The dreaded email from my salesman...

[tcritch3]

We were forwarded an email from the Ford rep in our area that the following items were delaying my build.

 

Adaptive Steering (had it originally but dropped it shortly after we ordered on 9/7)

Bedliner (had to drop the BAP and changed it to the sport package today, pretty bummed about that...)

Fifth Wheel Prep (bummed about this one but can be added later)

Tonneau Cover (didn't have this)

225/70Rx19.5G BSW TGL6 Tires (didn't have this)

 

After reading about these things holding my build up, I guess it's nice to finally have confirmation from our dealer. Hopefully I can get a production date soon!

 

[IUEC135ELEVATOR]

1 hour ago, tcritch3 said:

We were forwarded an email from the Ford rep in our area that the following items were delaying my build.

 

Adaptive Steering (had it originally but dropped it shortly after we ordered on 9/7)

Bedliner (had to drop the BAP and changed it to the sport package today, pretty bummed about that...)

Fifth Wheel Prep (bummed about this one but can be added later)

Tonneau Cover (didn't have this)

225/70Rx19.5G BSW TGL6 Tires (didn't have this)

 

After reading about these things holding my build up, I guess it's nice to finally have confirmation from our dealer. Hopefully I can get a production date soon!

 

I see everybody posting these comments that the options or additions keep getting cut.( we are usually hearing about the same ones over and over)

 

But why is it that only the options are getting cut but nothing to make the truck sellable is getting put on the truck list.

 

I mean there are no commodity restrictions on any engine or transmission, seat belts, dashboards, radios car seats or rear ends wheels or whatever.

 

Why is everything that Ford (must have) seem to be there, just some of the extras they can't seem to make happen. ( except for the chip ordeal which we all know about)

 

Rhino liner and Line-X are still in business but Ford can't come up with the material, the fifth wheel prep is a pretty simple thing, over the last 6 months a company could tool up and spit these things out faster than Ford can order them. And tonneau covers, there's a million of them for sale on the internet why is the one Ford uses they can't keep up with production but the other guys can?

 

And the Adaptive steering, I just went and fixed an elevator at the Denso plant in Statesville NC, while walking through the assembly plant I asked what all these little machines and all these parts were, electronic enhanced steering components (their terminology not mine)for Toyotas. They're in full production why can Denso make this stuff, but Fords supplier can't keep up?

 

I know there's always more to the story but it seems like they can find the parts to make the truck sellable.......?

Edited January 26, 2022 by IUEC135ELEVATOR

[bob99]

My salesman told me the issue with the spray-in bed liner was not a materials shortage but rather a scheduling/capacity issue.  He said they can only get so many bedliners scheduled.

[Rangers09]

11 hours ago, IUEC135ELEVATOR said:

I see everybody posting these comments that the options or additions keep getting cut.( we are usually hearing about the same ones over and over)

 

But why is it that only the options are getting cut but nothing to make the truck sellable is getting put on the truck list.

 

I mean there are no commodity restrictions on any engine or transmission, seat belts, dashboards, radios car seats or rear ends wheels or whatever.

 

Why is everything that Ford (must have) seem to be there, just some of the extras they can't seem to make happen. ( except for the chip ordeal which we all know about)

 

Rhino liner and Line-X are still in business but Ford can't come up with the material, the fifth wheel prep is a pretty simple thing, over the last 6 months a company could tool up and spit these things out faster than Ford can order them. And tonneau covers, there's a million of them for sale on the internet why is the one Ford uses they can't keep up with production but the other guys can?

 

And the Adaptive steering, I just went and fixed an elevator at the Denso plant in Statesville NC, while walking through the assembly plant I asked what all these little machines and all these parts were, electronic enhanced steering components (their terminology not mine)for Toyotas. They're in full production why can Denso make this stuff, but Fords supplier can't keep up?

 

I know there's always more to the story but it seems like they can find the parts to make the truck sellable.......?

 

Many of these commodity restrictions are installed by the 3rd party vendor across the street from the plant. This vendor is limited in the number of trucks they can handle each week.

