Genius tech alerts drivers when their ute is overloaded

The 2022 Ford F-150 pick-up is now available with world-first tech that alerts the driver if the vehicle is overloaded.

On sale in the US since June, the new Ford F-150 pick-up is available with onboard scales that measure payload and then display the results in one of three ways – on the infotainment screen, on a smartphone app and, most innovatively, via a series of LED warning lights inside the truck’s tail-light assembly.

Ford says the tail-light array works much in the same way as the battery indictor on a smartphone, alerting owners to how loaded the tray is via four illuminated LED light bars. The bigger the load, the more lights illuminate until the onboard scales detect the F-150 is overladen, causing the top LED light to flash on and off.

Each Ford F-150 equipped with the technology will already have its gross vehicle mass (GVM) – taking into account the variant and any and all options fitted – entered into the ‘Onboard Scales’ system, which then adjusts the maximum payload accordingly.

Additionally, the system features a ‘scale mode’ which zeroes the current load taking into account any passengers and gear inside the cabin, before recalculating the maximum payload and adjusting the system accordingly.

Further, a ‘Smart Hitch’ tow bar claims to makes towing safer by incorporating a sensor that measures the tongue weight of the trailer, which it then displays on the F-150’s screen or on Ford’s smartphone app.

From there, the system will advise the correct weight distribution of the load and trailer, reducing the possibility of trailer sway. The system also recalculates the maximum payload capacity and determines if the hitch weight is too high or low.