Ford to begin medium truck production in Ohio today

[kscarbel2]

Reuters / August 12, 2015

Ford Motor Co. today will start building its medium-duty F-650 and F-750 commercial trucks at its Avon Lake plant outside of Cleveland, Ohio.

The shift to the 41-year-old plant here means that about 1,000 workers represented by the UAW will keep their jobs, Jimmy Settles, UAW vice president, said in a statement issued by the company. There are about 1,400 workers at the Avon Lake complex.

Ford is currently in negotiations with the UAW for a new national contract affecting about 52,300 workers. Just before those talks began last month, Ford announced it would move production of small cars Focus and C-Max from a plant in Wayne, Mich. Ford has not confirmed UAW comments that the production is shifting to Mexico.

"Working with our partners in the UAW, we found a way to make the costs competitive enough to bring production of a whole new generation of work trucks to Ohio," said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of North America and South America.

From 2000 until earlier this year, the commercial trucks were built by a joint venture of Ford and Navistar International Corp. called Blue Diamond in Escobedo, Mexico.

The trucks are often sold as cab-and-chassis skeletons and customized by purchasers to serve a wide range of uses from beverage delivery to ambulances to oilfield services.

The 2016 model year trucks go on sale later this summer, which is a few months later than Ford had announced when it first announced the shift of production to Ohio in March 2014.

For every F-650 or F-750 truck sold to a fleet buyer, another six Ford trucks are also sold to the same customer, said Mike Levine, Ford truck spokesman. He said that in 2014, the company sold 9,627 F-650 and F-750 models, which was 11 percent more than the previous year.

The trucks will sell from $56,705 for a gasoline-powered regular cab F-650 to $76,690 for a diesel-powered tractor crew cab. Prices include delivery charges.

The Avon Lake plant was where Ford for years built Econoline vans. In recent years, the name was changed to E-Series vans, which are no longer produced. Now, Ford builds its Transit vans in Kansas City, Mo.

[TeamsterGrrrl]

Noticed the specs and price showed up on Ford's web page the other day. While the specs are typically detailed, they list maximum GVWs but not GCWs... Does that mean I can hook up a set of loaded triples to a new F750 and Ford will still warranty it?

[Dirtymilkman]

Noticed the specs and price showed up on Ford's web page the other day. While the specs are typically detailed, they list maximum GVWs but not GCWs... Does that mean I can hook up a set of loaded triples to a new F750 and Ford will still warranty it?

If you ask a salesmam he'll say, "sure can, it doesn't say in the computer that you couldn't"

[TeamsterGrrrl]

I've got an inquiry in at Ford media regarding the missing GCW. In the meantime, rush out and order an F750 tractor and hustle up a three-nines spread tridem trailer...

[kscarbel2]

At any given moment, for every one man working, I see one to five men just standing around. The union fostered environment.

The employees appear as though they're more accustomed to assembling compact cars..........and they probably are.

[TeamsterGrrrl]

That's pretty typical in the first builds, Ford wants to go slow and make sure they get it right.

[kscarbel2]

Ford begins medium-duty production in Ohio

Fleet Owner / August 12, 2015

The revamped F-650 and F-750 medium-duty truck models unveiled by Ford Motor Co. in March last year are now rolling of the production line at the OEM’s Ohio Assembly Plant.

Previously built in Mexico, Ford said shifting the production of its medium-duty truck line to Ohio last year helped secure more than 1,000 hourly jobs. The OEM added it also invested $168 million in its Ohio plant to build its redesigned medium-duty models.

“Our investment in Ohio Assembly Plant reinforces our commitment to building vehicles in America and to delivering best-in-class commercial trucks,” noted Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president for the Americas, said in a statement. “Working with our partners in the UAW, we found a way to make the costs competitive enough to bring production of a whole new generation of work trucks to Ohio.”

Opened in 1974, Ford’s Ohio Assembly Plant now employs nearly 1,400 people. In addition to now producing all Ford F-650 and F-750 models and configurations, the plant also produces Ford E-Series cutaway vans and stripped chassis.

More information regarding the all-new 2016 Ford F-650 and F-750 model lineup can be found here.

