CLEVELAND – This fall, buyers of Ford commercial vehicles will be able to check inventories, print invoices, retrieve documents or spreadsheets, or even check fuel prices from remote computers while on the road, according to The Morning Journal. The functions will be available in new products, known collectively as Ford Work Solutions, which will be demonstrated on a Ford truck at the Greater Cleveland Auto Show, Feb. 23 to Mar. 4 at the I-X Center.

Four options were developed by Ford with the help of its customers in time for a major redesign of the F-150 truck series. They will be available this fall on 2009 F-150s, F-series Super Duty trucks, and Econoline vans. The options will be installed on Econolines at the Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake.

Features of Ford Work Solutions include:

  • An in-dash computer with a 6.5-inch touch screen, two gigabytes of memory, a wireless keyboard, mouse, and high-speed Internet access. Documents can be opened, updated and printed on a Bluetooth-enabled inkjet printer. Navigation, fuel pricing, and hands-free phone service are available.
  • Tool Link, developed with the DeWALT power tool company, will let owners mark tools, safety equipment, and other property with radio frequency identification tags. A reader inside the cab will tell the driver what is loaded in the truck and whether equipment needed for certain jobs is missing.
  • Crew Chief will allow fleet owners to track their vehicles and dispatch them in the field through an Internet application. It also monitors vehicle status, including tire pressures and engine problems.
  • Cable Lock, created with the Master Lock Co., features a self-retracting 10-mm steel cable in a plastic sheath, which can be wound through toolbox handles or through items to lock to the truck with a cuff-like clasp.
  • Customers who plan to add a 2009 vehicle to a fleet of trucks can purchase the high-tech options for installation on older vehicles going back to the 1997-model year, according to The Morning Journal. The Ford Work Solutions were brought to market quickly so they could be offered on the 2009-model year trucks and Econolines.
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