian enlisted man and Spartan driver Vyacheslav Shpak said these armored vehicles had participated in assault of Donetsk airport and seizure of Butovka mine. He emphasized that no Spartan was rendered inoperative in combat and their crews remained safe and sound. He praised the easy maneuverability and comfort of the vehicles.

The KrAZ-Spartan, based on a Ford F-550 chassis equipped with a 6.7-liter Powerstroke diesel engine and 5R110 5-speed TorqShift automatic transmission, has proven to be a reliable high-performer in numerous combat operations with U.S. and NATO armies in Middle East and Africa countries.

The all-wheel-drive Spartan has a top speed of 110 km/hr and cruising range of 800 km. It can negotiate side slopes up to 35%, grades up to 60 % and ford water up to 1.2m in depth.

[vujo91@gmail.com]

_{Ford's class 6 sales has picked up quite a bit from the gasoline engine option and some big daily rental orders. It will be interesting to see if their class 6 sales remain constant.}

[vujo91@gmail.com]

I thought I posted this, but I don't see it. Anyway, I went to the Fire Expo at Foxwoods Casino. Most of the vehicles were from various depts. in New England including a pumper from nearby Portland CT. There were maybe 15 pumpers, 12 rescues and ambulances, and 6 aerials outside. The 12 Class 4 & 5 rescues/ambulances were all Fords, mostly on F-series chassis. Also, I had just read in a fire magazine that some guy had replicated the Squad 51 resuce truck from the Emergency TV series and put Lost Angels on the doors and lo and behold it was also at the Expo. Rosenbauer did have a huge demo pumper, blacked out with blue running lights, warning lights and interior lights and featured an electric stow-away ladder. Nice unit.

 

Totally true!

[lfeg]

I see that the Ram Promasters are starting to show up at local Post Offices. Their looks fit in pretty well with the LLVs.

[Joe771476]

Those things are uglier than sin!

[sullynd]

I see that the Ram Promasters are starting to show up at local Post Offices. Their looks fit in pretty well with the LLVs.

Yeah, we have four or so at ours. I think the FedEx experimental electric vehicles are pretty cool looking.

 

[Joe771476]

I might have posted this before, but in school bus magazines, Blue Bird touts the 6.8L and 6R140 combo as bullet proof. I'll say again, why doesn't Ford throw (free) some of their DIESEL combos into some Blue Bird buses to rack up some proven miles!? Also, I just saw that all those Budget rentals are F750's, not 650's. And I just saw a Brinks armored car on an F550 cowl/chassis.....never seen that before except in the case of Rams. They probably figure they can save money in original cost and operating expenses.

 

 

Propane Autogas | blue-bird

[7Mary3]

Propane seems to be making large inroads in student transportation. IC Bus offers the 8.8L PSI propane engine with the Allison 2000 series automatic, a combination they say is more durable and performs better than Blue Bird's 6.8L/6R140 propane powertrain.

[twintornados]

Propane seems to be making large inroads in student transportation. IC Bus offers the 8.8L PSI propane engine with the Allison 2000 series automatic, a combination they say is more durable and performs better than Blue Bird's 6.8L/6R140 propane powertrain.

.

....they say.

[Bob Rosadini]

Propane seems to be making large inroads in student transportation. IC Bus offers the 8.8L PSI propane engine with the Allison 2000 series automatic, a combination they say is more durable and performs better than Blue Bird's 6.8L/6R140 propane powertrain.

Shocker! I guess if I was the IC Bus VP of Marketing I would spin that same message. IC is a Daimler company? Allison is a Daimler company?

[Bob Rosadini]

Shocker! I guess if I was the IC Bus VP of Marketing I would spin that same message. IC is a Daimler company? Allison is a Daimler company?

Well I answered my own questions. I was sure Daimler owned IC-went to their website and looks like they are a big partner of Navistar in the school bus business. Did not check their corporate structure but given the Navistar relationship I'm sure its not Daimler- is it Thomas that is a Daimler co?

 

How about it Joe'76??-you are a student of the school bus business.

 

And for sure I thought when GM spun off Allison it became a Daimler co. Went to their website and it looks like they are a stand alone publicly traded company. And with a ton of former GM people at the top.

[7Mary3]

.

....they say.

 

Probably some basis to their claims. Their 8.8L operates at a much lower r.p.m. than the V-10 does.