Yahoo Autos Ford Work Solutions for F-series Pickups - Locked Down
Together with Master Lock, Ford has developed a retractable, eight-foot-long cable that owners can use to secure anything from toolboxes to generators to motorcycles. 10mm in diameter and sheathed in plastic, the cable has a cuff on the end that is locked and unlocked using a standard key. The retracting mechanism is mounted at the rear corner of the bed.
Keeping the Crew on Lock Down
The final element in Ford’s Work Solutions lineup is something the company calls Crew Chief. A fleet diagnostics and telematics tool, Crew Chief offers real-time tracking of vehicles via a web-based utility, which can be accessed not only on a regular computer, but on Ford’s in-dash setup as well.
The key here is efficiency - time and fuel. The system can detect whether a particular employee leaves the vehicle idling too long, wasting gas. The system allows a fleet administrator to route trucks based on location to save both fuel and time. Crew Chief will also keep tabs on vehicle health, alerting managers when the oil needs changing, the engine light comes on, or when a tire goes flat. This system is for commercial consumption only right now, but Ford says that Sync Version 2.0 will incorporate some sort of vehicle diagnostic monitoring.
Very Nice, Grasshopper
Ford’s intent with Work Solutions is to empower the worker in the field and turn his Ford vehicle into the 'most powerful tool [he’s] got.” Marketing pabulum, sure, but these products have a chance to live up to the hype, saving serious chunks of time and money for businesses large and small. All of these items - the computer, the tool tracker, the locking cable, and the telematics system - are simple, useful, and work with the trucks and computers that businesses already have.
Of course, Ford hasn’t announced pricing yet, so the possibility remains that a high price of entry could curb our enthusiasm a bit when this stuff goes on sale eight months from now. But for the time being, consider us excited by the possibilities.
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