How to use Trail Control in a Ford truck or SUV

Time needed: 4 minutes.

Trail Control works by automatically regulating the power and braking of your vehicle. It is an automatic system, which means it does not need input from you in order to work, but you do need to know how to operate it because it won’t start up on its own accord. What is the point of Trail Control? It allows you to focus on steering as your vehicle crawls over tricky terrain. 

1. Press the Trail Control button on the centre console.

   This button will have a small icon of a truck on bumpy terrain, with a speedometer above it. When you have pressed it, a pop-up on your vehicle’s information display will let you know that it has been enabled. 
   

2. Use the plus and minus buttons on the steering wheel of your vehicle to set your speed.

   These are located on the left-hand side of the steering wheel. While using Trail Control, the maximum speed of your vehicle will be low, and even lower while using the system while reversing.  
   

3. Use the steering wheel to navigate.

   Once your speed is set, your vehicle will apply power to all four wheels to keep them spinning at the desired speed. All you have to do is steer. Use Trail Control to get out of a sand or mud pit or to crawl over rocks.  
   

4. To turn it off, press the Trail Control button again.

    Pressing the brake pad will not turn off the system, as it does with cruise control. Instead, the brake pad can be used to lower your cruising speed. When you want to turn it off, you must use the button.