Ford ends Ranger pickup truck production in US

The Ford Ranger pickup truck that was first introduced in the early 80's will no longer be produced by Ford in the US.  Say Goodbye to the Ranger Pickup Truck by Dick Wickell on About.com has lots of details.  That leaves the Chevy Colorado, Toyota Tacoma, and Nissan Frontier as the remaining midsize pickup trucks available.

Ford Ranger shown here with a Durashell 90 on it. 

Seasons Greetings

Sprinter Van, Astro Van... Nope a Pickup Truck

Durashell 170 on new Cox Cable utility truck

More and more service and utility companies are saying NO to VANS!  Technicians are tired of climbing into the back of a van.  Companies are tired of workmen comp claims.  Even the Sprinter Vans, just aren't good enough.  Yes they have lots of space, but you still have to build a protective cage to keep all the tools, supplies or packages from rattling around or flying into the back of the driver's head.  Being tired of having your back break when you climb into the van isn't enough.  You need to have a solution.  Transferable truck bodies are just what the doctor ordered.

Easy access to tools with sliding tool tray

You will see here pictures of some new transferable truck bodies installed on new pickup trucks in Detroit... before being delivered to Cox -- yep the cable company.  The latest in work truck technology... making cable work more efficient, reducing downtime, and workman's compensation claims (from back injuries).  No longer are these Cox technicians climbing into the back of a van. All tools and supplies are accessible without climbing or bending over.  Nice concept.  One final thought.  When the truck is down for service, the technician is in the field working, not moving his tools and supplies to another van, because all of his tools and supplies are moved to another truck in a matter of minutes.  This unit is NOT BOLTED INTO THE TRUCK BED... IT IS FULLY  TRANSFERABLE... from Ford to Chevy... or Chevy to Dodge...you get the idea -- UNIVERSAL FIT without drilling holes into the bed of the pickup. Now that is money saving technology!

Pictured below is one of the half-slides with spools for cable.  How easy is this?  Slide the spool out, get the cable you need, slide it back in!

Cable spool holders on sliding tool deck

See more at http://www.fleetwest.net/.

100% Tax Deduction - Expiring 12-31-2011

There are two tax saving opportunities that are designed to stimulate the economy, but make great sense for small business.  There are two IRS Code sections that help utility, service truck, and transferable truck bodies purchases before year end.  They are #179 that allows 100% tax deduction of qualified property placed in service before 12/31/2001 and section 168K - bonus depreciation offers 100% tax deduction on qualified property purchased and placed in service between 9/8/2011 and 12/31/2011.

So what is qualified property?  All trucks over 6000 lbs Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) are qualified for the bonus deprecation.  We recommend that you speak with your tax advisor if you have any other questions, but taking advantage of these stimulus deductions can put CASH into your companies coffers.  New Trucks only... unfortunately.

Fleetwest is offering special pricing on select models for year end (go to http://www.fleetwest.net/ to see the specials).  Couple that with 100% tax deduction against your 2011 taxes, and it is a WIN - WIN!

You can put a new Transferable Truck Bodyon a used truck... and deduct 100% of the new Transferable Truck Body. 

Spacekap Somanger - fits Ford Rangers, Toyota Tacoma, and Chevy Colorado's

FOR SALE - FITS 2012 Chevy Colorado, 2011 Ford Ranger, 2012 Toyota Tacoma, or most older year mid size pickup truck models. This Spacekap Somager is a demo model available from Fleetwest Transferable Truck Bodies.  Fleetwest specializes in Slip-on Truck Bodies.  The Spacekap Somanger (means Sonoma, Mazda, and Ranger) fits most light duty trucks like the Ford Ranger, Chevy Sonoma, Chevy S-10, Chevy Colorado, Toyota Tacoma, and Mazda.  120 cubic feet of storage... it's a big one for small trucks.  You can get a quote on this by going to www.fleetwest.net or click here Get a Quote, or call 866-497-7200.

Veteran's Day - Hole in One

Veteran's Day, 11-11-11 at the Wells Fargo $1 million Hole in One Championship

Here is Pat Shields of Palo Verde Construction after hitting his hole in one at the Wells Fargo - Fiesta Bowl $1 millon Hole in One.  He was a bit before 11:11 am, but is just as happy with the result.  Congratulations Pat, and good luck on Sunday's finals.

Fleetwest Transferable Truck Bodies (a veteran owned company) is a proud sponsor of the Fiesta Bowl - you can find more info at http://www.fiestabowl.org/ or http://www.fleetwest.net/



New Load'N'Go Sportsman to debut on Motorhead Garage TV Series

 

The Motorhead Garage TV Series

The “Motorhead Garage TV Series” with the original “Dynamic Duo” of Sam Memmolo and Dave Bowman, formerly of Shadetree Mechanic, and Two Guys Garage, bring the audience step-by-step installations by the latest innovators in technology, from the powersport, motorsport, motorcycle, and trucking industries!

