The new F-150 appears to be a slam dunk for Ford Motor Company.
Ford officials say, based on the strong demand for the pickup in January, the company will hire 1,550 additional workers at its facilities that build the truck.
500 will be hired to work at the Rouge Stamping and Diversified plants in Dearborn, another 150 at the Sterling Axle plant, and the rest will be hired at the Kansas City truck plant.
The new F-150 has an aluminum body. The switch to aluminum from steel was considered a risky move for Ford, whose pickup has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for decades. Profits from pickup sales are far higher than smaller vehicles.
However, it appears from early sales that the risk will pay off. Ford sold more F-150s in January than any month since 2004. The new truck is lighter, gets somewhat better fuel economy, and has a greater payload and hauling capacity.
