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About Me
I'm the Pickups host here at Edmunds CarSpace.com - be sure to check out the Pickups forums if you have or are interested in one!
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The Big Rigs
We're gonna talk about the big ones... trucks and buses that require those 3 marker lights front and rear. Everything from dual rear wheel pickups to class 8 trucks to the bus that takes you to work.
Sorry to have been so long since the last entry... been a wild year for me.
Let's see, what's been going on?
Well, my friend Vikki who piloted the red Peterbilt in the left margin has opted from the trucking ranks. That Pete spent too much time in her driveway and not enough on the highway. And when you're paid by the mile, that isn't gonna cut it, even for a company driver. So she returned the rig to headquarters this summer and has gone on to other work, although she is keeping her CDL just in case.
I stayed away from commenting on the Chrysler and GM bankruptcies (at least here -- I did comment elsewhere at Edmunds), but since they're out and re-establishing themselves, I will say this much... I think Chrysler under Marchionne has a far better chance than GM under Henderson. GM still has too many layers, too many executives from the past, and they are still trying to live on the old mantra of "as GM goes, so goes America." News flash, GM... America moved on without you a while ago. Marchionne assumed control of Chrylser to find a company that had not begun development of anything smaller than the next 300/Charger in nearly 3 years. But unlike the old multi-layered management structure of decision makers, Marchionne put in place a culture of fast action. He gave the design and engineering teams just 18 months to refresh the Avenger and Sebring - normally a 36 month project - which will get freshened product into the mainstream until the fully redesigned models on Fiat platforms can be implemented. GM has tried to look "lean" by dropping or selling brands, while they hang their hopes on a $40K electric compact. Yeah, that'll work.
Getting back to trucks, the 2010 Ram HD models are in production, the 2011 Ford Super Duty line was revealed in September for a winter start-up (somewhere around February 2010), and GM... oh yeah, remember them from the above paragraph... will hope that their production stock holds up because between January and March, they will be unable to produce any HD diesel engines. The Cummins used by Dodge was 2010-legal back in 2007. Ford is changing engine suppliers from International to in-house, so they can be up to speed with new engine prouction when the old engines run out. But GM has to shut down the Duramax plant and retool in order to make their 2010-legal engine - which means if a Chevy or GMC dealer doesn't have the HD pickup someone wants in stock, they're going to go to a Dodge or Ford dealer with the ability to custom-order the truck that meets their needs. Way to plan, GM.
As for the 2010 Ram vs the 2011 Super Duty... the 2010 Ram is a brand new body on a proven chassis with a proven powertain. The 2011 SD is a new front clip on a proven chassis (the cab and bed have been unchanged since the Super Duty line was introduced in January 1998 as early 99 models) and a completely new engine and transmission. Leem tell ya - in the world of trucks from class 2 and up, no one minds a new body if they trust the metal underneath. This will be Ford's third new engine launch in 6 years... and Dearborn better hope they get this one right, becauise the 6.0 and 6.4 Internationals hit the streets with lots of documented problems.
Could be the perfect storm that allows Chrysler to generate badly needed revenue until all the new cars are ready. Stay tuned.
 As the former owner of a 1996 Ram 3500 and the present owner of a 2005 Ram 3500, I've been awaiting this introduction for quite some time. It was going to determine whether I hung on to my 05 or started saving for a new one.
In my blog post on the 2009 Ram 1500, I noted three things that I hoped would appear on the 2010 Ram HD, and it looks like I scored on all three. The front bumper is indeed fully separate from the body (unlike the 1500) so that auxiliary equipment like plows and winches can be installed easily. The ST model offers an all-vinyl interior that you can get dirty. And the front springs in particular have been uprated and it now appears that they may permit a snow-plow package for the diesel pickups (a Dodge first, Ford has offered it for years).
As for the truck itself...
Likes:
I like the overall design appearance. Even though the cab is the same as the 1500 introduced last year, the HD doesn't have a "consumer" truck look to it.
