The massive F-650 and F-750 medium duty trucks from Ford might not be the first vehicles that come to mind when thinking of safety compliances, but that’s just the case with roughly 26,400 F-Series trucks built between 2011 and 2015. According to Ford, the front right passenger and center passenger seat belt anchors may not be attached in the proper position, which could potentially lead to an increased risk of injury during a crash.
The safety compliance violation has to do with FMVSS 210, the code for seat belt anchorings in school buses, commercial trucks, and similar vehicles. In Ford’s case, the seat belt anchors might not be positioned correctly in relation to the seat bottom.
Thankfully there are no known injuries from the seat belts, but Ford isn’t taking the chance. The seat belt mounting points will be corrected, though Ford admits it is still working on the solution. The solution will have to include variances for the many cab and seat configurations offered on the medium-duty trucks.
The affected trucks were built at the Escobedo Assembly plant and include the 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2015 model years. Some 417 models are estimated to be in Canada with the remaining 25,941 trucks in the U.S. and its territories.
Ford will be contacting owners of the affected trucks, letting them know how they can participate in the recall. Like all such safety recalls, the service will be done without cost to the customer.
Continue reading for the full story.
Tired of your old Kenworth truck? No reason to worry, as Kenworth has made available a series of glider kits for the T660, T800 and W900L models. The glider kits can be mated to customer-supplied EPA 2004 engines and matching transmissions.
Alan Fennimore, vocational marketing manager declared, “We’re offering the gliders as both rolling and non-rolling models (customer supplies driveline, axles, suspensions, wheels, tires and other ‘rolling’ equipment) and no FET tax is included from Kenworth. Depending upon the project’s final cost, and if the host parts came from a useable truck, the 12% Federal Excise Tax (FET) on new trucks may not be applicable, which can be a real money saver for customers.”
FET will apply when a glider kit is used to repair a wrecked truck vehicle, or change its intended service or where the restoration cost exceeds 75% of the value.
Mr. Fennimore added: “There are several other engine-related components – such as electrical harnesses, power steering pumps, batteries and air cleaners – that customers need to supply themselves, or purchase from Paccar Parts through their local Kenworth dealerships, but for the truck itself, it’s a very complete package.”
Concluding the report, Fennimore said that the interest for gliders has started to grow in the latest years, hence their decision, “Gliders are a great alternative for fleets and owner operators with the tools and service technicians to bring a solid and existing powertrain back to life in a ‘brand new truck’. We’ve talked with several fleets that plan to purchase gliders and have their service technicians work on the conversions during slow or off periods. It can be an effective use of shop hours.”
The bond between Isuzu and GM continues to be pretty strong and the companies still share rebadged trucks and pickups between them. Even is the success of this business isn’t brilliant and Isuzu’s rebadged i-Series pickup didn’t managed to conquer a lot of hearts, the companies are ready to move one.
Unfortunately, the Chevrolet W-Series medium seems to share the same bad karma with the Chevrolet T-Series whose unsuccessful lead to its premature death in 2009.
With only two months after the N Series was launched in Japan, Chevrolet introduced the W Series in US but shortly after, in January 2009 the American company decided to wind-down its medium-duty truck operations.
The Chevrolet W Series was offered with both single and crew cab configurations in Class 3 (W3500), Class 4 (W4500), Class 5 (W5500), and class 5 (W5500) versions.
Isuzu and GM work together from a pretty long time and one the models than was born from this relationship is the H-Series truck.
The H Series is built on the same chassis as the Chevrolet Kodiak and GMC Topkick. Isuzu’s truck is available as a medium duty Class 6, 7, and 8 truck. The H Series is also available in various GVW which range from 25,950 to 54,600 lbs.
Similarly with its siblings from GM, the H-Series also comes with both regular and crew cabs, but unlike its brothers it’s equipped with its own inline-6 turbodiesel engines.
Unlike other oversized pickup trucks, the GMC Topkick had a pretty long life span. The vehicle is basically a rebadged version of the Chevrolet Kodiak and was sold until 2009.
