Winter vehicle testing in the U.P.

Parts of the upper midwest are getting an early start to winter…and, when Old Man Winter hits the U.P., we’ll be ready.

Dodge uses the U.P. as a testing ground for the Ram truck.  A promotional video documenting the testing set in Houghton was shot during winter.  The company wants its trucks to be able to handle the rigorous winters the same way that people who live in Upper Michigan handle them.  Dodge officials call it “Torture Testing.”

“This is the slush test. Ten inches of slush–water mixture. This would be simulating a customer in a wet, snowy environment either going down the road or encountering a rain–snow mixture,” Adaptation manager Joseph Lagodzinski said.

With the tough weather conditions also comes the tough chores.  The trucks are put through several tests that include the everyday jobs that come with living in the U.P.  Jobs like plowing roadways.  Dodge uses these tests to gauge the durability of its trucks.

“The snow doesn’t stop falling, so the truck has to be dependable. The truck has to be able to plow snow whenever the snow comes down. I have been working for Chrysler for over 16 years now. I grew up driving heavy–duty trucks as a kid. Our customers do this, so we bring our trucks up here, we work them for hours, put them through their paces. We make sure our customers have good reliable trucks,” Vehicle integration manager Rod Romain said.

Few places in America can bring the same cold–weather testing variables that Upper Michigan has to offer.  Testing these trucks in the U–P is a *win–win* for both sides.  Dodge has the opportunity to test its trucks for durability while Upper Michigan earns all the bragging rights.

To see the entire video, go to YouTube…put DODGE TRUCK TORTURE TESTING in the search box.