Ford is celebrating 100 years of the pickup truck today (July 27, 2017) with the 1918 Model TT. The first Ford pickup shared the cab and the engine with the original Model T that came nine years earlier. Consumers demanded more weight carrying capability and utility.
The Model TT came with a heavier frame (than that of the Model T). This allowed for a maximum payload rating of one ton or approximately 2,000 lbs. This is literally the definition of a “one ton” truck. It’s a vehicle that could carry this weight. The definition has been extended over the coming decades by all consumer pickup manufacturers. We refer to the 2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty as a “one ton” truck, but the actual maximum payload of a modern dually is over 3.5 tons.
There is no word on towing capability, but there was nothing stoping owners from hitching a trailer (integrated brake controller, pro trailer backup assist, and 360-degree camera view not included).
The original Model TT had a factory price of $600. 290 of these trucks were sold in 1917. The rest, as they say, is history.
Here are all three of the competing 2017 dually trucks in the 100-mile highway MPG towing comparison. How efficient are the latest diesel duallies when towing a loaded gooseneck trailer? Check out the video below.