You will either find Sam and Dave in their home garage; or taking the audience on the road, as they travel throughout the country visiting the heart and soul of these industries.

Sam and Dave work with the best manufacturing innovators to install the latest in technology. The series continues to evolve, and constantly throws the team, a wide array of mechanical feats. Fox Sports Network (FSN) national television series each Sundays at 11:30AM, and Mondays at 4:30PM (nationwide)

See Load'N'Go Sportsman on Truck U TV - October 8th

Fleetwest Transferable Truck Bodies will have a Load'N'Go Sportsman on Truck U TV again.  The Road Ranger Episode #713 will debut 10/8/2011 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on the Speed Channel.  Fleetwest will post links to TruckU TV on the Speed Channel at http://www.fleetwest.net/

Durashell 365 on flatbed

This Durashell 365 was installed on a flatbed quadcab truck by Gillespie, Prudhon & Associates (GP&A) of Clackamas, Oregon.  They are using it as a new fiber optic telecommunications install & repair vehicle.  Very Cool!

 The Durashell is mounted to the flat bed with turnbuckles so it can still be easily transferred from this flat bed truck to a standard pickup truck in a matter of minutes... fully loaded.  Speaking of fully loaded, this Durashell 365 has side mount ladder and material racks, an air conditioning unit, storage shelves and work benches galore, plus head room for us six footers.

Tell us what you like or dislike about this. Or if you'd like us to show off your work truck... send us your pictures, and a description of what you do with your work truck!  www.fleetwest.net

Review of 2012 Chevy 1500 Silverado Pickup Truck

Chevy still has the beef, plus they've added high tech features like a dealer installed WIFI.  You can see more at the Chevy Siverado website. The attached picture of the Load'N'Go Sportsman (not in a 2012 Chevy Silverado) would be a nice addition to a new 2012 Chevy 1500 or 2500HD.

Pickup Truck 2012 Rebates & Incentives Announced

Chrysler
2012 Model Truck	Incentive
RAM Trucks
1500 Regular Cab/Quad Cab/Crew Cab	$    2,000
2500 / 3500 Regular Cab/Quad Cab/Mega Cab	$    2,000
More Info:
Call 800-999-FLEET or check with your local Chrysler Representative
Ford
2012 Model Truck	Incentive
F-Series
F-Series (under 8,500 lbs. GVWR)  (excluding F-150 Raptor)	T.B.D.
F-Series Super Duty Pickups (over 8,500 lbs. GVWR) - Gas	$    2,000
F-Series Super Duty Pickups (over 8,500 lbs. GVWR) - Diesel	$    3,000
More Info:
Go to: www.fleetford.com or check with your local Ford Representative
General Motors
2012 Model Truck	Incentive
Silverado Pickup Trucks
Silverado 1500 (including Hybrid)	$    2,500
Silverado 2500HD (Gas Engine)	$    2,500
Silverado 2500HD (Diesel Engine)	$    3,000
Silverado 3500HD (Gas Engine)	$    2,500
Silverado 3500HD (Diesel Engine)	$    3,000
More Info: (Excludes Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands)
Go to: www.gmfleet.com or check with your local GM fleet Acct Rep.
Nissan
2012 Model Truck	Incentive
Light Duty Trucks
Frontier	$    1,000
More Info:
Go To: www.nissanusa.com/buying

Durashell 370 as alternative to SUV or VAN

Work Truck Online recently published an article on the Durashell 370 that highlights the advantages of a transferable truck body on a standard pickup truck versus an SUV or Van.  Highlights of the advantages and cost benefits of the Durashell 370 include:

• over 6 feet internal height
• lower cost 4 wheel drive solution
• 12.5 feet internal length
• separate hazardous materials and loose tools from passenger cabin
• eliminates technician downtime when van or suv is in for service or repairs (simply remove the Durashell 370 fully loaded onto another pickup truck)
• lightweight solution - only 720 pounds
• huge storage capacity - 370 cubic feet
• better fuel economy

Feel free to watch the following YouTube video

You can find more information on the Durashell 370 at Fleetwest

Truck U on the SPEED CHANNEL

The new Load'N'Go Sportsman Model (older model was called the Lowboy) shown here being taped for an upcoming episode of Truck U on the Speed Channel.


Shown in front of the Load'N'Go from left to right.
Tom Endicott (Fleetwest), Matt Steele (Truck U), Bruno Massel (Truck U), Rick Johnson (Fleetwest)

Ford Pickup Truck RECALL

We received this e-mail newsletter note from Dale Wickell, your Guide to Trucks -- For the full article, click on title.

