Super Duty Gets Work Done — Even When Going Backwards!

Thanks to front and rear snowplows, Super Duty can clear wintry roads whether it’s coming or going.

A four-wheel-drive Ford Super Duty can get itself over rough terrain, whether that’s sand, rock, mud or snow. But many Super Duty drivers think about more than just how they’re going to get to where they need to go. They’re aware their neighbors and fellow citizens need to get to their homes and offices even when there’s a thick layer of snow covering the roads – and they do something about it.

Snow can be a calming romantic sight, but for people in the states that get hit hardest by winter, snow is the cause of several responsibilities. Some motorists need to equip their vehicles with certain tires; they may even need to put chains over them. They also have to adjust their driving styles to the conditions. And snow requires willing people and capable trucks to clear it out of the way so society and commerce can keep functioning.

Earlier this year, Ford announced that the gas version of its thoroughly updated and enhanced 2020 Super Duty equipped with the Snow Plow Prep Package can handle up to 1,400 pounds of front snow plow and mounting hardware (diesel models are capable of taking 1,290 pounds). It sounds ready to work, but only going forward. What if a Super Duty could plow while moving backward?

Thanks to Instagram user fordtruckclub, we know how that double-ended setup looks. They posted a video of another Instagram-er, who goes by the screen name auto_pilot_mt, using their specially equipped F-350 King Ranch FX4 in the Montana snow. It has a massive plow up front, but it doesn’t really use it in this video. In fact, the F-350 driver spends most of their time moving backward. That’s because their rig has an articulating plow attached to its back end. auto_pilot_mt has the outboard panels at an angle, giving the plow a sort of C shape. Apparently, that C is short for “Collector” because it gathers a huge pile of snow in just a few seconds. Once auto_pilot_mt is done shoving the powder out of the way, they drive forward and show us one more cool thing. Not only can they plow snow going backward, but they can fold their rear plow’s side panels to follow the corner’s of the F-350’s rear end and minimize the space they take up. We knew the Autobots from the Transformers universe took a lot of different forms, but we had no idea there was one that combats winter weather when it’s not battling Decepticons.

 

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Derek Shiekhi

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.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Derek also contributes to other outlets. He started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to get even more automotive content out to fellow enthusiasts.

He can be reached at autoeditors@internetbrands.com.

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