[kscarbel2]

First 2016 F-650/750 Built at Ohio Plant

Heavy Duty Trucking / August 12, 2015

Ford and United Auto Workers officials Wednesday morning drove the symbolic first unit of its new F-650/750 series off the line at its Ohio Assembly Plant near Avon Lake amid cheers that followed congratulatory speeches.

The first truck, a bright red F-650 with a Triton gasoline V-10 engine, represents the “toughest, smartest and best value” available among 2016 medium-duty trucks, Ford's marketing line says.

“These trucks were designed and tested by Ford engineers,” said John Ruppert, general manager of commercial vehicle sales and marketing, in a briefing for reporters prior to the ceremony. “It underwent harsh testing, testing so hard that people didn’t want to drive them, so we migrated to robot drivers.

“It’s very upfit friendly with a clean back of cab to rear of frame. And we’re back to having a Class 7 tractor, and we didn’t have one for several years.”

Announced last year and featured at truck shows since then, the series has a new chassis, nose and all-Ford powertrain featuring an upgraded 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 diesel and TorqShift 6-speed automatic transmission. No manual transmissions are offered because “there’s little demand for them,” Ruppert said. As before, the gasoline V-10 is available in the F-650 and now in the F-750.

Dropping the Cummins ISB6.7 diesel and Allison automatic transmission saves customers money and allows engineers to concentrate on and perfect their own components so that they can be backed by a 5-year, 250,000-mile warranty, he said.

Cabs and their interiors, with some freshening, are carried over from the previous models. As with most Ford conventionals, they’re available in two-door Regular and four-door SuperCab and CrewCab versions.

Work on the medium-duty project at the plant began earlier this summer with training for workers. About 450 of the 1,400 workers at the plant are involved in F-650/750 production and additional hiring is expected late this year, a UAW official said.

Until June, the F-650 and F-750 were assembled at a Navistar plant in Mexico under the now-ended Blue Diamond joint venture. Bringing assembly of the products to the United States is important to the company, the UAW’s members, and the regional economy, speakers at the event said.

Ford and UAW officials negotiated the move back in 2011, when plans for dropping of the E-series vans were announced and the end of the Blue Diamond agreement with Navistar was in sight. Production efficiencies were needed and tax incentives secured to make the switch financially feasible.

Workers' ability to build quality products was among the key considerations, officials said. The E-series cargo van has been discontinued and replaced by the Transit van, made in Kansas City, but workers at the Ohio plant still assemble E-series cutaways and stripped chassis.

“The workers at this plant – you’ve earned this,” declared U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio). “You’ve earned it through your hard work.”

“You workers,” said Ohio Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, “you deserve a round of applause,” and she then led it. “You work hard every day. You make us proud.”

“I want to point out the National Championship college football team (Ohio State)," said Greg Drudi, a UAW official and Ohio native, with a smile. “And this," he said, gesturing toward a nearby F-750, "is the National Championship truck.”

The F-650 and F-750 are Ford’s heaviest models. Its line of trucks stretches down to its Class 1 F-150 pickup, for the widest range of commercial trucks in the industry, Ruppert said. Ford’s market share in those classes is the highest in the U.S. at 46.5%, up 1.6 points from last year, he noted, and “We outsell and out register our four nearest competitors combined.”

[Red Horse]

Actually the new order guides list a GCW at 55,000 lbs. It also lists a 26,000 lb REAR axle rating. couple that with the 14,000 front that is listed and assuming the correct rubber/spring ratings you end up with a GVW of 40,000lbs! The max GVW however is listed at 37,000 lbs. That is class 8 territory. Talk about putting it on the line! the 6.7 Power Stroke and the 6 speed Torqueshift as used in say a "one ton" are going into a 37,000 lb truck! Granted they are supposedly significantly different in the HD versions but still ......I guess the 250,000 mile powertrain warranty is supposed to be testimony to their confidence.

I certainly understand the desire to use the inhouse powertrain, but I hope in time we see the Cummins, Allison, Fuller options back in the option book.

[kscarbel2]

If Ford was serious about the medium duty segment, they'd be offering a COE as well, Cummins, Eaton AMTs and Allison autos..............well, no point in wasting my breath because Ford's has but a little interest in medium trucks.

Ford would have to get very serious in order to compete with Freightliner in the medium segment. Once upon a time, Ford had experienced truck people, but most have retired.