If you hang around working people for long enough, or at least hang around folks who want to look like they’re working, you’re bound to spot a Carhartt jacket or a few. There’s also a non-zero chance some of those folks drive Ford trucks, too. What would happen if you combined them? Ford and Carhartt have decided to answer the question that you didn’t even know you had. This is the 2027 Ford Super Duty Carhartt, and it’s a big truck that has manhole cover-style wheels, seats that look like a work jacket, and even paint that’s can be had in similar colors as a Carhartt. I don’t know why, but I can’t stop smiling at this thing.
Back in January, Ford announced a collaboration that sounds so fitting for the times. Ford and Carhartt entered into a multi-year strategic partnership that’s supposed to make a long-term impact in the skilled trades. The two brands believe that AI can’t replace the hard-working Americans who fix your furnace, save your life in an ambulance, or replace your leaky pipes. Yet, as Ford CEO Jim Farley penned in Time magazine last year, productivity in hands-on trades is going down while productivity in white-collar jobs is going up.
Ford and Carhartt believe that they can help increase blue-collar productivity through “workforce development, community building, and durable products that help strengthen and support the skilled trades.” Those products include Ford x Carhartt-branded merch and a Ford Super Duty with Carhartt features. Ford didn’t really say much about the truck, instead leaving us with a teaser showing the truck’s wheel parked on a manhole cover.
Now, we finally get to see the rig, and it’s something. Ford and Carhartt really made a heavy-duty pickup truck that looks like it’s wearing the same jacket you might wear when working in the cold.
It’s Surprising Ford Didn’t Do This Sooner
Ford points out that it and Carhartt have been closely linked for over a century, but never in any official capacity until now.
In 1889, Hamilton Carhartt was a traveling salesman, and in his travels, he listened to the complaints of railroaders who felt that their overalls weren’t very durable. Carhartt realized there was some real demand for workwear that was as durable as its wearers. In response, Carhartt set up a basic workshop in Detroit, Michigan.
In that loft, Carhartt and his five workers would use two sewing machines and a half-horsepower electric motor to fashion denim and duck canvas into durable bib overalls. The Carhartt & Company was born, but it wasn’t immediately successful. Some of Carhartt’s early bibs didn’t perform as desired, but he found a simple solution. He went to the railroads and asked the workers what they wanted in their workwear. He’d then return to his shop and create a new iteration of his workwear.
This worked, and in the span of 20 years, Carhartt, the brand with the slogan of “honest value for an honest dollar,” grew exponentially. By 1910, the company says, it began to span America and the globe. It had mills and offices in South Carolina, New York City, Atlanta, Detroit, Dallas, San Francisco, Walkerville (Ontario), Toronto, Vancouver, Liverpool, and Paris.
Carhartt would then become a truly global brand. Soldiers wore Carhartts in World War I and World War II, while actors in films and television wore the company’s distinctive apparel. The Detroit News points out that characters in NCIS, Brokeback Mountain, Interstellar, and so many others. Basically, if you need to have a character appear to be blue-collar, they’ll probably be wearing Carhartts.
Carhartt is also famous for barely changing its designs over the decades. Today’s Carhartt Chore Coat isn’t much different than the 1917 version, and Carhartt overalls still have a place for a pocket watch, even though nobody uses those anymore. I have a few Carhartt jackets for when I go on Gambler 500 trips in the fall and winter. I also use a Carhartt jacket over my motorcycle gear when I ride in the winter.
Yet, I have to admit that I’ve never paired Ford and Carhartt into the same thought or sentence.
Ford says that Carhartt was founded only a mile from where Ford was founded, and the two brands have spent over a century in each other’s workspaces. Ford says that Carhartt even had workwear programs for Ford workers between the 1920s and the 1970s. Yet, until now, the brands never officially tied the knot. The truck is only one part of a bigger plan.
Work Truck In Work Clothes
Leading the design of the Ford x Carhartt truck was Chief Designer for Ford Vehicle Personalization Steve Gilmore. Steve says that the Ford team realized that there was some great overlap between Carhartt and Ford customers, like the fact that a lot of Carhartt customers drive Super Duty trucks. The result of that market research is what you see here.