 

When dealer stock orders were greater than retail orders, probably few trucks were ordered with 5th wheel prep, spray-in bed liner, covers, etc as dealers didn't want the additional cost on stock trucks. With the huge increase in retail orders, many of which include these options, the vendor across the street doesn't have the capacity for the increased work load. Therefore, in addition to material shortages, you also have a 3rd party vendor working at capacity.

[CBears]

1 hour ago, Rangers09 said:

 

Many of these commodity restrictions are installed by the 3rd party vendor across the street from the plant. This vendor is limited in the number of trucks they can handle each week.

 

When dealer stock orders were greater than retail orders, probably few trucks were ordered with 5th wheel prep, spray-in bed liner, covers, etc as dealers didn't want the additional cost on stock trucks. With the huge increase in retail orders, many of which include these options, the vendor across the street doesn't have the capacity for the increased work load. Therefore, in addition to material shortages, you also have a 3rd party vendor working at capacity.

Finally!!!  This makes sense to me. I’ve actually wondered the same thing for quite a while. Thank you!

[ShelbyKR]

If the 3rd party vendor can't handle it I guess Ford needs to get another vendor.  Chrysler plant in my area I have done work at. If you were responsible for holding up production for any reason they would fine you.

[akirby]

2 hours ago, ShelbyKR said:

If the 3rd party vendor can't handle it I guess Ford needs to get another vendor.  Chrysler plant in my area I have done work at. If you were responsible for holding up production for any reason they would fine you.

You obviously don’t have a clue about the business environment right now.

[Denao_53]

Seems to be a bit of a pandemic going on. Parts availability. Staff etc?….Could be maybe this is part of the issue? 

[IUEC135ELEVATOR]

6 hours ago, Rangers09 said:

 

Many of these commodity restrictions are installed by the 3rd party vendor across the street from the plant. This vendor is limited in the number of trucks they can handle each week.

(The remainder deleted for space)

10-4, I thought Ford did all this stuff when you ordered it from them.

 

And the retail and stock ordering does explain that, thank you?

[Lee2021]

You are the owner of the spray in bed liner installer for Ford.  You have had orders for 50,000 trucks every year for the past 10 years and built your factory across the street from Ford and designed your equipment and processes to efficiently run at close to 95% capacity.  This year the demand doubles due to "special market forces" that most likely won't be there in two years.  Do you borrow, invest and spend a bunch of money to double your capacity now?  If so, will you be running at 50% capacity in two years when the special market forces stop and retail orders drop?  (BTW, running at 50% will bankrupt most any business).  Do you try to partner with Ford for a short term boost in production or long term production?  Does Ford try to bring in a bunch of short term businesses to do this extra work?  How does Ford ensure quality of work with these short-timers? 

Even something as simple as spray in bed liners is not so simple at the scale that Ford is dealing with.

 

And yes, I am waiting and waiting and waiting for my truck to be scheduled and I have not dropped the Blackout package with bed liner or 5th wheel prep because I want the quality job that the factory will give me.  With more people dropping their spray-in bedliner to be done locally, this frees up production for my truck   

[IUEC135ELEVATOR]

Well said!( that makes more sense to me , thank you also)? ???

[road turtle]

6 hours ago, CBears said:

Finally!!!  This makes sense to me. I’ve actually wondered the same thing for quite a while. Thank you!

I'm in the industry and have been for several decades.  I also posted a detailed explanation a week or so ago.

 

Suppliers tool up lines years in advance based on OEM's projections, and sometimes the OEM gets their future sales wrong, more often on hope and dreams, but sometimes they underestimate the demand.  It can take a long time to tool back up for increased sales.  This is what we are dealing with, demand has gone through the roof.

[787Toolman]

I dropped spray in liner, adaptive steering and 5th wheel prep, got order going in a few days.  I called local Linex dealer, and they quoted $550 for standard black same as factory.  I asked if they were getting a lot more trucks to do recently and he said OMG yes.  I asked if he knew why the factory was unable to fulfill orders for spray in liners and he said one of the major plants in Texas that make the chemicals for the spray in liner product burned to the ground recently and so Linex who he says supplies Ford with the product decided to ensure all the local dealers had product first then what's left they send to Ford and other manufacturers.  Made sense to me so that's what I've telling folks since it's from a Linex dealer that should know.

787Toolman