RamZoneramtrucks.com

Letters for Lyrics a Success, Zac Brown Band Continues to Give Back

Earlier this month Ram Trucks and Zac Brown Band launched Letters for Lyrics, a program aimed at collecting 1 million letters of thanks for our servicemen and women. To date, the official letter count is already at 70,000 with over 25,000 of those received in the first two weeks alone. “The Ram Truck Brand has been moved by the kindness and gratitude that has been expressed so far to our men and women in the military,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO Ram Trucks. “As we head into Memorial Day – a holiday that remembers those who dedicated their lives for our freedom – I encourage everyone to take a few moments this week to visit their local Ram Truck dealership to write a letter of support to our military men and women who show commitment and valor to this great country.”

“We’re so proud of the immediate response we’ve received for ‘Letters for Lyrics’ over the past two weeks. The support our fans have shown and the stories they’ve shared with us about how the campaign has moved them to show their appreciation is truly inspirational.” said Zac Brown. “This Monday, as we observe Memorial Day, we’ll show our respect for the U.S. men and women who have given their lives in the military service and send our thoughts to those out there protecting our country and way of life. We ask that everyone help us show your appreciation for their heroic efforts.”

As a testament to his own dedication to the cause, Zac Brown and his band launched a USO-backed tour intended to bring a little lightheartedness to soldiers stationed in the Persian Gulf. Documented by renowned director Darren Doane, the series is (fittingly) labeled “For Those Who Serve” and features behind-the-scenes footage of ZBB’s experience. The first installment of the video went live on RamTrucks.com in tandem with the launch of Letters for Lyrics and the second chapter followed suit today. Hit the jump to check out the exclusive footage of Zac Brown Band rocking out and giving back.

More

AutoPacific Crowns Ram HD Best Heavy Duty Pickup

We already knew that our trucks are the best, but it’s still rewarding to hear it confirmed by the source that matters most – the consumers. After combing the data from 42,000 owner surveys, the Ram HD has been awarded AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award for the Heavy Duty Pickup segment. AutoPacific’s data is compiled directly from owner feedback which means our truck held up under the most grueling test of all: the real world. “Vehicles that score highest in the Vehicle Satisfaction Awards are delivering value and satisfaction across a wide range of attributes,” said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific. “The winners perform well in 48 separate categories that objectively measure the ownership experience.”

So what does that mean, exactly? That Ram is once again spanking the competition – and we don’t plan on stopping.

Ram Trucks Crush Competition at 2010 TS Performance Outlaw Show

Every year in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the cleanest, meanest trucks on the road gather for the TS Performance Outlaw Drag Race and Sled Pull. Every manufacturer is heavily represented with participants ranging from hard working Rams to the city boys with other rigs. Trucks are subjected to a series of tests, including a 30,000-pound sled pull down a dusty 350-foot dirt track. By far one of the most grueling activities, each truck threw down a fair fight against the sled but Ram was the clear winner. First place in the 2.6 class with a pull of 307.110 feet went to John Beasley and his ’06 Dodge Ram while both second and fourth place were also secured by Ram Trucks.

To read the full story and check out some serious power in action, check out PickupTrucks.com

Image Source: PickupTrucks.com

2011 Ram Chassis Cab Rumbling to America

After drooling over the tow winches and cherry pickers at NTEA, truck guys will finally have the opportunity to pull the trigger on the chassis cab of their dreams. The first wave of Ram Chassis Cabs will touch down at dealerships in May 2010, bringing with them all of the best-in-class features you’ve been coveting for months. In addition to the 3500’s standard 5.7L HEMI® V8 cranking out a best-in-class 383-horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque, and the proven, commercial grade 6.7L Cummins diesel engine (available on 3500, standard on 4500/5500), the 2011 Ram Chassis Cabs also come equipped with best-in-class brake life provided by the largest brakes in the segment, best-in-class standard GVWR (19,500 lbs on Ram 5500), Best-in-class powertrain warranty: 5 years, 100,000 miles, and a class-exclusive manual transmission.

“With Ram Chassis Cabs on their way to dealerships across North America from our Saltillo Assembly Plant, Ram Truck customers now have a full line of vehicles available to meet their needs,” said Scott Garberding, Head of Manufacturing, Chrysler Group LLC. “The dedicated employees of the Saltillo plant have worked tirelessly to ensure that the highest quality vehicles come off the line. It is because of their efforts, along with those of the entire team, that the Ram Heavy Duty was named Motor Trend’s Truck of the Year.”

If you’re one of those work-hard, play-hard guys next in line to pick up a new Ram (no pun intended), be sure to stick around RamZone and keep an eye out for the exclusive opportunity to flex your specs.

