2014 Ram 1500 Tradesman/express on 2040-cars

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The Ram Macho Power Wagon concept is totally in your face with its cool rack system

The Ram brand isn't being very subtle with this year's SEMA concept. It's called the Macho Power Wagon, and it's painted in Macho Mango. Yeah, it's for dudes. We apologize if you start hearing a Village People song in the back of your head. This bigger, badder Ram is a throwback to the Macho Power Wagon of the late 1970s. Along those lines, it bears the retro, vertical Power Wagon graphics that line the C-pillar, and it also has vintage-style eight-spoke beadlock wheels inspired by its '70s namesake. Those wheels are shod in huge 37-inch tires, which fit thanks to a four-inch suspension lift, and custom, conceptual fender flares. View 20 Photos The truck is powered by the normal Power Wagon's 6.4-liter V8, rather than the crazy TRX concept's supercharged Hemi, and it has the stock front winch. This Ram also sports quite a few concept parts besides the wheels and fender flares. Starting at the front and moving rearward, the Macho Wagon gets custom bumpers with skid plates and tow hooks, a new hood with big heat extractors, an LED light bar, a roof rack, single-piece running-boards, and five-inch exhaust tips. There's one more custom piece in back. Immediately behind the C-pillar is a sport hoop, under which hides another hoop that can slide along tracks on the bed. These hoops together are called the Ramrack, and when the second hoop is moved back along the bed, it works together with the cab's roof rack to create a long utility rack. It's a thoroughly clever way of adding practicality without sacrificing appearances. We would love to see something like this reach production, since it could be very handy on quad cab pickups with short beds, allowing them to carry long objects without having to drop the tailgate to get them to fit. Because there's nothing macho about that. Related Video:

Chrysler's internal documents question Ram quality as workers protest

Chrysler is reportedly having a hard time ramping up production of its 2013 Ram 1500. According to The Detroit News, only 16 of the 58 trucks built at the Warren Truck Assembly Plant during the model's first hour passed final inspection. While quality eventually improved over the course of the day, just over half of the units built on Thursday were approved for shipment. Even with workers ordered to stay late to fix their mistakes, some 1,078 units remained outside the facility with defects. The problem, according to workers at the plant, is morale.
According to the report, Chrysler recently changed the shift schedule at the plant and workers are unhappy with the new situation. The new plan has workers split into three shifts, each covering four 10-hour days. With the shifts staggered, some workers now have to work nights and on Saturdays. Some employees are so upset that they've taken to protesting, though the move isn't sanctioned by the United Auto Workers.
Meanwhile, Chrysler admits there were internal issues with the launch, but that the company was able to contain them. A spokesperson has said "plant quality indicators are getting progressively better."

Work at a Chrysler dealership, get free college education

The cost of a college education in the US can put a student tens (hundreds, in some cases) of thousands of dollars into debt. FCA US wants to give its dealership employees a leg up, though, and the automaker is now offering a completely free education to them through a partnership with Strayer University. The workers can take any of the college's classes online or on campus through program called Degrees@Work. Currently, the offer is only available to employees Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram and Fiat dealers in the automaker's Southeast region, which includes Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee. However, a national expansion will happen before the end of the year, Strayer spokesperson Cristina Henley tells Autoblog. The program will cover all of the students' expenses, including their books, according to Henley. FCA US sees this partnership as a way to improve the talent of its workforce, retain employees longer and possibly attract people wanting to take advantage of this free education. "Many of our dealers have expressed concern over the availability of talent to fill open positions due to business growth and turnover in their stores, especially in metro markets," Al Gardner, the company's Head of Dealer Network Development, said in the Degrees@Work announcement. Strayer has about 40 programs available, including in business administration, accounting, marketing, and more, and the university offers associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees. It will also give FCA US employees credit for their work experience to get them a diploma even more quickly. FCA US Dealers to Offer Employees No-Cost, No-Debt College Education FCA US teams with Strayer University to develop first-of-its-kind dealer program Degrees@Work program open to all employees of participating dealerships Employees can earn no-cost, no-debt degree through Strayer University All Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram and FIAT dealerships may participate First phase of program rollout begins with dealers in the FCA US Southeast Business Center National rollout expected later this year May 4, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Employees of Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram and FIAT dealerships will have the unique opportunity to earn a no-cost, no-debt college degree through Strayer University's Degrees@Work program, developed in collaboration with FCA US LLC. FCA US is the only company in the automotive industry to offer the program.