Dive Brief:
- Ford engineers wanted to see how the aluminum-box design they had for the F-150 pickup would do in real conditions, so they set up a testing system that medical researchers would be proud of.
- In 2011, the company chose three fleet customers and slipped two trucks with the new design into each one's order.
- The lead designer for the new F-150, which debuts as the 2015 model, visited job sites to see how the aluminum rigs held up and gather feedback about the design.
Dive Insight:
Ford let the customers in on the move in January of this year. The result of three years of testing is, Ford said, confidence that it has it toughest truck so far. Meanwhile, the six aluminum test trucks are still going to work every day.