- All-new Ford Pro Trailer Hitch Assist available exclusively for Ford F-Series uses sophisticated artificial intelligence, including computer vision and machine learning, to automatically back up and align a truck’s hitch ball to a trailer coupler with a button push
- Ford’s in-house team secured 60 patents while developing this industry-first technology, which automatically controls the truck’s speed, steering and braking to make sure the trailer hitch ball is directly under a conventional trailer coupler
- Pro Trailer Hitch Assist is the latest example of Ford applying advanced technology to deliver smart solutions that improve the productivity of customers so they can spend more time on the job or enjoying the lake
DEARBORN, Mich., April 5, 2023 – Stop the yelling and end the frustration! Ford, maker of America's leading F-Series trucks, is introducing industry-first technology that leverages artificial intelligence to help make hitching a truck and trailer as easy as pushing a button.
Pairing a truck and trailer can be tricky and often embarrassing if others are watching and waiting. Whether alone or with a spotter, lining up to hitch a trailer can be a tension-filled ordeal, trying to perfectly position the truck’s hitch ball under the trailer hitch coupler, so the truck and trailer can be physically joined.
Pro Trailer Hitch Assist helps take the frustration out of hitching up. It works by using the rear camera and corner radars to align the hitch with the trailer coupler while simultaneously controlling the truck’s speed, steering, and braking to stop at just the right place. Pro Trailer Hitch Assist is now available for F-150, F-150 Lightning and the all-new F-Series Super Duty.
Trailer Towing Technology Leadership
Pro Trailer Hitch Assist joins a suite of driver-assist technologies already available for F-Series. Among these features is Pro Trailer Backup Assist, which makes backing up a trailer as easy as turning a knob to indicate which direction the trailer should go while reversing into position.
F-150 customers can also gauge how much they are hauling with available Onboard Scales that measure and display the approximate weight of the payload in the truck. Load information is displayed in the center touch screen with a graphic representation of the truck, or in graphics within the smart taillamps on select models.
Smart taillamps operate like the battery charge indicator on a mobile phone, displaying the percentage of payload capacity by illuminating LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) arranged in a built-in vertical bar. As the truck is loaded, all four lights illuminate, showing it is fully loaded. If the truck is overloaded, the top lights blink. The maximum payload based on the pickup’s configuration is programmed into the system. Additionally, the truck can be set on scale mode, which zeroes out the current load and allows for approximate weighing of additional items loaded into the bed.
Class-exclusive Smart Hitch is designed to help customers easily load trailers and better practice safe towing. Smart Hitch measures the tongue weight of a trailer being connected, to help the customer distribute trailer weight correctly.
After the trailer is set up in the center touch screen, Smart Hitch calculates its tongue weight and provides guidance on weight distribution or hitch overloading on the screen or within the smart taillamps. The truck also will indicate if the hitch weight is too high or low and can even guide owners through properly tensioning a weight redistributing hitch.
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