Ford announced its Ohio Assembly Plant will support additional production of the all-new 2017 Ford F-Series Super Duty chassis cab.“Super Duty chassis cabs are the number one trusted choice of tradespeople and fleet customers, from utility companies to construction firms,” said Kevin Koswick, director, Ford North American Fleet, Lease and Remarketing Operations. “The all-new Super Duty will help these customers keep the lights on, deliver supplies and build a better world for their customers.”Together with Kentucky Truck Plant, Ohio Assembly will produce F-350, F-450 and F-550 Super Duty chassis cab configurations, Ford said. “Ford engineers improved the Super Duty chassis cab with advanced materials, making the frame out of high-strength steel and the body out of high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy,” according to Ford. “The result is up to 350 pounds of weight savings with additional weight savings reinvested everywhere it counts, giving customers more towing and hauling capability than ever before. Components such as axles, hubs and brakes are larger and stronger to support work demands.”The high-strength steel frame is engineered with an open-C-channel design behind the cab to enable aftermarket body upfit and modification. The frame is made of more than 95% high-strength steel and fully boxed from the front to the back of the cab, and an open C-channel extends all the way behind the cab to accommodate vocational needs and aftermarket body builders, Ford said.“Fleet operators and commercial upfitters will find it easier to connect electrical equipment to the truck,” according to Ford. “An all-new smart Controller Area Network (CAN) interface allows up¬fitters to more easily integrate upgrades to meet their customers’ needs, with six auxiliary upfitter switches available to operate a variety of powered options, such as lights, compressors or other power equipment.”
