Sky Ford’s Top 5 Tips for New Drivers

We’ve entered the second week of January, but Ford continues to receive year-end awards and accolades. For the fourth year in a row, Ford trucks was recognized by the North American Car, Utility, and Truck awards committee. This year, the 2024 Ford F-Series Super Duty took home the title of North America Truck of the Year. To commemorate the moment, Sky Ford takes an in-depth look at the Super Duty’s latest model – a physical manifestation of the company’s “Built Ford Tough” mindset. Power to the People Approximately 96% of heavy-duty pickup owners utilize their truck’s towing capability. The Super Duty boasts the most eye-opening power specs we’ve seen from a Ford vehicle yet. With its 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel engine paving the way, the 2024 Super Duty’s towing and hauling specs are as follows: 40,000 pounds of towing. 8,000 pounds of maximum available payload. 500 horsepower. 1,200 lb.-ft. of torque. Designed to Shine The Super Duty is designed to make your daily routine simpler and more convenient, both at your worksite and away from it. Pro Power Onboard lets you charge tools or other electronics via power outlets in the trunk bed – perfect for on-the-spot charging in remote locations. Meanwhile, integrated box-side steps and rear corner bumper steps are built extra wide, enabling you to comfortably climb to the interior or trunk bed. The Super Duty exterior comes with a choice of seven distinct grille designs, each engineered to maximize cooling performance during hauling and towing. The muscular frame holds it all together, a light but durable, military-grade, aluminum-alloy shell. Bookending the body are powerful LED headlights and suave wraparound tail-lamps. Brain in Addition to Brawn The interior is outfitted with the latest modern amenities and technology. The 12-inch, customizable digital instrument cluster conveys important data in beautiful, high-resolution clarity. Together with the available Head-Up Display (HUD), information from driver assist features is projected onto your windshield, within your line of sight, so that you don’t need to take your eyes off the road for any sustained period of time. The infotainment console runs on standard SYNC 4 technology, which manages all your Super Duty tech. With Sync 4, cloud-based connectivity throughout your Super Duty runs seamlessly. With FordPass Connect, drivers have access to a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot, and the Super Duty also supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And of course, Ford’s Co-Pilot360 technology offers the latest in increasingly important driver-assist features, including: Pro Trailer Backup Assist 360-Degree Camera System BLIS Adaptive Cruise Control Intersection Assist Pre-Collision Assist Pro Trailer Hitch Assist Put Yourself in a Ford Truck Today Sky Ford is Center Point’s home for all your Ford pickup needs. From the Super Duty to the F-150 to the Maverick, your perfect Ford truck awaits. And whether you need new tires, brakes, or an oil change, you can schedule your service now and drive confidently into the new year. Make 2024 the year you embrace raw power; get yourself behind the wheel of the award-winning Super Duty today. Experience firsthand why F-Series pickups are America’s best-selling trucks 46 years straight.

Although we’re now well into December here in Center Point, temperatures have mercifully held above freezing for the time being, and winter precipitation has been minimal. With that in mind, this is an ideal opportunity to purchase a set of snow tires for the conditions that await us. As a great philosopher once said, “ winter is coming.” What’s the Difference Between Regular Tires and Winter Tires? As you might have guessed, winter tires provide significantly more traction in ice, sleet, and snow. This is due to both the tire compound (i.e., rubber and silicone) and the tread patterns that allow for greater flexibility on slick surfaces. In fact, winter tires are designed to move water, as they melt the top layer of snow and ice when pressing down on it. Conversely, “regular” or summer tires can actually freeze up during the winter months, leading to decreased performance, a higher chance of deflation, and other maladies that could lead you to a stop at our Service Center. How Do I Know What Winter Tires Are Right for My Vehicle? Choosing the right winter tire relies largely upon choosing the right size. Conventional wisdom would tell you that wider tires equal better traction. But when driving through snow, narrower winter tires are often more effectively able to cut through to the ground. As always, when it comes to the exact size of your tires, it’s best to consult your owner’s manual. Perhaps the most important thing to look for when purchasing winter tires is the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol. Think of this emblem as a seal of approval and badge of honor rolled into one. When it’s stamped on your tires, you know you’re good to go in the snow. Are Winter Tires Worth It? Quite simply, yes. We know it can be frustrating to have to open your wallet due to seasonal conditions. But with the increased risk that summer tires take on in winter months, there’s no guarantee you won’t be in the market for a new set of tires come spring anyway. Plus, the old adage that “you can’t put a price on safety” remains with us for a reason. Holding off on buying winter tires is a gamble that puts both yourself and your loved ones as risk, and that’s not one worth taking. Don’t Skid into the New Year Purchasing tires can seem like a hassle regardless of the time of year, but the experience is made effortless with the tire professionals here at Sky Ford. When you come to us for your tire service needs, you’ll ensure that you soar – not skid – into 2024.