Ford says the 2027 Ford Super Duty Carhartt starts off as a work truck. The special edition is built out of Super Duty XLT Crew Cab single-rear-wheel pickups.
The changes are pretty subtle on the outside, with the biggest attention-grabbing feature being the wheels. Steve says that when the customization design team went on a field trip to Carhartt’s flagship store in Detroit, they found themselves studying the building outside. That’s when they also noticed a manhole cover in the street. The team felt that manholes were a good representation of Detroit’s streets and blue-collar work, so they were incorporated into the truck.
Joining the wheels on the Ford Super Duty Carhartt is a set of textured Carhartt graphics on the doors and tailgate. Apparently, these decals are supposed to be functional and help deflect rocks, road debris, mud, and salt from damaging the areas the decals cover.
From here, additional bits include a spray-in bedliner with a Carhartt logo, a blacked-out grille, LT275/65R20E BSW all-terrain tires, and off-road running boards. The finishing touch is Carhartt fender badges. Ford notes that Carhartt apparel puts its logo near your heart, so the fender badges put Carhartt logos near the truck’s heart.
There were fewer changes inside. The rubber floor mats in the rig have Carhartt logos and are designed to look like Carhartt’s tool bags. The big ticket items inside are the seats, which are made to look like Carhartt jackets.
Here’s what Ford says about that:
Inspired by Carhartt’s iconic duck canvas, the seat material was engineered to capture both the rugged, heavy-duty construction of the textile and the rich, tactile feel of Oiled Walnut. The material is commercial-grade, built for extreme durability, with abrasion resistance and soil and liquid repellency to protect against spills.
Triple-stitch, inspired by Carhartt workwear and accessories, provides superior seam reinforcement. These stitches are applied throughout the interior with a focus on purposeful placement and functional design.
The 2027 Ford Super Duty Carhartt will be available in six colors: Marsh Gray, Iconic Silver Metallic, Agate Black Metallic, Carbonized Gray Metallic, Oxford White, and Neptune Blue, which is new for the 2027 model year. Ford says the muted tones were chosen on purpose as it matches both companies’ philosophies.
Ford notes that selling merch and a big truck isn’t the end goal here. The two brands say that they will also provide:
Gear, Training and Tools for the Next Generation of Auto Technicians
The next generation of auto technicians is on the radar of both companies as Ford aims to provide fast-track training programs by partnering with high schools and community colleges in the U. S. to keep the pipeline strong. This includes Ford Philanthropy and Ford dealers’ partnership with TechForce Foundation to support Ford Auto Tech Scholars with training and funding to cover technician tools, credentialing fees, and transportation needs. Now, Carhartt is extending their commitment to outfit the next cohort of Ford Auto Tech Scholars in custom Carhartt gear.In Canada, Ford’s Automotive Career Exploration (ACE) program empowers students to discover exciting careers as automotive technicians. Through partnerships with schools and Ford/Lincoln dealerships, ACE provides access to Ford’s online training modules, hands-on learning opportunities, and a clear pathway to advanced programs like ASSET (Automotive Student Service Educational Training).
The Ford ASSET Program combines classroom study with paid, co-op dealership experience: students alternate every 6–8 weeks between academic instruction and dealership work, culminating in an associate’s degree and up to one year of relevant industry experience. Ford-certified instructors deliver approved technical training, and Ford dealerships sponsor and employ students through structured programs—ensuring real-world exposure and competency development. ASSET students graduate prepared to earn Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications—and Ford-specific credentials—positioning them to quickly transition into technician roles with Ford and Lincoln dealerships. The “earn-while-you-learn” approach makes ASSET both financially accessible and career-responsive, giving students a lower-cost, faster route to technician leadership roles.
Ford says the order books for the 2027 Ford Super Duty Carhartt open up tomorrow with deliveries this fall. The price for the sweet seats and the manhole wheels will be $4,195 above the cost of a base Super Duty XLT.
The 2027 Ford Super Duty Carhartt will be available in XLT Crew Cab single-rear-wheel 4×4 F-250 and F-350 pickups with the 40/console/40 seating configuration. The Carhartt edition is offered with the Premium Package and can come with the FX4 Off-Road Package.
