Pics- Bronco Soft-tops Corralled at MAP

[Tattleta]

Went to MAP last week to see what was actually happening outside. Not much.

Lots full of soft top 4-doors and Rangers.

Transporters at NE corner of plant with only Rangers and Bronco Sports:

A few Broncos and Rangers driving into this lot and being parked with 1000 others.

Only 1 Transporter left in 90 minutes- 5 Rangers, 1 Bronco BB.

Thousands of soft tops sitting around MAP, and barely any being shipped. Why?

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[WuNgUn]

Who knows... But these are likely just getting ready to ship.

 

[bishop0577]

I think I see my carbonized gray soft top sitting right there... I can hear it say "ship me".

 

[KyTruckPlant]

Went to MAP last week to see what was actually happening outside. Not much.

Lots full of soft top 4-doors and Rangers.

Transporters at NE corner of plant with only Rangers and Bronco Sports:

A few Broncos and Rangers driving into this lot and being parked with 1000 others.

Only 1 Transporter left in 90 minutes- 5 Rangers, 1 Bronco BB.

Thousands of soft tops sitting around MAP, and barely any being shipped. Why?

If they are shipping trucks out of that lot, then everything in that lot has been cleared to ship.

At least, at our plant, ready to ship and not ready to ship are kept in separate lots.

 

[etmccaus86]

If they are shipping trucks out of that lot, then everything in that lot has been cleared to ship.

At least, at our plant, ready to ship and not ready to ship are kept in separate lots.

Right. The infamous 'Dirt Mountain' lots are a few miles down the road.

 

[RagnarKon]

Thousands of soft tops sitting around MAP, and barely any being shipped. Why?

Most are shipped by rail in autoracks. Autoracks can fit anywhere from 8 to 22 vehicles inside a single railcar, and they typically load 4 to 8 railcars at a time. I don't know how many Broncos fit into a single autorack, but if I were to guess they probably ship 10-14 Broncos per autorack. The autoracks have to be loaded by shipping destination. (For example... all Broncos/Rangers destined for southern Texas have to be loaded together into the same railcar to limit repacking.) So... conservative estimates say they need roughly ~50 vehicles all destined for the same general location before they are loaded.

All of that logistical complexity translates into a lot of Broncos and Rangers sitting on the lot until they're able to load them.

@KyTruckPlant not sure if you've been down the road to Louisville Assembly... but do you know how many Escapes they can fit into a single autorack? The length of the Escape is in-between the length of the Bronco and Ranger, so we can use that to guesstimate how many vehicles might be in a single autorack from MAP.

 

[BuckinOnEm]

I think I see my carbonized gray soft top sitting right there... I can hear it say "ship me".

I was thinking the same thing

 

[Headsong]

ARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BreezyNVegas]

Most are shipped by rail in autoracks. Autoracks can fit anywhere from 8 to 22 vehicles inside a single railcar, and they typically load 4 to 8 railcars at a time. I don't know how many Broncos fit into a single autorack, but if I were to guess they probably ship 10-14 Broncos per autorack. The autoracks have to be loaded by shipping destination. (For example... all Broncos/Rangers destined for southern Texas have to be loaded together into the same railcar to limit repacking.) So... conservative estimates say they need roughly ~50 vehicles all destined for the same general location before they are loaded.

All of that logistical complexity translates into a lot of Broncos and Rangers sitting on the lot until they're able to load them.

@KyTruckPlant not sure if you've been down the road to Louisville Assembly... but do you know how many Escapes they can fit into a single autorack? The length of the Escape is in-between the length of the Bronco and Ranger, so we can use that to guesstimate how many vehicles might be in a single autorack from MAP.

Speaking of shipping by rail. Is there a way to track your Bronco that's shipped by rail? PALSAPP doesn't work for my VIN.

 

[RagnarKon]

Speaking of shipping by rail. Is there a way to track your Bronco that's shipped by rail? PALSAPP doesn't work for my VIN.

On the vehicle visibility report (your dealer should be able to generate one), it should have a train car number that you can use to track the location.

 

[Tkekich]

Went to MAP last week to see what was actually happening outside. Not much.

Lots full of soft top 4-doors and Rangers.

Transporters at NE corner of plant with only Rangers and Bronco Sports:

A few Broncos and Rangers driving into this lot and being parked with 1000 others.

Only 1 Transporter left in 90 minutes- 5 Rangers, 1 Bronco BB.

Thousands of soft tops sitting around MAP, and barely any being shipped. Why?

I've been reading on the various bronco groups that a lot of the soft tops are leaking inside down the A pillars..

 

[Benzo]

@Tattleta thanks for hanging out and checking on the baby sitter

 

[Traillme]

@Tattleta thanks for hanging out and checking on the baby sitter

Yes thank you! As a soft-top owner in waiting, whose Bronco was built a few weeks ago and is supposed to be shipped via convoy - any and all information is welcome

 

[Uintafly]

I've been reading on the various bronco groups that a lot of the soft tops are leaking inside down the A pillars..

I have been hearing that more and more lately. I can't help but wonder if that is why I have heard nothing from Ford about my 08/16 build date soft top. We are getting close to 3 weeks, so I am starting to think it is not a shipping issue.

 

[Headsong]

But telling us SOMETHING would help...we're just sitting in outer space. I don't understand Ford's utter refusal to communicate. It's 1960's style 'leadership'. No wonder Iaccoca hated Ford so much.

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