Rams Gone Wild (Oh Yeah, There’s Video)

While we were busy flirting with an imminent, dusty death in Moab trying to capture that perfect shot (pro tip: invest in a good zoom lens), our friends over at the Chrysler Blog were filming some choice footage of our custom Rams crawling the desert. In addition to the jacked-up, armored-out Ram Runner and the Moparized Power Wagon, we were also running a bone stock Power Wagon.

Hit the jump to check out the vids. More

Ram CEO Fred Diaz & Zac Brown Weigh In On “Letters For Lyrics”

A few weeks ago, we announced the launch of Zac Brown Band’s Letters for Lyrics campaign. This week, we’re delving a little further into the details.

As some of you may already know, Letters for Lyrics is a program co-sponsored by Zac Brown Band and Ram Trucks aimed at generating 1 million letters of gratitude and support for our deployed servicemen and women. In exchange, each participant who writes a letter will receive an exclusive copy of “Breaking Southern Ground,” a ZBB-produced compilation album. “We’ve had several opportunities to perform for the troops over the past year and each time we were deeply inspired by their positive attitudes and dedication to protecting our country and preserving our way of life,” explained Zac Brown. “We were so moved that we knew we needed to recognize their efforts in a big way. Our hope is that by combining our experience overseas, our music, and the good people at Ram Truck Brand, we will be able to rally a movement of support for our brave service members abroad.”

“The Ram Truck Brand is grateful for the commitment and courage that U.S. soldiers give to this country each day,” said Fred Diaz, President and CEO – Ram Truck Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “Our company has been steadfast in its support of America’s armed services; we know these letters will help brighten a soldier’s day. We encourage our employees, suppliers and our customers to visit a local Ram Truck dealership to write or drop off a letter for these soldiers who protect our right to freedom.”

To read more of Diaz’s input on Letters for Lyrics, check out his guest post over at the Chrysler Blog.

Mossy Oak’s “Cuz” Gets Up Close and Personal with Ram CEO Fred Diaz

Ronnie “Cuz” Strickland of well-known hunting outfitters Mossy Oak has been a long time fan of Ram Trucks, and more recently, Ram Trucks CEO Fred Diaz. Cuz had the opportunity to treat Diaz and a few of the Ram guys to a turkey hunting trip. The following is an excerpt from his personal account of the outing:

“I’ve been hosting hunting camps for Mossy Oak for over 20 years because after all, there’s no better setting to get to know someone in than hunting camp. This spring, turkey camp was certainly different than those of the past as two Mossy Oak field producers and I were about to spend a quick 36 hours with Fred Diaz, CEO of Ram Trucks and a new hero of mine. Since ‘hero’ is a strong term, let me elaborate.

First, I have had four Ram trucks over the years and have always been a fan of the Ram brand. For anyone that ever wondered; no, they have never asked me to endorse the trucks or paid me anything even though I keep mine in front of thousands of TV viewers each week on our Mossy Oak television productions. I just love the trucks and depend on mine heavily – more so than the average truck buyer, I suspect. My current 2007 Ram Mega Cab has 158,000 miles behind it, much of it from hauling ATV’s on unpaved roads and such. As far as my relationship with Fred Diaz goes, I was lucky enough to meet him on a visit to Ram in Detroit and during our visit he talked to us about Ram trucks. He talked to us about what they are doing to address the true sportsman in the country how to meet their needs and budgets, but more than that he talked about the people that are behind Ram. I could see the passion in his eyes when he talked about the people that build them, sell them, market them, and work on them and it was clear that the TEAM at Ram is on a mission. People like Fred Diaz who pass along the praise and give props to the people that make it happen fire me up, so you can understand why this particular turkey camp was more important than most. As impressed as I was with Fred and his team, I wanted him to be equally impressed with the Mossy Oak crew. Problem was we didn’t have much time – only about a day and a half.”

To read the rest of Cuz’s story, check out it at Mossy Oak’s Perspectives.

Ram Trucks Announces Official Sponsorship of the Kentucky Derby

On May 1, 2010 at the Churchill Downs Thoroughbred raceway in Louisville, Kentucky, Ram Trucks officially launched its sponsorship of the Kentucky Derby. Like the beautiful horses bucking at the starting gate, Ram Trucks brings a powerful, awe-inspiring presence to the track and to celebrate the unmistakable similarities between the two breeds of beast, Ram Trucks was heavily represented at the Kentucky Derby – both on the track and off. Rams custom-painted to match the unique designs of the jockey’s silks were prominently displayed in and around Churchill Downs and all the jockeys sported the Ram Trucks logo.

More