Hindman Person AC - Spacekap Testimonial

Shawn Budde - Service Manager at Hindman / Person. Testimonial - Stay organized and get around much easier in all-weather with Spacekap.

Get the Spacekap perfect for your business at FleetWest.net

F-150 Lightning Launch | Rouge Electric Vehicle Center | Built For America

April 26 marks the launch of the all-new, all-electric F-150® Lightning™ pickup, a milestone moment in America's shift to electric vehicles. Ford and UAW leaders will host F-150 Lightning customers and Ford employees at the new Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan to celebrate "Job 1" and the start of production for the first-ever full-size all-electric pickup to go on sale. The Rouge Electric Vehicle Center is Ford's ultra-modern new facility within Ford’s historic Rouge Complex where Henry Ford perfected the moving assembly line and scaled the Model T.

Ford Truck Dearborn Assembly Plant

Ford Motor Company automobile factory complex located in Dearborn, Michigan, along the River Rouge, upstream from its confluence with the Detroit River at Zug Island. Construction began in 1917, and when it was completed in 1928, it was the largest integrated factory in the world.

SpaceKap Features: Product Quality Is Paramount

Spacekap incorporates features that have a capacity to meet and exceed consumer needs and gives its customer satisfaction by improving products and making them free from any deficiencies or defects.

Get the Spacekap perfect for your business at FleetWest.net

AAA StartSmart - Distracted Driving

Follow a group of six high school students and their parents as they attend the AAA StartSmart Academy where they learn how to develop safe driving habits from an over-the-top instructor named Crash — short for "Creating Responsible Automobile Safety Habits".

Pro Power Onboard | Ford How-To | Ford

This easy-to-follow video will show you how to use Pro Power Onboard,* which you may have on your Ford vehicle, to provide electrical power to certain power tools and electronic devices. *See Owner’s Manual for important operating instructions. Learn more about being a Ford owner here: https://ford.to/3juU0Q8

SPITZ LIFT Fold-Down Crane

Load capacity = 900 lbs.
Crane weight = 46 lbs.
Install weight = 99 lbs.

User friendly
Cost efficient

B U I L T T O L I F T

Learn more at: https://spitzlift.com/

2023 Ford F-150 Rattler

The F-150 Rattler package is built off the XL series, with FX4 content featuring skid plates to help ensure Built Ford Tough protection for a confident off-road experience, electronic rear-locking differential for enhanced traction, hill descent control for precision throttle and braking on steep descents, and specially tuned off-road shock absorbers for increased stability over tough terrain. In addition, F-150 Rattler features rugged all-terrain tires for versatility and capability.

Controlling Fleet Costs

Whether your company is big or small, everyone is looking to save money. Fleet managers are always keeping an eye on the operations financial bottom line. Unfortunately, repairs and maintenance are never cheap, but it is a necessary and anticipated expense. One daunting task for fleet managers is deciding whether or not to perform in-house or outsource maintenance and repair work. As with anything, there are pros and cons to consider.

Some pros to in-house repair are:

• Control the quality of workmanship – not everyone will treat each repair as if it was their own truck
• Control the length of time the vehicle is out of service – you know your truck isn’t sitting there waiting for someone to get around to fixing it
• Control parts cost – You know that you are not paying an inflated price for parts

Some cons to in-house repair are:

• Significant expense required to employ quality trained mechanics and inventory needed
• Training program for ongoing employee training needed
• Building space required for maintenance to be performed in and the extra concerns with regulations and approvals needed to go with these facilities

Quite simply, deciding whether or not the job is outsourced or performed in-house is a complex task.  It comes down to the important factors – cost, quality and turnaround time – and what works for your company.

Downtime is always going to be a challenge; however, Fleetwest offers an innovative solution to this problem. When you own a Fleetwest truck body and your work truck is in need of repairs, you simply transfer the truck body, fully loaded, to another pickup truck bed via forklift, crane or lifting jacks. The technician now has full access to his tools and equipment and able to move forward with his days’ work. When the needed repairs have been made, the service body is then transferred back into the original work truck. All executed in a matter of minutes with a no-holes drilled installation. Transferability changes everything!

For more information on Fleetwest transferable truck bodies, please call toll-free in the U.S. (866) 497-7200.

Presentation of the electric Ford F150 Lightning at the Work Truck Show in Indianapolis

This is the presentation given by Tim Baughman of Ford Pro to the Work Truck Show 2022 press event in Indianapolis. The all new electric Ford F150 Lightning is re-inventing pickup truck propulsion and also terminology with the 'Frunk' !! If you don't what this is - watch the video.

Electric Van & Truck

10 Things Everyone Should Know About Tires

 By Eric Peters, Automotive Columnist

You probably know tires are made of rubber — but how much more do you know? Here’s a run-through of some important tire-related terminology:

1) Aspect ratio

This technical-sounding term refers to the relationship between the width of a tire and the height of the tire’s sidewall. High-performance “low profile” tires have “low aspect ratios” — meaning their sidewalls are short relative to their width. This provides extra stiffness and thus better high-speed handling and grip — but also tends to result in a firmer (and sometimes, harsh) ride. “Taller” tires tend to provide a smoother ride and better traction in snow.