The Topkick pickup was a medium duty truck designed to be able to deal with those loads that were too heavy for a conventional pickup truck and its 6.6 liter V8 unit can tow up to 16.000 pounds.
The vehicle was modified in 2003, when it received a series of new features, some exterior changes and upgraded technologies. The new truck came with both 4x2 and 4x4 configurations and had a starting price of $55.000.
The Chevrolet Kodiak shared the same designed and technologies with the GMC Topkick and Isuzu H-Series and was commercialized between 1980 and 2009. The vehicle was designed as a medium duty truck used for utilitarian and commercial purposes.
The last generation was launched in 2003 and it was built on the new platform G-Platform.
The new model came with a bigger cab and was offered with both 4x2 and 4x4 configurations. Power comes from a 6.6-liter, 300-horsepower Duramax diesel V-8 and the base two wheel drive Kodiak starts at about $55,000.
The Chevrolet Kodiak has a maximum towing capacity of 16.000 pounds, plus the additional 5,500 lb. it can carry at the back.
The International Extreme Truck or the XT lineup consists of three heavy duty pickup trucks (CXT, RXT and MXT) that were sold between 2004 and 2008.
The XT models were designed to be the biggest pickups ever made. The XTs were created by taking the trailer off a prime hauler and turning into a dinosaur-looking pickup truck.
The first model introduced was the CXT which came with a massive curb weight of 14.500 lb and a GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) of 25,9999 lb.
The CXT is built on an International 7300 chassis and is equipped with the DT 466 diesel engine. Thanks to its heavy duty engine, the truck is able to tow up to 20 tons. The CXT came with a four wheel drive system and was priced from $93,000 to $115,000.
Hino has announced that this fall will launch a new cabover Class 5 medium duty truck platform. The new 195 truck will come with a gross vehicle weight of 19,500-lb and is powered by a 5.0 liter diesel engine which develops 210 hp and 440 lb.ft of torque. Moreover, the new Hino 195 can be also ordered with a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain.
Glenn Ellis, Hino’s vp-marketing declared, “The launch of this new cabover product line offers Hino dealers an opportunity to reach new customers. Over the past several months, the management team at Hino has monitored the truck market rebound, the U.S. economy, and foreign currency exchange rates to develop a plan that supported our customers and dealers in the short term, while sustaining a business model for the long term. With these factors in mind, the introduction of our cabover truck is on track.”
The diesel engine uses selective catalytic reduction (SCR) exhaust emission aftertreatment system to meet EPA’s 2010 emission standards.
For the start the Hino 195 hybrid models will be delivered only in California with the rest of US markets to follow.
At the beginning of the 90s, Dodge’s pickups flew under radar and its models never managed to conquer a healthy market share. In 1994 however everything has changed, after the launch of the innovative Ram pickup that took everyone by surprise.
The new Dodge Ram attacked its rivals with a modern style and one of the most comfortable and ergonomically designed cabins. There was also offered a complete lineup of engines which included both diesel and petrol units. Not to mention about the biggest payloads and towing capacities in the segment.
The 1994 Dodge Ram was offered in 118.7-inch and 134.7-inch wheelbases (6.5-foot and 8-foot boxes respectively). Engines options included 5.2, 5.9 and 8.0 liter engines.
The Hino brand is a part of the Toyota company and was launched in 2008. The brand has managed to build a pretty solid image in the trucking industry, thanks to its sturdy and reliable vehicles that share the same quality standards with Toyota’s cars.
At the moment the brand’s lineup consists of two trucks which cover a wide range of GVWs (gross vehicle weights) from class five to class seven models.
The conventional cab model is available as a class 6 and 7 truck with gross vehicle weights ranging from 23.000 to 33.000 lbs. The class 6 versions are equipped with a 220 hp engine, while the class 7 trucks come with 260 hp on tap.
The Iveco Vertis was developed entirely in Brazil and is aimed at those who are looking for a versatile medium duty truck. The Iveco Vertis has a cab-over configuration and it’s powered by a modern engine which offers low fuel consumption and is produced by Fiat Powertrain Technologies in Sete Lagoas.
