New trucks can haul a lot more than their predecessors, which inevitably prompts some drivers to inadvertently exceed payload ratings.
Ford’s solution: an in-bed scale for its popular F-150. As users fill up their trucks’ beds, four LEDs integrated into a taillight give an indication of how close they’re getting to maximum capacity. The screen in the dash shows a more exact figure.
Ford says that each truck with the feature will be pre-programmed to know its specific payload rating. For drivers of any recent F-150, the automaker has also set up a website that displays payload information specific to a truck since any combination of optional equipment can change its rating.
Additionally, the automaker’s trucks can measure the tongue weight of an attached trailer to help ensure that the trucks aren’t pulling too much load. It also tells if the load’s balance is correct.
Ford will also offer adaptive dampers, which are shocks that can adjust their firmness automatically and almost instantly to adapt to differing road conditions. Automakers have long fitted such dampers to sporty and luxurious cars and SUVs, though they’re relatively uncommon on pickups. Chevrolet and GMC offer them on their Silverado and Sierra models, while the Ford Raptor off-road pickup has had heavy-duty adaptive dampers in the past. Find a Ford F-150 for sale
