Though competitor next-generation trucks have opted for aluminum panels and closures over a steel body, Ford on Thursday announced the next-generation 2021 Ford F-150 would carry “a fully boxed high-strength steel frame with a high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy body.”

Ford didn’t share further details about the metallurgy of the truck, but it seems like a safe bet that some of the innovations in lightweighting and joining over the past five years probably made it onto the vehicle, which will go on sale in the fall. We reached out to the OEM late Friday morning but have not yet received a response.

Read Repairer Driven News:Next-gen 2021 Ford F-150 sticks with aluminum over steel frame, offers 11 grilles

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