Ford is taking Ram to court over the “best-in-class” title

Practically every pickup truck commercial ever made has tried to convince viewers that its model is the biggest, toughest, strongest vehicle on the market. Ford and Ram, however, look like they’re ready to take that claim to court, at least for their heavy-duty models.

Ford says that its 2015 F-450 has a max tow rating 31,200 pounds, slightly higher than the Ram 3500’s max tow rating of 30,000. The reason that this became an issue is that both of the companies are marketing these heavy-duty pickup trucks as having the top towing in their class, and Ford is threatening to take Ram to court if they don’t back down.

You can’t just compare the two numbers though, it’s not that simple. Both companies calculate their towing capacities differently. Whereas Ram uses the SAE J2807 rating, Ford uses its own internal system. It’s important to note, however, that Ford’s new models are certified using the SAE standard.

Another issue is whether or not the F-450 and the Ram 3500 are even in the same class. The “best-in-class” boast requires both trucks to belong to the Department of Transportation’s Class 3 rules. This means that the vehicles must have a gross weight rating of less than 14,000 pounds. While Ford claims that the F-450 falls into this class, the company has to remove the spare tire, tire jack, and center console for the vehicle to reach hat weight.

Regardless, Ford is sticking to its guns, and so is Ram. The “best-in-class” title is very important when it comes to selling heavy-duty pickup trucks. These vehicles are marketed towards people who are going to be hailing heavy loads on a regular basis. That’s why towing capacity is an important factor when someone is decided which $50+ thousand pickup truck they want to buy.

Read more about the story at Automotive News.