Ford Recalls 1.1 Million Pickup Trucks Ford will recall about 1.1 million pickup trucks to inspect their fuel tank straps. Not quite a year ago, owner complaints prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to investigate whether or not problems with corroded tank straps were limited to just a few trucks, or signaled a widespread problem. This new recall makes the findings of that study pretty clear. Recalled Ford Trucks 1997-2004 F-150 pickup trucks 1997-1999 F-250 pickup trucks 2002-2003 Lincoln Blackwood trucks

2011 Toyota Tacoma Truck Review

2011 Toyota Tacoma Truck Review - About.com

You can find Transferable Truck Bodies that fit the 2011 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck at www.fleetwest.net.

 This truck has lots of room for a midsize pickup and a nice side profile.

 

The picture below must have been taken with a wide angle... makes it look real roomy.  Not including the tagging.

I like the Toyota Tacoma - still have a 1999 Toyota Tacoma Pre-Runner with over 200,000 miles.  Still running fine.  You can see more details on the review by clicking on the About.com link at the top of this post.

Transferable Truck Bodies - Video Brochure

Commercial Vehicle Orders Remain at Healthy Levels in June - Truckinginfo.com

Commercial Vehicle Orders Remain at Healthy Levels in June - Truckinginfo.com

Truckinginfo.com summarized a report from ACT Research, "Classes 5-7 orders at 14,600 units... the current period of stronger demand stretches back to Q4 2010."

Although the dismal housing market is still a huge drag on the economy, we will take any signs of life like this commercial vehicle order report - Fleetwest.

Pickup Truck Tool Drawer - Full Bed Size

The LARGEST DRAWER you will ever see!  This is a GREAT new product - the Load'N'Go Tradesman, the only full size drawer available for the bed of your pickup truck. It is fully customizable and can be used for your tools, supplies, parts, camping supplies, guns, ammunition, anything you want secure and organized.  Fleetwest also has a short bed model available at www.fleetwest.net or toll free 866-497-7200.

2011 Chevy 2500 HD Pickup Truck - Durashell 230

Durashell 230 being demonstrated on a Chevy 2500 HD pickup truck.  The Durashell can be installed or removed from the pickup truck in a matter of minutes without unloading and has huge storage of 230 cubic feet. Comparable to most vans! This is a versatile solution for secure storage of tools and or supplies while offering the flexibility of moving from one truck to another in minutes.  This unit can be moved from all standard Ford, Chevy, Dodge long bed pickup trucks, as I said before without unloading!  Nice feature that reduces most work truck fleet downtime -- one of the biggest expenses associated with maintenance of vehicles.  See more at www.fleetwest.net.

Light & Medium Truck | Tricks of the Trade

What are city, county, and federal fleet managers doing as they feel the effects of the recession?
This is a good article that shows some examples of the predicament fleet managers find themselves in today.  Click on the link below for the full article.

Light & Medium Truck | Tricks of the Trade

You can also go to Downtime for a white paper showing 17.5% reduction of life cycle maintenance vehicle costs.

Ladder Rack and Sliding Deck featured on Fleetwest Load'N'Go

On this video you see the benefits of a hydraulic assisted drop down ladder rack on the Load'N'Go Security Top model from Fleetwest.  Saving time, energy, and money is what the Load'N'Go is about.  You will also see a 1000 pound sliding deck with 100 % extension.  Meaning back breaking climbing into a van or the back of a topped pickup truck is a thing of the past.  This sliding deck allows all of your service tools and supplies will be handy at waist level.  No more workmens compensation claims because of strained backs from climbing in and out of the service truck or van.  You can see more of these fully transferable work trucks (without unloading) at Fleetwest Transferable Truck Bodies. http://www.fleetwest.net/

Ford announces recall of F-150 Pickup Trucks

Ford anounced that they were recalling Ford F-150 2005-2006 pickup trucks because of concerns regarding the unexpected deployment of the airbags.  The Ford F-150 pickup truck series is the best selling truck in the United States.  Ford Motor Company is listed on the NYSE under the symbol: F and their web site is http://www.ford.com/  Please let us know your experience if you own a Ford F-150.

Upfit Rebates - extra $500 to $1,000 Cash for your Work Truck Purchase

Most guys purchasing a new truck are not aware of the extra cash rebates they may qualify to receive with their new truck purchase.  Actually, in our experience, most new car and truck salesmen are not aware of these programs either.  Fleetwest has created a summary of those benefits with links to the commercial truck manufacturers pages - click here. The following links to the manufacturer's commercial truck web pages:

• Ford
• GMC
• Chevy 

The following do not have upfit rebate programs that we are aware of, but here are links to their commercial offerings.

