Ford has rolled out BlueCruise Hands-Free Towing for the 2027 F-150, bringing hands-free cruise control to towing while using trailer-specific information to monitor and adjust for factors that can affect stability and safety.
How Ford BlueCruise Hands-Free Towing Works
Drivers must first subscribe to BlueCruise before using the hands-free towing system. After that, they can connect their trailer and create a trailer profile for their BlueCruise-capable vehicle.
The profile requires information including the trailer’s length, width and height. This allows the system to account for factors that may affect trailer stability during a highway journey.
Each trailer requires its own profile. Drivers must also ensure the trailer remains within the vehicle’s maximum towing capacity. For the Ford F-150, that limit is 10,000 pounds.
The system will alert drivers if the trailer is overweight or if it detects a discrepancy with the tire pressures. If it identifies anything unusual or determines that the trailer exceeds the applicable limit, BlueCruise Hands-Free Towing will not activate.
Where BlueCruise Towing Can Be Used
Once the trailer profile has been created, drivers can connect the trailer and confirm that the vehicle recognizes it. After several confirmation or OK prompts, the driver can head to designated Blue Zones where the system is available.
Blue Zones are pre-qualified highways where BlueCruise Towing can be used. The feature is therefore not available on every road.
BlueCruise Hands-Free Towing Limitations
The availability of Blue Zones is one of the main limitations of Ford’s hands-free towing feature. Only select highways support the system, while smaller roads or unlogged highways are not supported for hands-free towing.
The system can also detect road anomalies, including construction sites. When it encounters one, BlueCruise Hands-Free Towing will turn off and prompt the driver to place their hands back on the steering wheel.
The system is limited to a maximum speed of 75 miles per hour. That is close to the advertised 80-mph top speed of the cruise control system.
Lane Changes Require Manual Steering
Automatic lane repositioning and automatic lane changing are disabled when BlueCruise Hands-Free Towing is active. Drivers must therefore steer manually when making lane-related adjustments.
Ford’s 2027 F-150 BlueCruise Hands-Free Towing system uses trailer profiles and vehicle monitoring to provide hands-free towing on supported Blue Zones, while its operation remains subject to towing, road and speed limitations.
