Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Ford ends Ranger pickup truck production in US

The Ford Ranger pickup truck that was first introduced in the early 80's will no longer be produced by Ford in the US.  Say Goodbye to the Ranger Pickup Truck by Dick Wickell on About.com has lots of details.  That leaves the Chevy Colorado, Toyota Tacoma, and Nissan Frontier as the remaining midsize pickup trucks available.
Ford Ranger shown here with a Durashell 90 on it. 

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Sprinter Van, Astro Van... Nope a Pickup Truck

Durashell 170 on new Cox Cable utility truck
More and more service and utility companies are saying NO to VANS!  Technicians are tired of climbing into the back of a van.  Companies are tired of workmen comp claims.  Even the Sprinter Vans, just aren't good enough.  Yes they have lots of space, but you still have to build a protective cage to keep all the tools, supplies or packages from rattling around or flying into the back of the driver's head.  Being tired of having your back break when you climb into the van isn't enough.  You need to have a solution.  Transferable truck bodies are just what the doctor ordered.
Easy access to tools with sliding tool tray

You will see here pictures of some new transferable truck bodies installed on new pickup trucks in Detroit... before being delivered to Cox -- yep the cable company.  The latest in work truck technology... making cable work more efficient, reducing downtime, and workman's compensation claims (from back injuries).  No longer are these Cox technicians climbing into the back of a van. All tools and supplies are accessible without climbing or bending over.  Nice concept.  One final thought.  When the truck is down for service, the technician is in the field working, not moving his tools and supplies to another van, because all of his tools and supplies are moved to another truck in a matter of minutes.  This unit is NOT BOLTED INTO THE TRUCK BED... IT IS FULLY  TRANSFERABLE... from Ford to Chevy... or Chevy to Dodge...you get the idea -- UNIVERSAL FIT without drilling holes into the bed of the pickup. Now that is money saving technology!

Pictured below is one of the half-slides with spools for cable.  How easy is this?  Slide the spool out, get the cable you need, slide it back in!

Cable spool holders on sliding tool deck

See more at http://www.fleetwest.net/.