When the 2017 Ford Super Duty comes out this fall, buyers will finally get the chance to discover all of the improvements the Blue Oval has made to its metal work horse. They’ll take the aluminum-body rigs home, to the office, and to the job site. They’ll pull trailers with them and load them with dirt, lumber, drywall, and even massive slide-in campers.
That much weight that high up can cause problems out on the road, so Ford went to its Arizona Proving Grounds to make sure its next-generation Super Duty can handle potential situations owners of the truck might encounter. It fitted a dually with a slide-in camper simulator, then took it through high- and low-speed lane change maneuvers and even a slalom course to evaluate the truck’s roll stability when the center of gravity is raised. According to Ford, “The test simulates carrying a camper weighing more than 7,500 pounds, loaded with fresh water, cooking gear, fuel and batteries.”
That figure gives us some idea of the DRW truck’s carrying capabilities, but we’ll have to wait until later this year to get the final digits. We’re looking forward to getting our hands on a 2017 Super Duty to see how it performs while hauling and towing a variety of things and find out just how capable (and good at braking under load) the new truck is.
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.
