Ordering Process/ VIN Availability Question
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 328
Likes: 10
From: Outside of Austin
Ordering Process/ VIN Availability Question
Quick question for you guys that know a lot more about the ordering process than I do... If Ford chat says that my order is "in processing" does that mean that Ford has picked up/ accepted the order? And if that is the case then a VIN should be assigned within a week or so correct? I only ask as my dealer uses a 3rd party company to order trucks and from what I have seen they don't relay all information and what does get relayed definitely isn't in a timely manner so I am trying to track everything on line myself. Really sucks spending as much as these trucks cost and not being able to track them better. Thanks in advance guys.
More Turbo
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 722
Likes: 7
From: Oregon
Here are the basics..
"In Order Processing" Status:
"In Production" Status: (normally happens just after the Window Sticker becomes available)
"Awaiting Transport" Status:
"In Transit" Status:
So in other words, normally once you get the W/S, you know pretty much when things start happening, before the W/S it's an unknown waiting game.
"In Order Processing" Status:
- Order from dealer --> Ford getting and accepting the order = Varies mine was next day, but we knew the order pick-up was teh following day and why I went in when I did, other guys took weeks for the order to get picked up base on allotment allocation issues between that dealer and what they had in stock already.
- Ford Accepting the Order --> VIN = Varies a little but normally under 2 weeks, some have seen in 5 days.
- VIN --> Window Sticker = ??? This is the biggest unknown to us, as this is the period of time Ford is doing all the leg work to schedule, make sure parts and accessories for your build are available and so forth.
- NOTE: Window sticker is normally available online the day after it is generated in the system.
"In Production" Status: (normally happens just after the Window Sticker becomes available)
- Window Sticker --> Build date = 7-8 days depending on the time of day your truck enters the 23 hour build process, 2 days after "In Production it is getting body and paint, the paint dries for 2 days before the interior and everything else is installed and the truck attached to the chassis.
- NOTE: The Build date is normally available online (ETIS and Cotus) the day after it is generated in the system.
"Awaiting Transport" Status:
- Build date --> getting loaded for transit = 1-7 days, this varies if you have spray on bedliner (normally a day or 2 is needed for bedliner) or if you are waiting for more vehicles heading in the same direction as your train/convoy.
"In Transit" Status:
- getting loaded for transit --> getting to the dealership = varies too much, but we found the Ford system assumes about 15 - 21 days (7 day window 2-3 weeks out) for this in the initial ETA they provide. So we can do some reverse math off the ETA to find build week, then subtract a little more to get an approximate W/S date.
So in other words, normally once you get the W/S, you know pretty much when things start happening, before the W/S it's an unknown waiting game.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 328
Likes: 10
From: Outside of Austin
Thank you sir. This helps out tremendously. My issue is I know that Ford normally picks up orders on Thursdays which is why I checked with Ford Chat this morning but they wouldn't even tell me if a VIN had been assigned yet. The worst part of this is the fact that my salesman/ dealership isn't even given the information on a regular basis. I will just start bugging my salesman next week for him to bug the other company until I get my VIN. Thanks again guys.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,352
Likes: 4
Thank you sir. This helps out tremendously. My issue is I know that Ford normally picks up orders on Thursdays which is why I checked with Ford Chat this morning but they wouldn't even tell me if a VIN had been assigned yet. The worst part of this is the fact that my salesman/ dealership isn't even given the information on a regular basis. I will just start bugging my salesman next week for him to bug the other company until I get my VIN. Thanks again guys.
I can understand why many don't.. they are trying to sell vehicles and with the dozens of customers, hundreds of vehicles on order etc.. it takes up their time. But then again, this is what differentiates a salesman from an excellent salesman.
The guy I go through which I fly 800 miles out to pick up and drive home updates me several times a week if not almost daily. There were times I was getting emails at midnight with an update (he has access at home that most do not).
