The extremities of trucks the size of the Ford Super Duty are sometimes hard to keep track of, especially when there’s a trailer hooked up at the back. The Blue Oval wants to keep the eventual owners of the 2017 Super Duty visually informed, so it’s developed a comprehensive system to do just that.
Up to seven cameras will be available to help make the lives of drivers of the truck easier, especially those who use it to tow. That setup includes one in the grille, one in each side mirror, one in the center high-mounted stop lamp (useful for keeping an eye on cargo or hooking up a fifth-wheel or gooseneck trailer), another on the tailgate, and even one that can be placed at the back of a trailer. The optional Trailer Reverse Guidance system uses three of them to provide coaching and shifting views of the trailer as its angle changes. If that angle is going to lead to jackknifing, TRG shows yellow or red on the bird’s-eye view of the truck and trailer on the console’s touch screen. Further assistance comes from a patent-pending steering wheel icon that tells drivers which way to turn to keep a trailer straight while backing it up.
Many of you have been backing up trailers for years with just mirrors and experience, so we know TRG isn’t absolutely essential. It sure does look helpful, though. From that perspective, it can be seen as the high-tech version of the tailgate bar and step: not completely necessary, but awfully nice to have. We’re looking forward to testing the system in person later this year and bringing you our full report on how it functions.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
