Canadian Truck King Challenge 2006

In Northern Ontario, earlier this fall, six Canadian automotive journalists gathered to test a group of trucks - in a way never attempted before. Called the Canadian Truck King Challenge it was a head to head competition among the six pickup truck manufacturers held in the same place, at the same time. But, what made this event a first was that it wasn't a corporate event or even a media one - this one was organized by the journalists themselves.

From the start of planning the group established two governing rules for the event: One, judges had to be automotive journalists from across the country with no set brand loyalties; Two, the event would have winners and losers.

In Canada the Ford F-series pickup have been the number one selling vehicle every year since 1966; and overall, if you throw SUVs into the mix, Canadians buy far more trucks than cars. They also tow more than Americans on average and manufacturers estimate that over 30% of HD truck sales go just to recreational haulers. That means that the rest of those trucks work for a living - many of them in some of the harshest climates on earth. In Canada we suffer extreme cold, but also short periods of extreme heat. We measure distances in hours rather than miles (seems less than way) and with an economy that is still largely resource based many Canadians make their living outside. And, their primary tool is their truck. For these guys, the results that came out of the Challenge would mean more than all the opinions truck owners share in coffee shops around the country put together.

For this inaugural Canadian Truck King Challenge all six manufacturers responded, sending a total of 19 trucks to a private test site this past September. Trucks were divided in seven categories: midsize under V-6; midsize V-6 and over; 1/2-ton V-6, 1/2-ton under 5.0L, 1/2-ton over 5.0L. 3/4-ton and 1-ton. These categories provided a framework for the panel of judges to test within. Trucks in each group were then driven back to back, over a three-day period, and judges scored each using preset criteria during five separate tests designed to evaluate the performance of each truck inside and out. It's these tests that are at the heart of the Canadian Truck King Challenge, because it's only through true head-to-head testing, by the same people, on the same day that you can arrive at the most honest of evaluations.

The series of tests that were created attempted to replicate as closely as possible the multitude of uses that every day owners find for their trucks. Trucks were tested on-road and off-road. They were loaded and unloaded - and they towed trailers. There were of course subjective evaluations of ride and handling, but there was also stopwatch measurements used and finally there was a static test. This last test (as far as I know) is completely unique in the testing of trucks. It consisted of judges simply poking around inside the trucks, getting in and out, stowing equipment, power tools and various gear just to see where everything fit, how well the seat conversions worked, how many power plug-ins there were and finally looking for a secure storage spot for a laptop computer; all things that any truck owner might do on any given day. They then did the same thing with the bed; evaluating the tie downs, the liners (or lack of), lighting, tailgate weight and height, hitch platforms and electrical connections for trailer lights and brakes. They loaded ATVs and fishing gear, chainsaws and barrels - they tied them down and then did it all in reverse - all to see where each brand worked or failed at offering the pickup owner the best cargo solutions.