Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/1004801
30 commercial carrier journal | july 2018 F-150s outfitted for fleets Absence of options means more mpgs, payload BY JASON CANNON F ord offers seven F-150 trim levels, but the 3-liter Power Stroke V6 – Ford's sixth avail- able engine across its pickup line – will be available only on the upper retail tier as a $4,000 option on F-150 Lariat and a $3,000 option on King Ranch and Platinum. Fleets will be the only ones able to buy the turbo diesel in base XL and XLT trims. anks to the lack of ul- tra-premium options and smaller tires, fleet trucks see a lower drop in mpgs when going from two-wheel- to four- wheel-drive models – from 25 com- bined mpg in a 4×2 configuration to 24 combined mpg in a 4×4. Retail models take an extra hit on the combined rat- ing – down to about 22 mpgs – thanks to 20-inch wheels, all-terrain tires and a host of heavy options. Rated at 250 hp and 440 lb.-. of torque, the baby Power Stroke is a little short of the 375 hp and 470 lb.-. of torque coming from the also-optional 3.5-liter EcoBoost. But the diesel does have a 4-mpg advantage. at mpg delta will spread across regular heavy-towing conditions that are thirsty for low-end torque, which is the segment Ford is targeting with its smallest diesel entry. Fleet trim trucks get a payload capacity of 2,020 pounds – about 80 pounds over retail models – again, thanks in part to the absence of heavy options. e 3-liter Power Stroke's towing capacity is 11,400 pounds, which isn't exactly mind-boggling; it's measurably less than the 3.5-liter EcoBoost's maxi- mum of 13,200 pounds. Where the Power Stroke outshines the EcoBoost, however, is how it han- dles the load. EcoBoost engines boast impressive on- and off-highway mpg numbers, but under towing conditions, those gas- fired mpgs fade quickly. In fleet trim, loaded with 1,000 pounds of lumber in the bed, the 3-liter Power Stroke engine nimbly handled a 44-mile dash up, down and around mountainous Colorado terrain. I nearly met the 4×2 combined rating of 25 mpg, coming up just short at 24.7. When lugging a horse trailer load- ed to 6,500 pounds on a 23-mile loop featuring many steep inclines and high altitudes – both regular features in Colorado – my fuel economy dipped to about 13.4 mpg while in Tow/Haul mode. Ford's XL and XLT trims may not be flush with technology, but the truck is a level more than basic. It features several driving modes, including Tow/Haul, modes for wet roads and snow, Sport Mode and Eco-Mode, each optimized for effi- ciency under the various conditions. I found Sport Mode to be just that: sporty. e feature changes the frequency of gearshis through the 10-speed automatic, staying in the power band's sweet spot longer. Instead of shiing gears up and down for maximum efficiency, the trans- mission holds a gear longer to make driving more responsive. e engine's variable geometry turbo T E S T D R I V E : F O R D 3 - L I T E R F - 1 5 0 P O W E R S T R O K E V 6 Diesel-equipped F-150s are outfit- ted with a 5-gallon DEF tank, which is plenty large enough to handle increased dosing rates caused by hauling and towing. Fleets will be the only ones able to buy Ford's 3-liter F-150 Power Stroke V6 in base XL and XLT trims.