Ford Trucks & SUVs Sweep the 2018 Gold Hitch Awards

The Fast Lane Truck gives high praise to the Ford lineup for its towing capability.

The Fast Lane Truck recently announced the winners of their annual 2018 Gold Hitch Awards. The awards are given to the trucks and SUVs that perform the best in a variety of challenging and even grueling conditions. Ford trucks swept the competition, taking three of the five awards. The 2018 Ford Expedition was a big winner, nabbing both the “Best Towing SUV” and “2018 Gold Hitch SUV of the Year.”

In the video, we get to hear what went into the deliberations to decide the best of the year. The folks making this decision are Roman Mica, Nathan Adlen, and Andre Smirnov, from  The Fast Lane Truck, and Ken Sundling from Mr. Truck.

The Fast Lane Truck uses a number of factors to reach their decision. And they are all pretty hardcore. “The benchmark for all towing scores is based on the grueling Ike Gauntlet. The Ike Gauntlet is ‘The World’s Toughest Towing Test.’ The test loop consists of an 8-mile stretch of the I-70 between Dillon, CO (9,111 feet above sea level) and the Eisenhower/Johnson tunnels (Continental Divide at 11,158 feet above sea level). The highway grade reaches 7%, the maximum allowed on a US Interstate. The trucks are loaded with trailers near their maximum towing capacity.”

They also employ the “Cliffhanger 2.0” Rocky Mountain off-road trail test for best off-road truck. The trail is incredibly difficult, but as Mica says, “This mountain trail is not impossible. The challenge is for participating automakers to build a vehicle that can be effective and easy to navigate up a difficult off-road obstacle.”

These are the trucks and SUVs that rose above the fray to take top honors:

• Best Towing SUV: 2018 Ford Expedition
• Best Towing Heavy-duty pickup truck: 2018 Ford F-250 Super Duty
• Best Off-Road truck: 2018 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2
• 2018 Gold Hitch Truck of the Year: 2018 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2
• 2018 Gold Hitch SUV of the Year: 2018 Ford Expedition

“Ford must be recognized for building something truly special,” said Nathan Adlen, Senior Editor of The Fast Lane Truck, of the twice-awarded Expedition. “Not only is the 2018 Ford Expedition a Gold Hitch winner, I feel it’s the best, modern interpretation of what a large, all-American SUV can be.”

S.J. Bryan

Longtime automotive journalist S.J. Bryan has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is an editor with Ford Truck Enthusiasts and regular contributor to F-150 Online, Harley-Davidson Forums, and The Mustang Source, among other popular auto sites.

Bryan first discovered her passion for all things automotive while riding in her parent's 1968 Ford Mustang. The automotive expert cut her teeth growing up riding on Harleys, and her first car was a Chevy Nova. Despite her lead foot, Bryan has yet to receive a speeding ticket.

The award-winning former playwright was first published at age 18. She has worked extensively as a writer and editor for a number of lifestyle and pop culture publications. The diehard gearhead is a big fan of American muscle cars, sixth-gen Ford trucks, and Oxford commas.

S.J. can be reached at sherryjbry@gmail.com.