Red Horse

Great pictures. Just wondering when and where are the pictures taken?

Don't know about the F-850 Super Duty as to location. But the Ford blower is on Rt 2?? And the Athey (I think) belt loader is on a ramp in Hartford.

I tried reading it in a mirror but gave that up like it was some sort of code. I saw the note about the translate button and that helped but the translator is marginal at best...Oh well. They look kind of cool but at the end of the day a Ford is well....a Ford. I'm all set. I'll stick with Cummins and Mack stuff...

Well having bought my share of Macks (R's and DM's, CH's) and while I love my B-61X, I have to say, the Louisville was a good value. Arm rests fall off? Yep-Ever break a frame?-never .

As for these Cargos. I have to say they are sold in some of the toughest areas of the world. If you go to Ford's web site and work your way to Ford Turkey, you can see some big Cargos- dual front axles, heavy rock bodies etc. And they don't look like they spend too much time in nice urban settings!

If Ford ever gets back into class 8, I would hope these trucks provide some good engineering feedback

Good article, I think that it was something about Ford and trucks but my Russian is a little rusty. Where's Vlad when you need him? Finally, saw the translation button.

bulldogboy

Ok Bulldog-your eyes are better than mine-where is the button???

They get $180-$200 per load for the belt conveyor - much less expensive than a pump. Harrison/Old Castle Materials are really in the road building business along with aggregate production, asphalt production and ready mix concrete - front discharge trucks don't seem to do as well for pouring curbs and roads. Front Discharge trucks cost 2-3 times as much in maintenance costs versus rear discharge trucks plus higher initial purchase costs. Still for smaller pours especially around houses and foundations contractors will usually pay more for the front discharge truck.

200 buck premium per load for this thing sounds like a bargain. Kind of surprised the maintenance cost for a front discharge would be twice to three times a conventional. In any case as always, nothing like the right tool for the job. I'm sure there are plenty of jobs were a belt mixer is the most cost effective answer. If had a redi-mix business of size I would think a good mix of rear/front/belts would cover all the bases. Not exactly good from a parts/maintenance perspective but in a competitive business, the customer rules-unless you are the only game in town.

Again here in this neck of the woods (Mass) I would bet front discharge is 3 to 1 on replacements.

"

PS Wheeled my share of concrete off the ass end of B-81's, LJ's, A-cars using a "Jackson prime mover" in my youth (EJ- Foxon, Velardi etc)-but in my old age can appreciate the new technology

Looks like tha same old F750 hood with some extra stuff screwed on the front to make it look different to me, I don't see that its any longer, that's the std bumper and its in the std spot, I would guess that is more for underhood testing equipment or room for larger cooling until they get the new hood ready, that wont be how it looks for good.

Actually I saw another picture-on same Blueovalnews thread -of a white 650 with the same hood treatment. Except this picture showed truck from rear and you could see exhaust. Small muffler and pipe-so this said to me this truck was probably a gas job. Also someone suggested this might be some sort of hybrid. Seeing that little exhaust, makes me think that might be a possibility.

Think of it-if we are thinking this was to accomodate a larger radiator-because say there was an 8.3 Cummins or something bigger than a 6.7 Cummins under the hood would you not think it would have a significantlybigger exhaust system?? Not the case.

I'm thinking the new truck will use the Euro Transit glass house (doors, windshield etc) so maybe it has something to do with that.

Where is that East Haven Conn.

EJ- Hah!! Excellent comment- I actually predicted something like that coming from you.

The leaked word is Econoline production will run thru June 2014 and medium production will ramp up in late 2014 or early 2015.

But, not yet having spent any money on a move to Avon Lake, I believe Ford is deliberating on whether or not to exit the medium duty truck segment (in the U.S. market) as margins are simply too slim.

Every country market has its own unique metrics. In Brazil and Turkey, Ford makes money with medium and heavy trucks. But in the US market, Ford has been dragging its feet with just one toe in the water since around the time Louisville (the former Ford truck capital of the world) stopped commercial truck production. Without a concerted effort on Ford's part in the medium segment, the downward spiral in sales should be no surprise to anyone.

