Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/406204
P ickups. They are the most important tools in any landscaping businesses' inventory. Pickups provide crew transportation while doubling as tow vehicles, material haulers and, for many landscapers, a mobile offi ce. If 2015 is the year for you to slide into the driver's seat of a new truck, the timing couldn't be better: It happens to be the year when all of the pickup manufacturers have made signifi cant additions and/or upgrades to their model line-ups, bringing in the latest in technology and design, upping the performance bar in fuel economy, tow- ing and hauling capacity, ride and handling. Those stepping out of pre-2008 trucks will be pleasantly shocked at how much better the new models are in every aspect, while those moving from trucks only a year or two old will fi nd the changes in some 2015s of similar make/model worth making the switch. The new year also brings another bonus in some new pickup shoppers' minds: trucks that brought in brand new technology last year have gone through their teething period so any produc- tion bugs have been worked out, making the 2015s less prone to any mechanical issues that seem to arise on "fi rst" models. What are the best new pickups out there? Die-hard brand loyalists will always think any model of what they currently drive is best. But to give you an idea of what we think are trucks worthy of a really close look, we've high- lighted some of the stars of the 2015 line-up below. Taking the time to test drive them will shed a lot of light on how far along technology has advanced the most valuable tool in the landscaper's inventory. N O V E M B E R 2 014 To t a l L a n d s c a p e C a r e . c o m 37 2015 Pickup Preview What to look for with next year's trucks BY BRUCE W. SMITH The 2015 model year is a mixed bag of pickups, with some being all-new, some seeing minor mechanical and cosmetic changes and others staying relatively the same as the model year before. Which 2015 trucks are worthy of land- scapers taking a test drive? Here are our picks: s Ford F-150 Crew Cab with 3.5L EcoBoost V6 s Ram 1500 Crew Cab with 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 s Chevy Colorado Crew Cab with EcoTech 3.6L V6 s GMC Canyon Crew Cab with EcoTech 3.6L V6 s Chevy Silverado 1500 with EcoTec3 6.2L V8 s Toyota Tundra TRD Pro CrewMax with 5.7L V8 s Nissan Titan Crew Cab with Cummins 5.0L V8* *May be a 2016 depending on production release HITS & MISSES