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 328
Likes: 10
From: Outside of Austin
I stand corrected. The dealership does get a printout every day that lists out all vehicles they have on order. I was shown the printout but didn't really have a chance to see all of the information listed other than an ETA. I also think one of the big issues is that the dealership is a Ford and Chevy dealership side by side. My salesman is primarily a Chevy salesman but the truck obviously is going through the Ford side. As you stated above I'm sure they get busy doing everything else and don't have time to fill me in on every step of the process. I guess I was just hoping to be kept up to speed a little more. We'll see how the rest of the process plays out and I'm sure once the truck shows up I forget all about all of this.
Senior User
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
Here are the basics..
"In Order Processing" Status:
"In Production" Status: (normally happens just after the Window Sticker becomes available)
"Awaiting Transport" Status:
"In Transit" Status:
So in other words, normally once you get the W/S, you know pretty much when things start happening, before the W/S it's an unknown waiting game.
"In Order Processing" Status:
- Order from dealer --> Ford getting and accepting the order = Varies mine was next day, but we knew the order pick-up was teh following day and why I went in when I did, other guys took weeks for the order to get picked up base on allotment allocation issues between that dealer and what they had in stock already.
- Ford Accepting the Order --> VIN = Varies a little but normally under 2 weeks, some have seen in 5 days.
- VIN --> Window Sticker = ??? This is the biggest unknown to us, as this is the period of time Ford is doing all the leg work to schedule, make sure parts and accessories for your build are available and so forth.
- NOTE: Window sticker is normally available online the day after it is generated in the system.
"In Production" Status: (normally happens just after the Window Sticker becomes available)
- Window Sticker --> Build date = 7-8 days depending on the time of day your truck enters the 23 hour build process, 2 days after "In Production it is getting body and paint, the paint dries for 2 days before the interior and everything else is installed and the truck attached to the chassis.
- NOTE: The Build date is normally available online (ETIS and Cotus) the day after it is generated in the system.
"Awaiting Transport" Status:
- Build date --> getting loaded for transit = 1-7 days, this varies if you have spray on bedliner (normally a day or 2 is needed for bedliner) or if you are waiting for more vehicles heading in the same direction as your train/convoy.
"In Transit" Status:
- getting loaded for transit --> getting to the dealership = varies too much, but we found the Ford system assumes about 15 - 21 days (7 day window 2-3 weeks out) for this in the initial ETA they provide. So we can do some reverse math off the ETA to find build week, then subtract a little more to get an approximate W/S date.
So in other words, normally once you get the W/S, you know pretty much when things start happening, before the W/S it's an unknown waiting game.
Senior User
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
Here are the basics..
"In Order Processing" Status:
"In Production" Status: (normally happens just after the Window Sticker becomes available)
"Awaiting Transport" Status:
"In Transit" Status:
So in other words, normally once you get the W/S, you know pretty much when things start happening, before the W/S it's an unknown waiting game.
"In Order Processing" Status:
- Order from dealer --> Ford getting and accepting the order = Varies mine was next day, but we knew the order pick-up was teh following day and why I went in when I did, other guys took weeks for the order to get picked up base on allotment allocation issues between that dealer and what they had in stock already.
- Ford Accepting the Order --> VIN = Varies a little but normally under 2 weeks, some have seen in 5 days.
- VIN --> Window Sticker = ??? This is the biggest unknown to us, as this is the period of time Ford is doing all the leg work to schedule, make sure parts and accessories for your build are available and so forth.
- NOTE: Window sticker is normally available online the day after it is generated in the system.
"In Production" Status: (normally happens just after the Window Sticker becomes available)
- Window Sticker --> Build date = 7-8 days depending on the time of day your truck enters the 23 hour build process, 2 days after "In Production it is getting body and paint, the paint dries for 2 days before the interior and everything else is installed and the truck attached to the chassis.
- NOTE: The Build date is normally available online (ETIS and Cotus) the day after it is generated in the system.
"Awaiting Transport" Status:
- Build date --> getting loaded for transit = 1-7 days, this varies if you have spray on bedliner (normally a day or 2 is needed for bedliner) or if you are waiting for more vehicles heading in the same direction as your train/convoy.