The Super Duty remains in its fifth generation. You can grab one of these trucks with meaty gasoline and diesel engines. The 7.3-liter Godzilla V8, for example, offers up to 430 horsepower and 485 lb-ft of torque. The Super Duty’s top engine remains the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 High Output, which cranks out a whopping 500 thoroughbreds and 1,200 pounds of stump-pulling torque. I have reviewed a few of these trucks, and click here to read my most recent review.
Honestly, Ford keeps finding ways to make me giggle. Between the Truckle, the Timberland boots, the Original Grain watches, and now this, a Ford fan can really deck themselves out in brand collaborations. It’s a bit silly and a bit ridiculous. If you really wanted to, you could have your Carhartt Super Duty tow your Stetson Airstream, and that thought of that is amusing.
I do like how this one is a bit more muted, however. I also like how the seats look and would love to see if they feel as comfy as my jacket does. I suspect that some Ford and Carhartt fans are about to roll a new truck into their driveway.
Top graphic images: Ford; Carhartt
For me, canvas is too heavy and does no breathe. Even when I worked outside in construction & landscaping, it was just too much. My cynical side sees the Carhartt outfitting tech students as just a marketing ploy to ‘hook them when they’re young’.
I just watched a yt recap of this. Most comments were negative and Anti-Carhartt. Supposedly they hate their workers and are cheap crap now. I haven’t shopped them in years as their outdoor gear stopped keeping up quality and weight wise with everyone else.
Whats the 411 as they say!
I always bought Tough Duck and Dickies for work coats. I still use my winter bib overalls for snow blowing, and they’re still in great shape after nearly 20 years.
Depends on the line. Their true work wear – bibs, overalls, jackets, etc., still generally hold up and are made in Kentucky and Tennessee. The mass-market branded stuff is made all over, and you can see and feel the quality difference. But if the folks buying the mass market stuff as “trendy” wear do so an allow the company to keep the US manufacturing intact, it’s probably a fair compromise.
Cringe
I don’t really get these life style brands x vehicle. But they should have done Stanley explorer or expedition edition for the Mormon wives and their followers but they might have missed the boat on that.
It seems like ford did something with Levi’s a few years ago. Bronco sport with denim interior and Levi’s labels. Chevy did something with Carhartt a few years ago. Maybe ram needs to do something the wells or Ariat. The whole Eddie Bauer and Subaru trying to get in on it with ll bean was amusing.
Carhartt has been going down hill for decades. I still have a 25+ year old one with the buttons that I’ve never washed and one that’s been washed. Old pipeline welders used to get them to the point they needed to be washed wash them and then give them to people that weren’t welding in them. I had a pair of their boots that might have been the worst boots I’ve ever had I’m never buying anything but highly discounted textiles from them again.
As a Mainer, I always thought the LL Bean edition Subarus were just silly. Paying way too much money for a trim level. But, most of Bean’s product is, mediocre quality and overpriced. Add in the fact that most of it is produced off shore and just plays on the ‘rugged Mainer’ image.
The quality of those Subarus sort of matched. But I really didn’t understand it either. I remember a Subaru salesman telling me “it’s our ll bean edition you know because Ford has Eddie Bauer” all just nonsense. I don’t quite understand how ll bean stays open. Every time I’ve been in one of their stores there are more employees then customers and will always be some octogenarian with some article of clothing they purchased 30+ years ago getting a lifetime exchange.
“It’s Surprising Ford Didn’t Do This Sooner
Ford points out that it and Carhartt have been closely linked for over a century, but never in any official capacity until now.
In 1889, Hamilton Carhartt was a traveling salesman, and in his travels, he listened to the complaints of railroaders who felt that their overalls weren’t very durable. Carhartt realized there was some real demand for workwear that was as durable as its wearers.”
Yeah, about that:
“Denim, Race, and Class
There is no evidence of a single inventor of the bib overalls and no specific date when they first appeared. There is evidence that overalls were used as far back as the late 1700s as a protective garment made out of denim and were regularly worn by enslaved people. Denim was used partly because the material was sturdy, and partly because it was a stark contrast against the linen suits and lace parasols of plantation families.
