Business Fleet, January/February 2018

WWW BUSINESSFLEET COM 21 BUSINESS FLEET January February 2018 YOU CAN BUY A BASIC 13 OUNCE hammer with a wood handle and grooved claw for removing nails for less than 10 bucks thats perfect for most jobs around the house For 20 or 30 you can buy the 20 ounce version and for 200 you can buy a hammer with a shock absorbing titanium handle angled face and ergonomic grip for longer jobs such as roofing Like a hammer a pickup truck functions as a tool for fleets Fords F 150 has been the top selling pickup in the U S in part because it offers a seemingly endless number of variants and takes this idea of tailoring the tool to the job to the nth degree With all the trim cab engine and other options there are millions of combinations of the F 150 available for purchase The F 150 returned for the 2018 model year with increased payload and towing capability higher fuel economy enabled by more efficient engines and new safety and convenience features such as a collision alerting system adaptive cruise control automatic stopstart and an electric parking brake We tested the base work truck the F 150 XL SuperCab with the naturally aspirated 33 liter V 6 that delivers power to the rear wheel drivetrain through a six speed automatic transmission A 65 inch box sits over the 145 inch wheelbase and the truck rides on 17 inch wheels The 33L PFDI V 6 which is also available on the XLT trim replaces the non turbo 35L It increases horsepower plus 8 to 290 hp and torque plus 13 to 265 lb ft while also bumping fuel efficiency up to 20 mpg from 18 mpg on the highway The new engine uses port and direct fuel injection with a higher compression ratio and reduced internal friction according to Car and Driver Fords transmission tuning has been stellar in recent model years and this six speed effectively manages RPM revving to help save fuel use The taller lower gears let the engine power the truck enough for towing and lower speed driving The truck offers much to like for a fleet manager The absence of carpeting allows fleet maintenance personnel to hose down the floors after a dirty job And an optional spray in bedliner protects the bed from dents and dings Weve watched the evolution of the F 150 since it arrived for the 2015 model year with an aluminum body added Pro Trailer Backup Assist in 2016 and offered a 10 speed automatic transmission in 2017 2018 FORD F 150 XL 33L SUPERCAB