I am very pleased to see that Dodge followed GM's lead and is using a steel integral fender on the dual-rear-wheel trucks. Ditching the bolt-on fiberglass fenders makes for a cleaner appearance, more paint options, better build quality, and better airflow.
I do like the more aggressive hood and grille. The 1500 has a smoother rounded look, while the HD has a chiseled grille, taller hood with extra clearance for the Cummins diesel, and even scalloped "louvers" on the sides.
The tow mirrors are slightly larger and incorporate a larger convex section. And I appreciate the return to black-faced gauges with white markings... I thought my white-face gauges on my 2005 were pretty cool when I got them, but after 4 years, that novelty wore off long ago, and depending on where the sun is, shadows can make them tricky to glance at.
Dislikes:
As I mentioned with the 1500, I'm no fan of single "uni-bulb" taillights. My 2005 has separate rear turn/hazard lights, which means people behind me have a better idea of what I'm about to do.
 While I like the hood itself, I am very displeased by what's under it. The underhood access on my 1996 was excellent. The 2005 is OK. Dodge knows full well these trucks use a LARGE inline six-cylinder diesel, so hood length should be taken into account during the design process. Not only is the underhood area more snug than my 05, but now they've added one of those huge black shrouds around the engine. I guess in their research, they forgot to ask how many HD truck owners do their own maintenance. When combined with the fact that the grille is no longer attached to the hood, anything in front of the engine (fan belt, etc.) will require the removal of this shroud... and I don't even want to think of what will happen if it's not tightly secured when it's reinstalled.
I'm a bit disappointed that the floor-shift for the 4x4 system is now limited to the base ST trim level and the off-road themed Power Wagon. I have always gotten the "comfortable" SLT trim level, but now that means I must have the electric dash control for 4WD. I had it on my 93 Ford F150, so I'm not a stranger to it, but I prefer the feel of that floor lever. (I know everything is computer-controlled anyway, but what the heck.)
Surprises:
 The Mega Cab is back! Who knew they were actually going to retain this, with the introduction of the new Crew Cab? But unlike the 1500, the HD line will no longer offer the Quad Cab (which is the equivalent to everyone else's extended cab model) - instead, they will offer the regular, Crew, and Mega cabs to the HD market. This makes Dodge the only truck manufacturer with 4 cab sizes.
Overall, I think Chrysler did a pretty good job on the redesign... I'll give them a solid B grade. Guess I should start socking away the money for a new Ram 3500 Crew Cab DRW 4x4... with the Cummins diesel of course!
A couple of good articles from the November/December issue of Road King magazine that are worth a look...
 Color Me Safe - High visibility seat belts encourage truckers to buckle up - more truck manufacturers are offering, and more operators are installing, brightly colored seat belts.
Trying Times - During some tough years this driver discovered his resolve to succeed - a 25-year veteran of the highway shares his experiences with health, family, and finances.
And of course, it's nice to report that diesel prices have dropped dramatically from this summer, although they have not matched the far steeper drop in the price of gasoline. In July, I paid a staggering $5.179 at my local station for diesel... just 4 months later, the price at the same station is down about 45% (around $2.95), and without too much effort, I can find it for quite a bit less than that - in the $2.60 range.
Thankfully, Vikki and her red Pete 379 have been on the road, although not nearly as much as a year or two ago. She said she was getting bored very quickly at home with the Pete in the driveway, instead of catching some z's in the sleeper at a truck stop. Even though fuel prices have come back down to more sensible levels and shipping rates have dropped the fuel surcharges, the economy means keeping tighter reins on the budget for people who need to get items from point A to point B. And with financing hard to come by, the buyers aren't there for the bigger ticket items that get shipped by 18-wheeler. So the loads aren't quite back up to snuff yet.
And more in line with my thoughts and wants, NAIAS is about a month away, and Chrysler is still scheduled to reveal the 2010 Dodge Ram heavy duty models, a direct replacement to what I have now. Hopefully, the automakers will be solvent enough to actually get to next month.