Aside from durability and practicality, denim overalls were used to visually delineate between race and class. After the Civil War ended and the Emancipation Proclamation made chattel slavery illegal in the Confederate States, sharecropping became the new norm. Denim overalls were regularly worn amongst sharecroppers and further continued the negative perception that denim overalls were for Black Americans and poor white Americans.”
https://www.seamwork.com/craft-projects/a-history-of-overalls
I can’t imagine a century of making denim and duck cloth bib overalls hadn’t already made adequately durable garments, especially since Levi Strauss had patented copper rivited seams over a decade earlier and railroad workers were a key market for that company.
Carhartt x Mercedes Benz heavily rewritten history collaboration when?
I suppose whether that depends if “Union Made for Union Men” was code for “Made by Whites for White Men”.
For Us By Us (FUBU)?
Volvo & Trojan condoms.
“You can’t be too safe.”
Yet it doesn’t come in that Carhartt beige/light caramel that’s instantly recognizable.
Union The Made Pants Brand and Overalls is my new nickname for Carhartt.
TL:DR ugh Carhartt
Maybe it’s the pics, but the cloth doesn’t look particularly tough or like Carhartt. They are aware that they come in colors, too, right? That said, it would need to be a more durable cloth like old the Carhartt, not the substandard stuff they make now.
I don’t are about the Carhartt branding (which I type while wearing a Carhartt hoodie), and I’d need to see the seats in person, but I like the idea of a high-wear textile other than vinyl. If it wears like they say, hopefully it proliferates beyond the Carhartt package into other Ford models and trims.
I find it hard to imagine this marketing being particularly effective. Obviously people do drive Fords and wear Carhartts for style reasons, but unlike other brands, you’re not allowed to admit that you’re doing it for style–you do it because you’re pretending to be “a working man who demands the best,” even if you’re not (though some are). Marketing tie-ins like this are obviously all about style, though, and so by buying one of these trucks, you’re essentially admitting to being a poser who buys things for brand rather than function
Carhartt makes good work gear, but they also make a killing on people who want to cosplay as a hard working tradesman too. Ford’s just getting in on the game here.
Ford has been doing this for decades, too, with the F series.
The Harley Davidson editions were peak poseur imho.
Welp, that’s that. I quit buying Carhartt for work a long time ago. The quality just kept going downhill but the price never did. This confirms the complete transition to lifestyle brand.
What about when Chevy did this in 2020?
Chevy unveils 2021 Carhartt Silverado 2500HD special edition
Ha! Yeah that’s perfect. Limited edition luxury trucks. Clearly I haven’t been paying enough attention for some time now.
It’s getting harder to find good work pants, I can tell you that.
I solidly agree. Don’t even get me started with uniform companies.
I like Biltema.
https://www.biltema.dk/en-dk/construction/workwear/
Kinda hard to get in the US though.
My biggest complaint is the quality and fit differences across different factories.
I’m making up the countries here, but the same exact model shirt, made in Mexico is fine (good quality, fits nice), but get one that is made in Vietnam, and it’s noticeably thinner and the fit is way different.
My second complaint is the constant enshittification of their products. The classic blanket lined chore coat is now some sort of crummy fleece inside instead of the horse-blanket type material.
I replaced their plain tees with ProClub heavy duty, and all their pants and overalls with Round House. And I buy used/old stock C001 or (even better) C01 coats.
Ford could have chosen that brown canvas color for the seats – but that would be entirely too much color, wouldn’t it?
This is just work truck cosplay.
Super Doody.
Could be offered on a base, Work Truck spec, but instead, it’s an all the bells and whistles, with a panoramic moonroof, modern Lincoln of a truck. This? This isn’t a jobsite truck, this for going to Wal-Mart.
XLT is far from the loaded out Super Duties, it is the next trim up from the base XL. Also, most of the press fleet spec ones have every option available like the Pano Roof to showcase what all is possible when ordering a truck.
So, essentially, Carhartt is to the F-Series what Bill Blass used to be to the Continental Mark Series
Not sure if it’s just me, but those seats don’t look like a tan Carhartt jacket at all.