2) Contact Patch

As your tires rotate, only a portion of the total tread is actually in contact with the ground at any given moment.  This is known as the contact patch.  Think of it as your tire’s “footprint.” Sport/performance-type tires are characterized by their wider footprint — more tread is in contact with the ground — which provides extra grip, especially during hard acceleration on dry pavement and during high-speed cornering.

3) Treadwear indicators

These are narrow bands built into the tread during manufacturing that begin to show when only 1/16 of the tire’s tread remains. Also called wear bars, treadwear indicators are there to provide an obvious visual warning that it’s time to shop for new tires.

4) Speed ratings

An alpha-numeric symbol you’ll find on your tire’s sidewall that tells you the maximum sustained speed the tire is capable of safely handling. An H-rated tire, for example, is built to be safe for continuous operation at speeds up to 130 mph. Most current model year family-type cars have S (112 mph) or T (118 mph) speed ratings. High performance cars often have tires with a V (149 mph) or  ZR (in excess of 149 mph) speed rating. A few ultra-performance cars have W (168 mph) and even Y (186 mph) speed-rated tires.

5) Maximum cold inflation load limit

This refers to the maximum load that can be carried in a given vehicle with a given type of tires — and the maximum air pressure needed to support that load. In your vehicle’s owner’s manual, you should be able to find the recommended cold inflation load limit. It’s important not to exceed the load limit (or over or under-inflate the tires) as this can lead to stability/handling problems and even tire failure. Always check tire pressure “cold.” Driving creates friction which creates heat; as the tires warm up, the air inside expands, increasing the pressure. Measuring air pressure after driving can give a false reading; you may actually be driving around on under-inflated tires.

6) Load index

This number corresponds to the load carrying capacity of the tire. The higher the number, the higher the load it can safely handle. As an example, a tire with a load index of 89 can safely handle 1,279 pounds — while a tire with a load rating of 100 can safely handle as much as 1,764 pounds. It’s important to stick with tires that have at least the same load rating as the tires that came originally with the vehicle — especially if it’s a truck used to haul heavy loads or pull a trailer. It’s ok to go with a tire that has a higher load rating than the original tires; just be careful to avoid tires with a lower load rating than specified for your vehicle, even if they are less expensive. Saving a few bucks on tires is not worth risking an accident caused by tire failure.

7) Radial vs. bias-ply tire

Bias-ply tires have their underlying plies laid at alternate angles less than 90 degrees to the centerline of the tread; radials have their plies laid at 90 degrees to the centerline of the tread. That’s the technical difference. The reason radial tires are dominant today is that they help improve fuel efficiency and handling; they also tend to dissipate heat better than bias-ply tires. No modern passenger cars come with bias-ply tires these days and their use is generally not recommended. (Exceptions might include older/antique vehicles that originally came equipped with bias-ply tires. Some RVs also used bias-ply tires, etc.) It is very important never to mix radial and bias-ply tires; dangerously erratic handling may result.

8) LT and MS tires

These designations indicate “Light Truck” and “Mud/Snow” — and are commonly found on tires fitted to SUVs and pick-ups. LT-rated tires are more general purpose, built primarily for on-road use — while MS-rated tires typically have more aggressive “knobby” tread patterns designed for better off-road traction.

9) Temporary Use Only

Many modern cars come with so-called “space-saver” tires which are smaller and lighter than a standard or full-size spare tire. They are designed to leave more room in the trunk and be easier for the average person to handle when a roadside tire change becomes necessary. However, they are not designed to be used for extended (or high-speed) driving. Your car will probably not handle (or stop) as well while the Space Saver tire is on – and you should keep your speed under 55 mph and avoid driving on the tire beyond what’s absolutely necessary to find a tire repair shop where you can have your damaged tire repaired or replaced.

10) Treadwear, Traction and Temperature ratings

Each tire has three separate ratings for Treadwear, Traction and Temperature.

Traction ratings run from AA to A to B and C — with C being the lowest on the scale. The ratings represent the tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement under controlled testing conducted by the government. C-rated tires are marginal and should be avoided. Never buy a tire with a Traction rating that isn’t at least equal to the minimum rating specified by the manufacturer of your vehicle.

Temperature ratings from A to B to C — with C being the minimum allowable for any passenger car tire. The ratings correspond to a given tire’s ability to dissipate heat under load; tires with lower ratings are more prone to heat-induced failure, especially if driven at high speeds (or when overloaded). As with Traction ratings, never buy a tire with a Temperature rating that’s less than specified for your vehicle.

Treadwear ratings differ from Traction and Temperature ratings in that they aren’t a measure of a tire’s built-in safety margin. Instead, these ratings — represented by a three digit number — give you an idea of the expected useful life of the tire according to government testing. A tire with a Treadwear rating of 150, for example, can be expected to last about 1.5 times as long as a tire with a Treadwear rating of 100. These are just guides, however. Your tires may last longer (or not) depending on such factors as how you drive, whether you maintain proper inflation pressure and rotate the tires per recommendations — and so on.

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