Autoblog

click above for more high-res images of the Ford Work Solutions package

Ford is not shy about reminding the world of the enormous number of full-size trucks that it sells every year. A large portion of those trucks get sold to people who use them to earn their living. Contractors, plumbers, electricians, installers, landscapers and more use their trucks and vans as mobile offices, workshops and tool cribs. With the market for this class of vehicles getting increasingly competitive, thanks to new models from Chrysler and entries from Toyota and to a lesser degree Nissan, Ford knows it needs to provide something that appeals to those core commercial customers. In mid-2006, the brand that Henry built talked to its customers and determined that owners would appreciate new features that would make their more productive in new ways. So they worked with partners like Master Lock, DeWalt and Sprint to create a package called Work Solutions that will be available on 2009 F-150 and Super-Duty pickups and E-Series vans. Basically a fully functional in-dash computer with lots of gadgetry built in, the Work Solutions package is a technological tour de force for commercial customers. Read more about it after the jump.

[Source: Ford]