They do sell aftermarket Carhartt seat covers in the tan duck fabric, that’s the first thing I pictured when I saw this headline, and was surprised they didn’t go that route
And the seat covers are great, actually! I’ve had several sets on various vehicles over the last 15 years and they hold up. My mom’s primary run-around car on the farm is a Forrester with the seat covers and I think that is more blue color than this thing is.
What a German color palette. “Yes, blue is technically a color we offer, but good luck finding one”.
“…and it’s a big truck that has manhole cover-style wheels, wheels that look like a work jacket, and even paint that’s the same color as a Carhartt.”
I think you meant seats instead of wheels that look like a work jacket.
-A Carhartt jacket owner that doesn’t own a F*rd. 🙂
I do, as a carryover from my time in a laser lab. The main laser emitted invisibly in the infrared but could quickly do some serious eye damage so none of us wore anything reflective on our hands or wrists while adjusting its optics during use:
https://live.staticflickr.com/7363/10559275384_fed53b0c81.jpg
As a geologist in the Pacific Northwest I’m more partial to Filson than Carhartt, though.
You know, I should have assumed that there are some Autopian readers who do things the old-school way! My Elgin Type A-11 salutes your pocket watch!
The only times I carry a pocket watch is when I wear overalls, I have a 1930s Hamilton that keeps pretty good time. My reasoning is the pocket is there, might as well use it for its intended purpose. Almost all brands still have either a designated watch pocket, or at least a slit in the main pocket that you can tuck the watch into
Poppin a Zyn, grabbing the Dew, and shifting my Carhartt Powerstroke into drive after a long, hard day of spending dad’s money at the local Chick-fil-a
You sure you’re not driving a beater Dodge Neon complete with a confederate flag front license plate?
It’s moronic how the Carhartt stuff is only available on the crew cab. Vinyl seats suck and the grey cloth that most base model trucks come with stains and rips easily. This would’ve been a great worthwhile upgrade for a working man’s truck. I guess most people who wear Carhartt really are LARPing and Ford knows, hence limiting it to the fancy crew cab models.
As the kids say: everybody wants to wear Carhartt clothes, but nobody wants to do Carhartt shit…
An XLT isn’t fancy and most working guys drive crew cabs now.
I mean, it ain’t no Levi’s Edition AMC, but I like the seats. Had Duluth trading co. seat covers on my work truck for a while.
The fire hose material?
Yep. I love their work pants but the seat covers didn’t hold up as well as I hoped.
Meh. I remember Subaru making an LL Bean edition of the Outback many moons ago.
For kicks, lets all pair one car brand w/a non-car brand . . . I’ll start
Range Rover and Burberry?
Toyota and UniQlo?
oh yeah, Lamborghini and Tonino Lamborghini 😛
Chrysler X Sears
Honda x Honda
Mitsubishi x Mitsubishi
lol
For you, Mercedes . . .
Smart x Smarties
why pair one when you could do 3 at a time? Lincoln x Givenchy, Bill Blass and Cartier
Ram and Alcoholics Anonymous
I was going to say Dodge and Coors. Because that already seams like a pairing.
And previously, that pairing was Pontiac x Coors.
Dodge and Busch or would that be better as Ram and Busch?
I have an in-law who drives a Ram and named his dog Busch…
Porsche x Nike (although one of the German sneaker brands might be more appropriate i.e. adidas or Puma)
Nissan x Reebok (actually happened!)
Eddie Bauer and Ford.
Audi x Sinaloa
Chevrolet and Warner Brothers (that was really a thing)
VW and Trek (which was also a thing)
Buick and Kohler (if you know you know)
Dodge and Walmart
VW and TREK – yes! Good callback.
Dodge should have partnered with Channel 5 News, a Steve Brule Drodge Drango Edition would be amazing
Maybach and Yeezy.
Off the top of my head: the VW Golf Pink Floyd, Golf Rolling Stones, and Golf Bon Jovi. Throw in a Citroen AX Hit FM edition and you too can rock with the geriatric bands and cars!
Lincoln and Viagra.