I’ve pulled over a million trailer miles with my personal pickup trucks.  So I loved it when Ford invited me to the deserts of Nevada and Arizona to test-drive their latest diesel with loaded trailers up long 6% grade hills and then down the fast side! I live in Denver next door to the Rocky Mountains. How a loaded truck performs up and down those hills safely is the first question my customers ask.

We all want power going up the hill but the fast side of the mountain will test the safety of your highway neighbors who are looking for the “Runaway Ramp Just Ahead” signs for you as you fly by them with your brakes smoking trying to stop your trailer that wants to push you to a speed record through the pine trees as you fly off Interstate 70!

Finally a diesel built for thin air. So much of the vehicle world is tested at sea level and built to operate at sea level. It appears not much effort is put toward performance in the high altitude. Ford’s new Electronic Variable Response Turbocharger along with the new larger air cleaner is made to give you optimal performance on those mountain passes that can have snow on them year-round.

Ford’s new Electronic Variable Response Turbocharger, notice the movable vanes.