The Ford F150 has been declared as the 2019 Fleet Truck of the Year for the fourth time in the past 10 years. What makes the award worthwhile is that it’s based on customer votes. For Team Ford, it is highly satisfying to know that the vehicle continues to hit the customer’s sweet spot, an indication that all their efforts are paying off.
(Yes, we carry the Ford F150 Rental – fill out a Quick Quote to learn more.)
The Ford F150 is part of the long-standing Ford F-series that was commenced by Ford Motor Company in 1948. Now at the end of its thirteenth generation, the F-series most popular version is the F-150.
The fact that the Ford F150 managed to secure the award while in the final year of its current cycle shows the solid reputation and strength of the brand, not to forget that the competition among reliable and capable trucks is getting increasingly intense with each passing year. If you’re looking for a Ford F150 rental, then you’re renting out the right vehicle- that’s for sure!
You might also be interested in knowing that the 2019 voting process was subject to certain alterations to make adjustments in the truck category. In the past, SUVs were considered part of the same category as vans and pickups. It was separated by creating a totally different SUV segment this year due to the increasing number of SUV offerings.
This means that Ford F150 had to beat around 20 other truck candidates to accomplish the award, which seemed a piece of cake for Ford.
Strengths of the Ford F150 Rental
Featuring a high-strength, aluminum-alloy body and a sturdy steel frame, the Ford F150 is a military-grade vehicle that offers the best-in-class payload and towing capacity of up to 13,200 lbs. Whether you’re stuck in a complex project or out on a weekend trip, the Ford F150 makes tough jobs look easy.
According to John Ruppert, Ford’s General Manager- Commercial and Government Fleet Sales, the biggest strength of the vehicle is the flexibility it brings with it. Fleet buyers have a multitude of options to choose from. Not only does Ford F150 rental offer the basic work truck specs, but it also comes in trim levels that make it an excellent pickup truck for fleet managers.
Since fleets prioritize base-level trims, Ford pays special attention to those work truck trims by constant assessments and optimizations.
To ensure that everything that goes into fleet-oriented trims offers sufficient value for fleets, Ford obtains regular feedback from both the commercial customers as well as its experienced fleet advisory board. While the brand’s main focus is to address the most relevant content first, such as the automatic emergency braking and durable vinyl seats for work trucks, it also offers other less-relevant things to fleet customers. Let’s dig deeper into the fleet relevant content it primarily offers.
Fleet Relevant Content
Ford defines fleet relevant content as anything that fulfills the needs of its fleet customers. It has a lot to do with the safety aspect. All vehicle features that surround the subject of safety form a significant part of fleet relevant content. Crash avoidance and driver-assist technologies are primary concerns of most commercial fleet customers. Thus, Ford incorporates those critical features and components into the commercial-spec.
All F-150 trims produced in 2019 included emergency braking and work truck spec. Besides, Ford added such features into work truck trims and other vocational trims to keep the ownership cost low for F-150 customers. The safer the truck is, the lower the cost to customers is because they will be less likely to face accidents. This way, safety features remain a direct contributor to reducing repair expenses for the fleet.
In addition, a truck equipped with safety technology helps maintain a decent residual value when you decide to resell it. Without safety features, it won’t carry as much value as a safety-equipped truck.
What drives down the ownership cost of the truck even further are the class-leading power trains, transmissions, and engines. These features offer fuel economy not seen elsewhere in the segment.
What Lies Ahead?
The current F-150 generation is moving closer to its end as Ford declared the 2020 model-year as the last one. In 2021, the model will be replaced by an all-new pickup truck, commencing a new generation of vehicles.
What we already know about the new generation truck is that it will be launched into versions, one being hybrid-electric, while the other being all-electric. Unfortunately, no more information is available about the all-new 2021 truck, but Ford is expected to share further insights by early 2020.
According to Ruppert, the electrification of Ford’s upcoming truck directly addresses the preferences of Ford’s commercial customers. Based on his findings, electrified versions seem to fit the needs of commercial buyers more than any other segment.
If, however, electric vehicles don’t excite you or might even put you off, it’s worth knowing that Ford clarified that no future electrified version will undermine the capability of other power sources that you might be used to.
Closing Thoughts
To sum it all up, the Ford F-150 continues to exceed the expectations of its fleet buyers and the same is expected for 2020. But as this decade comes to a close, customers are even more excited to see what the 2021 vehicle brings with it. The all-new innovative truck is expected to achieve further breakthroughs because of Ford’s customer-centric approach to launching new vehicles.
Nevertheless, there’s still one year to go so why not focus on reaping the benefits of the Ford F150 in 2020. Given that the Ford F150 rental is designed to deliver outstanding off-road capability and tackle the most rugged terrains, take a robust start for 2020 by making the most of the vehicle for any tough project.
Source:
https://www.worktruckonline.com/345222/2019-fleet-truck-of-the-year-ford-f-150
