Jeep Michelle

 A work truck is a business partner that never calls in sick. It starts before sunrise, hauls what you hate lifting, parks in your driveway at night wearing the whole day on its tires. In Volusia County, from New Smyrna Beach to Daytona Beach to DeLand, a lot of those partners wear a Ram badge. Here's how to think about picking one. Pick the body before you pick the truck A Ram Chassis Cab comes as a cab on a bare frame. The business end, the part behind you, gets built to match the work. That's the whole point. Dump body. Landscapers, site crews, anybody hauling fill, shell rock or storm debris. Tip it, dump it, go home dirty. Flatbed. Pallets, pipe, lumber, equipment that doesn't fit in a pickup bed. Load from three sides. Service body. Plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs. A compartment for every tool, locked, dry, right where your hand expects it at 7 a.m. Crew cab or regular cab? Count heads. A Ram Crew Cab carries the whole crew to the job in one truck instead ...

Few places in the country let you drive right onto the sand, and Volusia County is one of them. If you just brought home a Jeep, or you're visiting with one, here's what to know before you hit the ramp. When you can drive From May 1 to October 31, the beach is open to vehicles from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (or sundown, whichever comes first). From November 1 to April 30, it's sunrise to sunset. Either way it's "tides permitting." At high tide, ramps close when there isn't enough dry sand, so check the Volusia Beaches app before you go. Can you drive on the beach today? Right now: check the Volusia Beaches app before you head out. It shows live open or closed status for every ramp. Ramps close for high tide, bad weather and special events. At high tide: usually not. When the water gets close to the dunes, the county closes the driving ramps until the tide drops. Plan your beach drive around low tide. Any tide chart for New Smyrna or Daytona will show the times...