Well this would appear to be the first sign that they ARE going to do something. I don't think they will ever be in the "large car" business to compete with Paccar etc, but what does it take to go from class 7 into 8 vocational? Not that much

for anyone else whos interested: http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index.php?/topic/54965-spy-shotsmonstrous-ford-f-750-mules-caught/

thx Matt- I clicked on link did a "copy" then a paste? don't know how the travelogue got on

Can we see a pic Bob?

Matt-see if this works

If not,just got to Blueovalnews.com, forums and click on the 750 mule thread

How about it KSC. Any word on the pix of the Ford 750 Mule that was posted on the Blue Oval New Forums yesterday. It came from a SEMA posting . It is a current 750 Crew Cab with a "toy hauler" box. Looks like it has a much bigger radiator as the hood is wider, higher and looks like it sets a bit forward. Some have suggested its an early mule for the Avon Lake mediums but I wonder if it isn't just something they are working on in short term to put say an 8.3 cummins or some Westport CNG motor in the current truck.

Any thoughts? :idunno:

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Matt where do you find this stuff? That one at the top is a TK 6 Michigan. We (Carafa Builders) had one in North Haven except it was a back hoe They had big tubular sticks. The "6" I believe was the smallest Michigan and did not have an engine in the "house"-it was powered by the prime mover-ours was a Waukesha or Continental gas job- 5 speed with a two speed aux. 12 x 20 military type rubber. I was the "kid"- drove machine from job to job

Wonder what kind of premium they get per yard for this service? Has to be a very high maintenance cost unit. then again cheaper than bringing in a pump. In any case I think the days of rear discharge mixers are numbered except for certain applications- like big volume jobs feeding a pump.

But for the average delivery, a front discharge is placing concrete literally the minute the truck hits the jobsite. Once contractors get used to that, they don't want to screw around with some guy backing up to forms, wrestling chutes etc.

The best body style for F-series trucks in my opinion. Here's my '97 350 diesel

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Ah yes-bought 3 new 97 F-250's New Haven, Portland and Chelsea. NH's lasted the longest.

Bob- quite a few F750 boxes running around here for freight

Yeah Matt-but not like the old days when Louisvilles, C-models and even F-750's/800's ruled the P & D business. i wonder if Roadway has finally retired the last of their C-models?

They purchased quite a few between roughly '06-'09 but I believe most of the straight trucks were Freightliner M2's. The Ford cabs were too small and it took a few years to find an air seat that one could actually air up without being too close to the ceiling. There may have been other issues but the decision to stop buying them was heavily influenced by the drivers. This year we had at least 50 new M2's pass through my terminal to be prepped by our shop before being distributed to other terminals.

I can believe the space issue-then again, its a Super Duty Cab. Is an F-250/350 uncomfortable? I don't think so. Then again, maybe P & D drivers don't ride around with their asses on the floor like a lot of idiots you see today just barely peering over the wheel of their "large cars"! In any case, Ford is supposed to be moving medium s back to this country (Avon Lake Ohio plant)from the Navistar JV in Mexico and the truck will be all new-we shall see.

Transport Topics / October 8, 2013

Navistar received almost 5,900 orders for Classes 6 through 8 trucks in September, the highest monthly number since 2011.

Over 2,100 of the orders were for Class 6 or 7 DuraStar trucks with Cummins ISB 6.7-liter engines.

“September orders marked Navistar’s highest monthly order intake for Class 6/7 vehicles in almost two years, which strengthens our belief that the ISB will be the catalyst for improving our medium-duty business,” Bill Kozek, president of North America truck and parts for Navistar, said in the statement.

Navistar estimated its Class 8 order share to have risen to 17.4% in September, up from 16.6% in August.

Industry wide, new Class 8 orders rose 27.4 percent in September over the previous year, the eighth straight month of year-over-year growth. North American truck makers received almost 20,100 orders in September, the strongest total since May and up from 15,780 in the same month a year ago. On a sequential basis, September’s order intake rose 2.3% from August’s total of 19,649. Through three quarters, cumulative 2013 orders stand at 189,505, a 15.3% gain compared with 164,401 in the first nine months of 2012.

2100 CLASS 6 AND 7's with the 6.7. Wow- that is about a third of Ford's yearly volume and a huge percentage over Paccar's vol. I would almost have to say that a big chunk of that number must be a fleet account that was behind the push to get the 6.7 as an RPO? Like maybe Ryder?? Penske?

