Full disclosure: I’m a Jeep Gladiator fan. Sure, it’s overpriced, cramped and just a little bit extra compared to more generic midsize pickups , but I’m one of those weird people who actually enjoys driving a Wrangler, so take everything I just said with a grain of salt. Not everybody is quite so enamored with it as I am, and many of them will tell you that it’s simply because the they don’t like the proportions of a double-cab Jeep pickup. Well, those folks are in luck.
Meet the Acela Trucks Dispatcher 4×4, which ditches the four-door/short-bed arrangement found on the standard Gladiator for a single cab and a massive 7’x5′ flat-load bed. And not only does it look the part, but the Dispatcher 4×4 is made more capable by the conversion. Payload capacity maxes out at 3,001 pounds (depending on installed accessories) vs. just 1,720 lbs for a factory Gladiator. And since the Dispatcher includes the Gladiator’s upgraded 4.10:1 final drive ratio (and its Dana 44 front/rear axles), it maintains its 7,700-pound maximum tow rating.
If there’s any “bad” news here, it’s that Acela advertises the Dispatcher only with the Gladiator’s standard 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and 8-speed automatic gearbox. If you were hoping for a diesel engine and a manual gearbox, well, sorry, but you can at least option it with a winch, bed rail kit, snow plow, dump bed and all sorts of other stuff.
Acela says the Dispatcher is built on a “modified” Gladiator frame (I’ve reached out for details) and can be configured with the standard bed or as a chassis cab for end-user customization. The company is pitching it as a more compact and maneuverable alternative to a factory half-ton pickup, and with that huge bed and those payload numbers, it appears to fit the bill.
“The Dispatcher delivers higher payload and superior maneuverability compared to half- ton pickup trucks, all on a compact chassis at a significantly lower price point — even lower than some worksite UTVs,” company president David Ronsen said in Acela’s announcement. “It gives Acela a powerful platform to support our customers’ critical missions.”
The Dispatcher goes on sale starting in April. There’s no price listed on the company’s site, but I would expect it to be less costly than some of Acela’s more exotic offerings. If I hear anything back, I’ll update this post.
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Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories.
