Toys for Trucks: Ford's New Trucks Get High Tech

Ford announced today that the 2009 F-Series and E-Series, as well as its upcoming Transit Connect work vans, will offer a host of job-friendly features the automaker calls Work Solutions. Among them are an onboard computer with internet access and wireless printing, a scanner that can inventory your on-board tools, a telematics system to keep tabs on other vehicles in a small-business fleet, and a steel cable to secure items in the bed.

The onboard computer is packaged to fit in the same area as a navigation system. It includes a 6.5-inch screen plus a wireless mouse, stylus and keyboard. With subscription-based Sprint broadband, Ford says you can access spreadsheets and word processing documents from your home computer, make changes and print them from a portable printer. Naturally, the computer also has a navigation system.

The telematics system, called Crew Chief, tracks real-time locations, unauthorized usage and various mechanical diagnostics for other vehicles in a small-business fleet. (No word on whether owners can program their teenagers’ Mustangs to receive the same tracking.)

Ford’s Tool Link has bed-mounted scanners that catalog tools in the bed with stick-on electronic tags. To ward off theft of those tools, Ford’s Cable Lock system comes with an eight-foot steel cable that retracts into a box at the rear of the bed. It works like a bike lock — run it through the handles of your equipment and lock it in place.

Ford spokesman Alan Hall said the features will be available a la carte, though pricing wouldn’t be available until closer to their fall launch. Hall said Ford will make the features “very affordable,” much like it did with Sync, which is a $395 option. We’re guessing the onboard computer will be the priciest and Cable Lock the cheapest, but we’ll report more when we know more.

Comments

[Phaeton]

God Awful looks aside (the truck not the computer) this is a pretty brilliant application for a work truck. Sounds like someone over at the blue oval put their thinking cap on. They have been in need of something to rally behind and translate into sales for awhile. Keep it up and they may get back in the green sooner than we think. Now if only they can bring over some of their overseas vehicles with some diesel motors...