Cerberus Capital Management has shown their true colors in the last few months. It's no surprise that these are money people and not industry people. Their reason to exist is to move money around... I understand that.
So now that the economy has gone in the big green trash bin, Cerberus has its eye on a prize - trade Chrysler for GMAC so they can get their hands on some of that $700 billion being made available to banks. GMAC, for those unaware, has a mortgage business in addition to the car loan business. They have stated this week they are going to apply for bank holding company status in order to apply for those federal funds.
But yesterday, reports surfaced that the Treasury Department has no interest in funding a GM-Chrysler merger. That puts GM in the very unenviable position of facing Chapter 11 within months if they don't get their hands on some cash to replenish their coffers.
As for Chrysler, Cerberus has three options:
A) Allow Chrysler to complete its consolidation plan, let them develop the vehicles in planning, and ride out the economy
B) Negotiate with Renauilt-Nissan
C) Issue an IPO for Chrysler LLC and let stockholders have some say
I'm really surprised that option C has not been mentioned by anyone. Cerberus can keep a percentage of stock as an equity share, if they haven't completed the buyout of Daimler AG, let Daimler convert their equity to stock ownership as well, and let the market do the rest.
It's no secret that the Detroit 3 have too many brands and too many badge-engineered models. A slimmed-down Chrysler could really position itself to be the survivor. Here's what should be left:
Dodge: Ram, Sprinter, Caravan, Charger, Challenger, Hornet, revamped Caliber
Chrysler: 300, Sebring
Jeep: Patriot, Wrangler, Grand Cherokee
And since most of these vehicles have it in their European offerings, bring the diesels here to the US. A diesel Caravan would blow the remaining competition out of the water. A diesel Patriot has already achieved a documented 65+ mpg in Europe. And a diesel 300 would put the marque ahead of the competition with fuel economy.
Probably won't happen that way... but it should.
  What could GM possibly want with Chrysler?
They could use Jeep to replace Hummer as the "off-road brand", they could use the Charger and 300 to replace the Impala and LaCrosse, and they'd finally get a minivan people want.
That's it.
Everything else Chrysler makes is duplicated by an existing GM vehicle (and in the case of cars other than the Charger/300/Challenger, better executed).
The Viper would be history, as would Dodge truck - GM isn't sure what to do with GMC as it is, why add another truck line that shares no parts? The 300 would be sent over to Pontiac-Buick-GMC, likely as a Buick, and it might even kill off the G8 (which would save GM a ton of money in shipping costs from Australia). GM would take the Camaro over the Challenger out of brand loyalty (which is a shame since the Challenger is a better performance car).
In the end, it would be the same thing as when Chrysler bought AMC... keep the Jeep brand, some of the better assembly plants, and phase everything else out in a couple of years.
If Chrysler really must be sold/merged, I would think Renault/Nissan is the better fit - which leads to a similar irony... Renault took control of AMC before selling it to Chrysler.
The late arrival to the party could very well be wondering why they bothered.
Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales USA was quoted in Automotive News last week from the Paris Auto Show regarding the company's outlook on the Tundra. Lentz noted that Toyota does not want to get caught in the Ford F-Series vs Chevy Silverado war for first place in sales, or market against the all-new Dodge Ram 1500 or Ford F150. He acknowledged that many of the former buyers of pickups - commuters and those who wanted the "image" - have left the market for more fuel efficient vehicles (aka, cars) and likely won't return.
Toyota expected to sell 20,000 units per month after a fairly successful launch year, but their September 2008 sales were a dismal 7696, down over 60 percent from the September 2007 tally.
The Indiana Tundra plant was downed completely, and the Texas plant is in the midst of a three-month "extended vacation" to clear inventory. Lentz also noted that the diesel engine for the Tundra is now on hold, as their current volume is not enough to justify the investment.
