The cold snap that chilled much of North America recently was balmy compared to the routine sub-zero temperatures in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. To put the new 2008 Super Duty to the ultimate test, Ford sent a fleet of the new 2008 Super Duty trucks to Prudhoe Bay for evaluation by BP employees in that harsh and remote climate.

BP’s Prudhoe Bay production operation sits at the top of the Alaskan pipeline and is the largest oil field in North America. With temperatures reaching minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit, the arctic provides a perfect testing ground for Ford’s trucks.

“This is another example of the benefits of the strategic alliance between Ford and BP,” said Christophe Mangin, Corporate Alliance Manager — Business & Product Strategy. “Access to BP’s Prudhoe Bay location provides the harshest conditions possible to prove out the Super Duty. The features, durability, and reliability of the new Super Duty, as well as other Ford vehicles, are why BP chooses Ford for its transportation requirements.”

“BP owns about 750 Ford vehicles here,” said John Rothweiler, BP equipment services coordinator. “Ford is our lifeblood of moving people on Prudhoe Bay.”

Keith Williams, BP GPB EOA pirate facilitator agrees. “Currently, I’m driving the ‘08 Super Duty, and it’s a godsend,” Williams said. “We can eat in the truck, hold meetings in the truck, warm up in the truck, the guys do everything in the truck. It’s not a vehicle, it’s part of the crew.”

By subjecting the Super Duty to Prudhoe Bay’s unforgiving climate, Ford engineers could make sure the trucks perform well in just about any situation. Just the metal and moving parts alone in the trucks undergo extreme stress from the cold. When not in use, the trucks are left running on idle, meaning the engines never get a break.

Since extreme cold weather provides the greatest challenge for diesel engines, the new PowerStroke diesel engines are put to the ultimate test.

“Right now, I’m driving the 2008 Super Duty ultra low-sulfur diesel,” Rothweiler said. “The ‘08 has gotten a lot of attention. The people up here are excited about it. Everybody who sees this truck wants to drive it. The integrated step makes it easy to get in. The ’08s are a workhorse of the field. They provide us with the essentials to get the job done.”

Ford says its new 6.4-liter Power Stroke® diesel delivers 350 horsepower and a whopping 650 lb.-ft. of torque, with excellent low-end torque — including peak torque at only 2,000 rpm — thanks to two-stage turbochargers. It’s the first pickup engine in North America to use a high-precision, common-rail fuel injection system featuring piezo-electric injectors.

BP’s employees, who often tow trailers up to 4,000 pounds, were particularly impressed by Super Duty’s towing features, particularly the telescoping tow mirrors — large, 7-by-8-inch power-adjustable main mirror and a large, 3.75-by-6.37-inch manually adjustable spotter mirror.

The 2008 Super Duty also include the TowCommandTM System, the industry’s first factory-installed and warranted electronic trailer brake controller, and TorqShiftTM transmission with towhaul mode.

“This was a joint venture between BP and Ford,” said Kent Harrison, Supervisor Diesel Integration. “We sent two trucks and although they were an early build level, we learned some things while working with BP’s fleet mechanics. For the most part our Super Duty trucks came through with flying colors.”

In Prudhoe Bay, however, the trucks mean much more than new features and reliable transportation. Trucks are literally a matter of survival.

Said Joe DeMarsh, BP Central Dispatch field superintendent, “This is our family away from home, and we rely on Ford trucks to get us home to our real family safely.”