"In Transit" Status:
- getting loaded for transit --> getting to the dealership = varies too much, but we found the Ford system assumes about 15 - 21 days (7 day window 2-3 weeks out) for this in the initial ETA they provide. So we can do some reverse math off the ETA to find build week, then subtract a little more to get an approximate W/S date.
So in other words, normally once you get the W/S, you know pretty much when things start happening, before the W/S it's an unknown waiting game.
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Tuned
Joined: Jan 2020
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From: Northern NM
I think your dealer has to go check for updates, I don't think he gets notified of updates, so its up to him to get the updates and relay them to you. My order has been "in processing" since the day I ordered it, nearly 5 weeks ago, luckily my dealer had allocations, but still waiting on a VIN.
Senior User
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
I think your dealer has to go check for updates, I don't think he gets notified of updates, so its up to him to get the updates and relay them to you. My order has been "in processing" since the day I ordered it, nearly 5 weeks ago, luckily my dealer had allocations, but still waiting on a VIN.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 176
Likes: 11
Here are the basics..
"In Production" Status: (normally happens just after the Window Sticker becomes available)
"In Production" Status: (normally happens just after the Window Sticker becomes available)
- Window Sticker --> Build date = 7-8 days depending on the time of day your truck enters the 23 hour build process, 2 days after "In Production it is getting body and paint, the paint dries for 2 days before the interior and everything else is installed and the truck attached to the chassis.
- NOTE: The Build date is normally available online (ETIS and Cotus) the day after it is generated in the system.
Senior User
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
Does Ford actually paint the trucks as they are building them? I toured the Toyota NUMI plant in Fremont CA some years back and the finished and painted parts all came together as the truck went down the conveyor belt. All the body paint was done before the truck was assembled. Interesting that they might not do it the same way.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 176
Likes: 11
Here is a video about KTP. It shows in part of it how they prime and paint the bodies.
https://vimeo.com/80375637
https://vimeo.com/80375637
Senior User
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
Here are the basics..
"In Order Processing" Status:
"In Production" Status: (normally happens just after the Window Sticker becomes available)
"Awaiting Transport" Status:
"In Transit" Status:
So in other words, normally once you get the W/S, you know pretty much when things start happening, before the W/S it's an unknown waiting game.
"In Order Processing" Status:
- Order from dealer --> Ford getting and accepting the order = Varies mine was next day, but we knew the order pick-up was teh following day and why I went in when I did, other guys took weeks for the order to get picked up base on allotment allocation issues between that dealer and what they had in stock already.
- Ford Accepting the Order --> VIN = Varies a little but normally under 2 weeks, some have seen in 5 days.
- VIN --> Window Sticker = ??? This is the biggest unknown to us, as this is the period of time Ford is doing all the leg work to schedule, make sure parts and accessories for your build are available and so forth.
- NOTE: Window sticker is normally available online the day after it is generated in the system.
"In Production" Status: (normally happens just after the Window Sticker becomes available)
- Window Sticker --> Build date = 7-8 days depending on the time of day your truck enters the 23 hour build process, 2 days after "In Production it is getting body and paint, the paint dries for 2 days before the interior and everything else is installed and the truck attached to the chassis.
- NOTE: The Build date is normally available online (ETIS and Cotus) the day after it is generated in the system.
"Awaiting Transport" Status:
- Build date --> getting loaded for transit = 1-7 days, this varies if you have spray on bedliner (normally a day or 2 is needed for bedliner) or if you are waiting for more vehicles heading in the same direction as your train/convoy.
"In Transit" Status:
- getting loaded for transit --> getting to the dealership = varies too much, but we found the Ford system assumes about 15 - 21 days (7 day window 2-3 weeks out) for this in the initial ETA they provide. So we can do some reverse math off the ETA to find build week, then subtract a little more to get an approximate W/S date.
So in other words, normally once you get the W/S, you know pretty much when things start happening, before the W/S it's an unknown waiting game.
Edit: I found out what it means. It has to do with the railroad and when they pass a certain point, called a Junction Point, the tracking system for the railroad will update where the rail-car is at in the system.