Testing the limits of new cars and trucks for a living must be one of the coolest jobs for a gearhead. In the video above, Ford vehicle engineers put the ’15 F-150 through a series of tests in extreme cold, including a cold start, low-traction tests, and others. It’s all very technical and important, but just watching the video it looks as though these guys get to romp around in the snow having fun with the newest hardware to make sure there are no surprises when/if the consumer decides to explore in frozen conditions.

The cold start test for example includes locking the truck in a steel box where temperatures are dropped to minus 30-degrees and cold soaked for an extended period before being started. This ensures the battery, starter, and inner workings of the engine are all able to function even in incredibly cold climates. Other tests in the cold involve calibrating the truck’s 4×4 engagement in various road conditions such as hard-packed ice and loose powder as well.

The trucks they test are equipped with all sorts of measuring instruments; sure, the engineers find potential problems from seat-of-the-pants feel, but they also record all aspects of the truck while it’s being tested, so if there is an issue, it’s quantified. For example, if they find a problem with the truck losing too much traction or 4-wheel drive is not engaging like it should, or it has a weak startup, the team can present the data and start remedying the problem before the truck goes to market. The video of this process however, just seems like an excuse to show off some tough-looking trucks doing aggressive maneuvers in the snow and that’s good enough for us.