Although Gary Mueller’s plans for retirement after working at Ford didn’t turn out as he expected, the truck he bought from Ford certainly has—and that 2002 F-350 Super Duty has got more than a million miles on the odometer to prove it.
Mueller retired from the company in 2000 and had hoped to spend his golden years traveling the country, but when the stock market crashed soon after, he needed a Plan B. The solution: Mueller went to work for a company delivering RV’s to new owners throughout the U.S., leveraging the robust towing power of his new F-350.
Pulling those heavy loads—the campers generally weigh about 11,000 lbs.—is certainly no problem, as the 2002 truck has a maximum fifth-wheel tow rating of 14,400 lbs., thanks in part to its first-generation 7.3-liter Power Stroke diesel V8 that’s capable of 275 horses and 520 lb.-ft. of torque. Of course, as impressive as those numbers are, they aren’t quite up to the new benchmarks set by today’s F-350 Super Duty—which packs a 22,600-lb. max tow rating and a new 6.7-liter Power Stroke that’s up to 400 hp and 800 lb.-ft. of torque—but even that isn’t a reason for Mueller to trade in his proven workhorse.
That’s why, after visiting 48 U.S. states and seven Canadian provinces, and covering about 600-800 miles each day, there are no further retirement plans on tap for either Mueller or his pickup.
“This truck isn’t just a truck; it’s an extension of me,” said Mueller. “I take care of it and it returns the favor. I see no reason at all to think about retiring it.”
And remember, Mueller isn’t the only Ford truck customer to benefit from the company’s commitment to the pickup market. Ford has more full-size pickup trucks on the road with at least 250,000 miles than any other automaker.
“Trucks like Mr. Mueller’s prove time and time again that Built Ford Tough is more than just a slogan; it’s a promise of proven durability and reliability,” said Doug Scott, Ford truck group marketing manager.
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