The redesigned Tundra certainly was a worthy entry into what had been considered the final stronghold of the Big 3. At times last year, the Tundra looked like it could pass the GMC Sierra for 4th place among full-size pickups - a feat that would have been more impressive considering the Tundra is just a half-ton while the Sierra is a full line. Instead, the Tundra has dropped to not much more than what the Nissan Titan was selling a year ago.
There's one last introduction in the segment... and the one that is most interesting to me. The new Dodge Ram HD is supposed to be shwon this winter (probably at NAIAS in January), and as the owner of two straight Ram 3500s, I'll certainly be interested as to whether I will shell out the bucks for the next one, or will I hang on to my 2005 a bit longer than planned.
 I was talking to Vikki (pilot of the red Pete on your left) the other night, and she told a story that emphasizes a point I made in my CarSpace Guide Driving With The Big Rigs - specifically item number 4.
Vik said she was hauling a piece of construction equipment on a flatbed. She was slowing down for a traffic light when another vehicle not only changed into her lane, but did so while slowly coasting, causing Vik to really lay into the whoa pedal. At that point, Vikki said she heard the terrifying sound of a tie-down chain snapping due to the change in weight transfer force. "All I could think of was that bulldozer joining me in the cab," she said. After a barrage of bad language into the CB, Vik pulled over and replaced the chain before proceeding.
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles includes the following stat in its driver's manual:
- stopping distance including reaction time from 55 mph in a car is 190 feet
- stopping distance including reaction time for a loaded tractor-trailer with hot brakes is 430 feet
Before you make that lane change to "jockey for position" at the red light, make sure you have not cut the available stopping room for a much larger vehicle behind you. Unless of course, you like the idea of potentially being pushed into an intersection of cross traffic at speed. Or as in the situation Vikki had, if the other chains had not held, you could cause serious injury or death to a trucker without ever making vehicular contact.
 In the July/August 2008 issue of Road King (a magazine dedicated to truckers and trucking), there's an article about actual road music. I'm not talking about FM, satellite, CDs, or your iPod... I mean sounds made by the road itself. It was accidentally invented in Japan by a man who inadvertently scraped some pavement with a bulldozer. When he drove over the grooves, he noted that it made specific sounds.
Researchers took the concept to the next level and there are now roads in Japan that are specifically grooved to create 30-second "music clips". Such roads are marked with a big musical note on the pavement, as shown in the picture.
Let's see... I-40 would definitely be a country-western highway, I-95 would be pop/dance, I-5 most certainly the hard rock road....
What do you think? Would this work in the US, or would hearing such "music" drive you nuts on a road trip?
Can't leave Chrysler out. Today, the Pentastar announced they will close St. Louis South (minivan plant) and cut St. Louis North (Dodge Ram plant) to just one shift. Chrysler has ridden the minivans and Rams for nearly 15 years - for a period time, both plants were open daily with multiple shifts.
This is not great news, considering the minivans were redesigned for 2008, the new Ram 1500 debuts this fall, and the new Ram 2500/3500 will likely be shown to the public at NAIAS next January.
And to update Pare 2, GM stocks traded today briefly at $10.57 - the lowest split-adjusted price for General Motors common stock since September 22, 1954 when it traded at $10.49.
GM's stock closed today (June 26) at its lowest (adjusted for splits) price since late 1974... ironically another time of oil turmoil in the US. Two years later, the downsizing began with the full-size (B-body) cars. Analysts note that GM won't reap the health-benefit savings from the new UAW contract until 2009. Some are even calling for GM to be removed from the Dow Jones Industrial Average, despite their billions in annual revenue - GM is currently the lowest valued company of the 30 DJIA stocks (Alcoa at #29 is 4 times GM's valuation).
Will this lead to another drastic change at GM like the downsizing of the 70s and early 80s? Will they back off on "consumer trucks" and leave the Silverado/Sierra derivatives to the hardcore truck users who actually need them? Only time will tell.
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