The Iveco Vertis was launched on the Latin American market in 2010 and features a catchy design that also served as a base for the new Leoncino LCV presented in 2011.
The Vertis cab features an aerodynamic style with large air intakes and the large Iveco badge in the centre. The vehicle was developed on a platform of Iveco joint venture in China and integrated with European technologies. It is available in two versions (9 and 13 tons) and is offered with 1 year full warrantee for the entire vehicle plus an extra year for the drive line.
The Freightliner Columbia is a medium duty truck designed for short or regional transportation. The vehicle has a highly versatile character and can cope with various medium duty jobs. At the moment the truck is sold in South Africa, New Zeeland and Australia.
Designed to for construction or short haul applications, the Freightliner Columbia offers a light tare weight and ideal axle positioning, being available in 6x4, 8x4 and 10x4 configurations for construction work, and 4x2 or 6x4 for distribution jobs. Furthermore there is also the option of a Day Cab or a 34” Mid-Roof Sleeper.
Under the hood, the Freightliner Columbia is equipped with a Cummins ISLe5 engine which delivers a maximum output of up to 400 hp and 1,254 lb-ft of torque. Thanks to its powerful engine and the solid chassis the Freightliner Columbia can be rated to 40,000 kg Gross Combination Mass.
The Condor model is part of the past, as at the moment the truck has stopped being manufactured by Freightliner. For its time however, the truck was seen with pretty good eyes thanks to its flexible character and its capable performances.
The truck had a low entry cab configuration designed especially for refuse industry and offered a maximum GVW (gross vehicle weight) rating of up to 98.000 lbs.
To make it cope with tight city streets or congested traffic situations, the truck received a set-back front axle which improved the over-all maneuverability. The Condor was offered with a wide range of Cummins and Caterpillar engines which developed between 275 hp and 375 hp.
The Iveco Cavallino is mostly sold on the South American market and was designed to deal with short or regional transportations.
The Iveco Cavallino truck is part of the heavy duty league and it features a cab over engine design. The truck is equipped with Iveco’s Cursor 8 engine combined with a 16 speed SF Over Drive transmission. The engine develops a maximum output of 320 hp and 1200 Nm of torque.
To be able to suit to a wide range of applications, the truck is offered with both day and sleeper cabs and a choice of 4x2 and 6x2 axle configurations.
Most of the current trucks in Tata’s lineup are rugged and solid vehicles build to deal with the harshest working conditions without breaking down. Besides their proven reliability, the Tata trucks are also pretty cheap and easy to repair which makes them the favorite choice in rural zones or isolated areas.
The SE 1613 is a medium duty truck built for short or regional haul operations and it’s equipped with a Cummins 6BTAA 5.9 liter engine that churns out 125 hp.
Unlike most of the Tata’s trucks which are using a cab over engine construction the SE 1613 features a conventional cab configuration which makes it look significantly different from its siblings.
The BMC Professional is a highly versatile range of commercial vehicles designed for medium and heavy duty applications. The BMC Professional is available with both sleeper and day cabs and comes with a cab over engine configuration.
The truck has a payload of up to 50000 kg and it’s powered by a range of Cummins engines which develop a maximum output of 410 hp and 2000 Nm of torque. The BMC professional is also offered with a choice of 4x2 and 6x4 axle configurations which makes it eligible for a wide range of jobs.
BMC is a less known Turkish truck manufacturer which was formed in 1964 in partnership with the British Motor Corporation (BMC).
At the moment, the company is focused on building medium and heavy duty trucks and its lineup of models consists of three different cab configurations.
The Low Entry Cab model was designed to cope with the needs of refuse industry and it was specially engineered to offer easy access inside and out of the cab.
The BMC Low Entry Cab model is available in 4x2 and 6x4 axle configurations with gross vehicle weights (GVW) of 18 tonnes and 26 tonnes. The truck is equipped with the Cummins ISBe Euro 4 engine which develops 285 hp.