We all know the story by now. No, Henry Ford didn’t invent the automobile – he merely perfected it to such a degree that he might as well have. That said, the founder of Ford Motor Company didn’t lack for game-changing inventions and innovations. From Henry Ford’s early twentieth century run that established modern practices of mass production and employee benefits, to newer applications such as blind spot technology, Ford has always been at the forefront of cutting-edge thinking. Today, Sky Ford takes a deeper look at the five most consequential ways Ford has changed the landscape of the auto industry. Moving Assembly Line & Mass Production Automobile manufacturing would never be the same following Ford’s implementation of the moving assembly line. By using a conveyor belt, Ford assembly plants were able to efficiently move the product to the worker, rather than having employees scramble around facilities. After much trial and error, the process was perfected at the Highland Park assembly plant in 1913. Soon, new automobiles were being fully assembled in just 90 minutes. In addition, Ford introduced standardization, which reduced production costs and increased efficiency by utilizing standardized parts that could be used on different models. Model T The original game-changer of the auto world. The Ford Model T was mass produced from 1908 to 1927. In that span, it established itself as the first mass-affordable automobile, resulting in car travel becoming available to middle-class America. Thanks to savings stemming from mass production, the average price of the Model T dropped from $780 in 1910 to $290 in 1924 – a truly staggering number when adjusted for inflation. Thanks to the moving assembly line and its interchangeable parts, the Model T (also known as “the Tin Lizzie”) became the most ubiquitous vehicle in the world by an absurd margin. By the early 1920s, more than half of registered automobiles throughout the world were Fords, with over 15 million Model T’s built and sold during that span. $5 Wage / 5-Day Workweek When Henry Ford proposed in 1914 that all Ford employees be compensated at five dollars per workday, it sent a shock wave through the working community – and for good reason. Five dollars per day translates to $153 per day by today’s standards, after adjusting for inflation. That’s good for $19 an hour, well above 2023’s federal minimum wage of $7.25. Then, in 1926, Ford introduced another now-standard workplace practice with the five-day workweek. Though it was driven by the expectation that worker productivity would increase if given more leisure time, Ford also believed giving workers more time to purchase and consume goods would be good for business. The idea passed the test of time; nearly a century later, we’re still looking at ways to further expand on Ford’s vision and bump the workweek down to four days… The Tri-Motor Plane One of the great “What If’s” in automotive history is the Ford Airplane Division, which shut down in 1933 due to the Great Depression. When Ford entered the aviation business during World War I, all they did was introduce the Tri-Motor Plane, an aptly-named, three motor plane that became the United States’ first successful passenger airliner. You can’t help but wonder what Ford could have further accomplished in the aviation space if they hadn’t been forced to cut bait in the 30’s. Unfortunately, in this case, the sky was literally the limit. Blind Spot Monitoring For decades, drivers changed lanes with the aid of three rear mirrors and their own intuition. That changed with the introduction of Ford’s BLIS (Blind Spot Information System). BLIS is responsible for detecting vehicles in your blind spot and alerting you to their presence. It has since paved the way for a plethora of modern collision-avoidance technology. While Volvo was technically the first manufacturer to introduce this feature to the public, Ford’s 1995 concept car, the GT90, was the first vehicle fitted with modern blind spot technology. Ford unveiled its version of blind spot monitoring to a mass audience in 2009 with the 2010 Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid. Reinvent Your Driving Future Ford continues to innovate to this day and are currently focused on expanding the reach of EV technology. With plans to put over 40 EVs and hybrid models on the road within the next few years, Ford’s next step seems to be the complete electrification of the majority of its fleet. For instance, at Sky Ford you can check out the Mustang Mach-E, an electric SUV with an EPA-estimated range of 310 miles. But you don’t need to reinvent the wheel before you’re prepared to do so; our Service Center is here to handle all your brake, battery and oil change needs to keep your current ride humming into the new year and beyond.