• Dodge Ram
• Toyota - Doesn't have one that we know of, but here is a link to Toyota Tundra
• Nissan - these appear to be mostly commercial vans... but you can find the Nissan Titan from this page.

Speaking of commercial vans and vans in general, you might consider comparing some alternatives to your van purchase.  If you are considering a van for your work use, you might consider using a work truck and a Durashell transferable truck body as an alternative.

Work Truck - GMC Kodiak Truck with Load'N'Go tool box with drawer

This is a nice looking work truck!  A 2007 GMC Kodiak truck with a Load'N'Go security top tool box and 1000 pound slide out drawer.

2011 Chevy Pickup Truck with Used 2007 Load'N'Go TSS

Fleetwest demostrates a used 2007 Load'N'Go TSS on a 2011 Chevy 2500 HD pckup truck.  This Load'N'Go is Huge with a full length 1000 pound sliding drawer in the bottom.  The :Load'N'Go TSS was originally designed by an HVAC technician as an alternative to the bolt-on utility body he was using.  We're told the technician was tired of having to move his tools every time his truck went into the shop, so he suggested the TSS model specifications to suit his needs.  Plumbers, Electricians, General Contractors, and other trades find the large capacity of the Load'N'Go TSS a useful benefit.  You can see the specs and price at http://www.fleetwest.net/. 

Durashell 370 - Fits 1/2 Ton Trucks - More Work Space Than a Typical Full Size Van

Shown here on a one ton truck, the Durashell 370 is a huge work truck utility body.  Tall enough to stand up inside and easy to up fit with shelves, drawers, or tool boxes.  The over cab storage area seems to be large enough to fit more stuff than would fit in a light duty truck.  You can see a You Tube video of how tall this utility body is at http://youtu.be/ybVm4XTxs-k - especially useful for small package delivery.  The big benefit is this unit is fully transferable, on and off without unloading, fits most standard size pickup trucks, offers 4X4 capability in a pickup that is a fraction of the cost of a comparable van.  Needless to say, but you can get this into service in a fraction of the time needed to get an up fitted van or utility truck.

Sales of Commercial Vehicles Worldwide to Reach 21 Million Units by 201 , According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Sales of Commercial Vehicles Worldwide to Reach 21 Million Units by 201 , According to New Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Found this article on a NTEA Industry Newsletter -- another sign the economy is SLOWLY.... SLOWLY growing. You can find more National Truck Equipment Association info at www.ntea.com or go to NTEA member Fleetwest Transferable Truck Bodies web page - www.Fleetwest.net for info on slip-on pickup truck bodies.

2011 Chevy 2500 HD with Load'N'Go Security Top from Fleetwest

 

Demonstration of the Load'N'Go Security Top Model by Fleetwest Transferable Truck Bodies manager - Tom Endicott.  Features include 1000# slide out drawer and 1000# sliding deck so technicians won't have to climb into the back of a truck or van.  Reducing potential for workmens compensation claims.  Downtime is reduced because this tool box can be moved fully loaded onto another truck regardless of the make (shown here with 2011 Chevy 2500 HD pickup truck).  The really nice thing Tom says "it fits Ford, Chevy, Dodge, GM pickup trucks." More details on this service/utility truck body can be seen at Fleetwest.net.  Call Fleetwest at 866-497-7200 for more information.

2011 Chevy 2500 HD Pickup Truck with Durashell 170

Durashell 170 by Fleetwest Transferable Truck Bodies shown here on a 2011 Chevy 2500HD Pickup Truck. Tom Endicott says this can be transfered fully loaded from one truck to another in a matter of minutes. The Durashell 170 is sometimes called an "insert, topper, service body, utility bed, service bed." What ever it is called, it is definitely handy for tradesmen who want to keep their tools secure and dry. It is also noted that this also fits Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan pickup trucks.  For more information you can go to www.fleetwest.net or call them at 866-497-7200 (in US).

2011 Chevy 2500 HD with Durashell 370 from Fleetwest Transferable Truck Bodies

Tom Endicott from Fleetwest Transferable Truck Bodies demonstrates the Durashell 370 on a 2011 Chevy 2500 HD.  Huge space inside a standard pickup truck.  Clearly an new alternative to any van.  You can see more at http://www.fleetwest.net/

Load'N'Go work truck utility tool box

Pickup Truck Load Capacity

This is a good general article on pickup truck load capacity - by Dale Wickell - About.com.

You can see work truck utility and service bodies at www.Fleetwest.net.

Load N Go Truck Tool Box - Fleetwest