I realize that Fiat owns 50 percent of Italy's VM Motori. (Ironically, General Motors owns the other half but Americans have not seen any fruit from the joint venture. And now GM plans to sell their half to Fiat, giving the Italians full ownership)

But I think Fiat's Sergio Marchionne is making a mistake here. The VM Motori engine, while fine for future Jeep brand products, is not going to promote pickup truck sales like a Cummins engine would. In the American pickup segment, and particularly at Dodge owing to the history, it has to be Cummins. That name speaks volumes to would-be buyers. And of course, Cummins is the only diesel in the US pickup segment with a stellar track record.

I guess in my lifetime I paid too many bills for Cummins-V-185's V-210'S and Triple Nickels And like I said, only reeason dodge sells vs ford or GM is the 6.7.

IMO this sounds like a bad idea. Volume is king-who is going to buy this for their half tons? Not Ford, Not GM and as someone noted, Dodge will if anything be relying more and more on their Italian connection. This guy Marchione is no dope. He will do whtever he can to boost utilization within the Chrysler/Fiat family. And as for Cummins and Dodge, I say the only reason Dodge sells as well as they do is many people want no part of a V-8 Power Stroke or Duramax and like the 6.7 Cummins.

If they are counting on Toyota/Nissan to build volume, forget it. I would bet Ford probably sells more light duty trucks in a month than Nissan and Toyota combined sell in a year. Oh and Ford if they ever do decide that a diesel makes sense in a 150, will have their own 5 cylinder diesel.

So Green Dash I note an F-750 straight truck in background. Don't see many of those in freight P & D. Is Ford a big customer of Pitt-Ohio?

Heres a few from today. Just got back. going down was a whole another story......

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Matt- Wow- long day-amazed your old man at his age could do that "turn"! Paul's U I assume-got a lot of press! Best part is all the dirt moving out back right?

I'm sorry I missed it- but I have a great excuse....Honest!!!! I have never been to this one, and I was planning on coming this year with Small, Medium and Large. However, as many of you (who are my Facebook Friends) know, my father kinda sorta threw me a curveball- on Friday morning 9/27 he told my mom that he was having chest pains. To make a long story short, she got him to the ER in the car, and 20 minutes later he coded (died right there on the table in front of the Doctor....) They were able to get him back. He was sent right up to the cardiac cath lab, and got three stents installed. He almost croaked 2 more times in the cath lab. He was intubated and sedated until Tuesday. Then after he was awake, it looked as if he may have suffered a stroke or an anoxic brain injury. However he is slowly regaining his memory, and is a lot more conscious, alert and oriented. He is doing very well despite what he was through. I almost lost my best friend....and was not a happy camper there for a few days.

I've been a busy beaver the last week, going to work (which was the first week back after 12 days of vacation...so I had my hands full there.....) driving to the hospital (53 mile ride one way) and taking care of business in my own life......Ready to tear out my hair.

Priorities-Sounds like the tough part is behind you-you will have an even better appreciation for your relationship going forward.

As you guys get excited about milling machines, about a month ago I'm southbound on Mass I-495 around exit 13 or so. Traffic starts slowing. detached low boy is on shoulder like they are going to load something. Then just other side of bridge abutment is Agreggate Industries machine on its side-underside facing the road- OOpps! My guess is they were positioning to load and shoulder had quite a slope to it-as well as soft ground. Don't think anyone got hurt other than ego as only news coverage was the traffic slowdown.

Back to the question about a one foot band every 10 yards?? Assume it is width of roadway? I would guess this was a concrete road that was repaved with asphalt-could they be doing the expansion joints in original concrete that have heaved?

And we thought your where a MACK MAN!!!!!!!!

EJ- I am-but with an appreciation for Louisvilles-great value when you speced them right! Actually when I was forced to take a year off from school and worked for a No Haven contractor I wanted him to buy a 56 T-800 that was for sale-good thing he didn't buy it or I might not have gone back to school! By the way-remember seeing a beautiful 56 F-800/900 that was parked at a house near Blakeslee/Arp/Chapmans yard? I might have bought that if I could have found it.