I sent this question to my dealer after an unclear canned response from Ford online chat today. Thought I’d post here as well in case anyone may have better insight.

I have a ‘24 F350 Plat that seems to have gone into production early, meaning the original date was 1/15 per the online tracker, but the dealer pinged me the prior week saying it was in production, so all good there and certainly no complaints.

The tracker has since been updated to 1/21 for production date, nothing else has been updated (i.e. build or shipped), though the agent provided me with an ETA of 2/10-2/16 arrival at a CA dealer and said the vehicle is in fact built.

i know the tracker hasn’t been accurate or updated for some, but the interesting part is that she shared with me today that the latest status is “sent offsite to body company”, but could not elaborate what this meant. She said this is a standard part of the production process.

Does anyone here have any experience or insight to suggest this means it could have been damaged already and now needs repairs, or is this part of the standard manufacturing process? Although I know things can/do happen prior to shipment and repairs are sometimes needed. I’m hoping that isn’t necessarily the case here. I do have 5th wheel prep, wheel well liners, but no spray in bed liner, so trying to figure out if some of these final pieces may be addressed offsite.

This part of the process simply has me intrigued as to what happens to these trucks at this stage if it is in fact normal for every truck as the agent suggested.

Thank you

 

They send them offsite for things like the spray in bedliner or other accessory installs that they don't do on the assembly line.
How long it takes the truck to get through with that depends on how backed up the outside installer is.

 

Thank you, this is what I'm hoping, perhaps the wheel well liners in my case since I don't have the spray in bed liner, but appreciate the reply

 

In production starts about a week earlier than in production with an actual date above it. It would go across the street to Gfx for spray in bedliner, tonneau covers etc. Mine has done that and spent about 12 days at Gfx. I don't know if they are behind or because I got a tonneau that needed ordering. If you use Ford chat, and ask exact location, it should read on ramp #? Gfx. If I am not mistaken, mud flaps and wheel wheel liners are done on the assembly line and do not need to go across the street. I suppose any of this could change with the wind.

 

Wheel well liners the only add-on you ordered?

 

For the most part, the full list is FX4 package, rapid heat, moonroof, 5th wheel prep, wheel well liners (front and rear), and max recline. These are outside of the 6.7 & 3.55 ELA. Given I didn't order a tonneau, bed liner, or any other accessories, my initial presumption is that the build would've been completed 100% on the factory line. When i saw "sent offsite to body company", my mind went immediately to some sort of damage incurred during the manufacturing process and wanting to know any details if that was the case. Not sure if QC (believe these trucks are all driven for a few miles to check everything out before shipping) would be done by the offsite location as a final step in the build process.

 

I suspect it's the wheel well liners that has it sent off to GFX. I was under the impression that all accessories (besides dealer installed) like mud flaps, bed covers, console safe, wheel well liners etc... were installed by GFX. 5th wheel prep is installed on the line but a 5th wheel hitch would be added off the line.

 

No, very likely the wheel well liners.
And, the trucks are generally only driven from line to storage lot, then to load out, or in your truck's case to the outside installer.
Randomly, some are taken for extended driving, as a spot check.

 

Good deal. Appreciate the replies and perspective. I wasn’t aware of GFX, but makes sense, and agreed that wheel well liners are the likely trigger. I’ll sit tight and wait to check everything out in mid-Feb