As a cowled-chassis design, the B series was a bare chassis aft of the firewall, intended for bodywork from a second-stage manufacturer.

Prior to 1969, Lincoln-Mercury dealers in Canada marketed the B series as part of the Mercury M-series truck line.

As of the 2019 model year, Ford has not developed a cowled-chassis derivative of the F series, instead concentrating on cutaway chassis vehicles.

In the cowled-chassis segment, the role and market share of the B series was largely superseded by the Blue Bird Vision (introduced in late 2000's).

Based on the medium-duty F-5 and F-6 (1½ and 2-ton), the B series was slotted between the pickup trucks and the "Big Job" conventionals.

The fenders were even more flared than before to allow for a wider track and larger wheels and tires needed to make the necessary gain in GVW to remain competitive.

This generation was also the first to receive the option of a diesel engine in place of the strictly gasoline lineup in the past.

For 1995, the medium-duty F-Series underwent a model revision, improving the aerodynamics of the hood design, with the B-series following suit.

For the first time, a tilt-steering column was offered as an option (distinguished by Ford-badged steering wheels sourced from International).

Several factors would contribute to the discontinuation of the model line, related both to Ford and to bus manufacturers.

In an effort to secure their future, body manufacturers began a series of business agreements with chassis suppliers (with some becoming subsidiaries of the latter).

As the 1990s progressed, Ford was faced with the potential withdrawal of the B-series or entering into a supply agreement with a body manufacturer to guarantee a source of demand.

[citation needed] Following the 10-year agreement between General Motors and Blue Bird Corporation to standardize its B7 chassis (making Ford an extra-cost option); a potential arrangement proved increasingly difficult as AmTran and Thomas Built Buses were purchased outright in 1995 and 1998 by truck manufacturers Navistar and Freightliner, respectively.

[citation needed] Introduced in 1997, the Freightliner FS-65 (developed from its medium-duty FL-Series before the sale) would inherit much of the cowled-chassis market share vacated by the B series.

While Ford was able to continue the medium-duty F-Series (entering into the Blue Diamond joint venture with Navistar to produce the model line), the overlap that a bus chassis derived from it represented was a potential breakage of the non-compete agreement.

The Auto Editors of Consumer Guide Ford Truck Chronicle Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International.