Ford Motor is ramping up production of its highly profitable F-Series trucks after a challenging year marked by supplier-related disruptions. Fires at Novelis’ aluminum plant in Oswego, New York, severely limited Ford’s output of both the full-size F-150 and larger Super Duty trucks, including models like the F-250, F-350, and F-450. However, Ford has now achieved a 20-year high in Super Duty production, with over 39,000 units built in August, marking the best monthly output since March 2006. F-150 production also climbed to its highest level since August 2024.

The increase in production is expected to lead to a significant replenishment of Ford’s truck inventories at dealerships in the upcoming months. Rob Kaffl, Ford’s head of U.S. sales, indicated dealers will start seeing more trucks arrive within 30 to 90 days, helping return supply levels toward what is considered a normal, healthy range. Currently, Ford dealers have roughly a 40-day supply of pickups, about half the typical industry standard, with Ford aiming to raise this to between 50 and 60 days.

Despite the production gains, Ford continues to face sales headwinds, reporting its eighth straight month of year-over-year declines in U.S. new vehicle sales as of August. Overall sales were down 10.3% for the month, including a 10.9% drop in F-Series sales for the year through August. Factors contributing to softer sales include the impact of discontinued models, planned lower sales to rental fleets, and a less favorable timing of the Labor Day sales weekend compared to last year.

Ford has been working to overcome an estimated $1.5 billion cost from the Novelis disruptions by increasing manufacturing above last year’s levels to meet pent-up customer demand. The truck segment remains a critical driver of Ford’s profitability, particularly through its Ford Pro fleet and commercial truck business. Despite the sales challenges, Ford’s retail market share has held steady around 11.7% as the automaker navigates ongoing supply and demand adjustments in a slowing U.S. automotive market.