How to Address Model Year Balance Out

Updated August 12, 2026

Model year balance outs can be a strain on time and resources. There are constraints on certain configurations as Ford exhausts its material supply before the next model year. Without the right tactics, dealerships can be stuck with less-than-ideal configurations. If you go into model year balance outs with a plan in mind, you can capture all the best commodities without having to take the leftovers and come out ahead.

F-150 is scheduled to move into the 2027 model year soon. Developing a plan for balance out now means you can come out ahead of your competition with the best configurations available.

Tips for Model Year Balance Out

Prevent SIMS from Scheduling

Change recommended orders in WBDO to priority 99 to avoid automatic SIMS scheduling. Many dealers don’t realize this is an option. You don’t have to alter them—just change them to 99 as a scheduling hold.

Utilize Priority Codes

Once you dress your units, submit your most important builds with priority codes between 20 and 25. Beyond that, stack your order bank with backup orders based on Ford's cleanup notes.

Monitor Previews

Place your orders on Mondays so you can check previews on Tuesdays and add more orders based on what you see previewing. If you're previewing out of a commodity that you want (e.g., 5.0L Tremor), put in more to maximize grabbing the good commodities. Check previews again on Wednesday and repeat.

What’s Available for F-150 Balance Out

Make sure you have various commodities in your order bank to see what’s previewing and understand what's available at the plant that week. If you'd like to see what's available this week, reach out. We’re happy to share what we're seeing in preview and where the best scheduling opportunities are.

Recently, the most common issues we see when analyzing commodities for our dealers include spray in bedliner, heads up display on Lariat, moonroof on Lariat, 502A PEP, Tremor 5.0L, and regular cab 5.0L.

Summary

Balance out rewards preparation, not luck. Hold recommended orders at priority 99, push key builds through with 20–25 priority codes, and track Tuesday and Wednesday previews to redirect orders toward what's scheduling. Skip the constrained options and you'll walk away with commodities your competitors couldn't get.

PIM dealers get there faster. Because we manage nearly 10% of Ford's North American production, we see scheduling trends before most dealers do. We combine that preview data with your inventory and local market demand to order the vehicles most likely to schedule and sell.

Today, PIM dealers have secured more than their proportional share of some of Ford's hardest-to-get products. The percentages below represent the share of these commodities currently in stock or inbound across our dealer network:

• F-450: 20%

• F-150 Lariat: 14%

• F-150 Tremor: 19%

• F-150 King Ranch: 23%

• F-150 Platinum: 14%

• F-150 5.0L: 12%

Schedule a demo today to see how we can make an impact on your store.