Mack Serves Up Spec for West

While the name Mack® may be a relative newcomer in the West, the company’s trucks have helped to build North America for more than 100 years.

Since 1900, Mack has created the standard for rugged vehicles — the truck was nicknamed the Bulldog by British soldiers during grueling service in World War I. But what the Western owner may not know is that today Mack Trucks is building new lines of technically advanced vehicles that offer more strength and power with less weight than ever.

The company manufactures a variety of versatile units for the highway and vocational markets, including its flagship Pinnacle™ and Granite® models. All units are powered by the new MP engine series, a lightweight power plant that boasts horsepower ranges of 325 HP to 485 HP and unbeatable low-end torque while reducing emissions — all without sacrificing fuel economy.

Service a priority
Mack takes service as seriously as its equipment. Through its network of more than 670 dealers and service centers, including fifteen in California alone, Mack distributors can spec a truck to help the Western customer haul more in less time. With state-of-the-art distribution centers and real-time inventory access at the dealer level, the company can also quickly supply parts to keep those vehicles on the road.

“Our dealership does not order ‘stock’ trucks from Mack. We help create specialized designs targeting one vocation or one sub-vocation,” said Ian Gordon, a salesman with TEC of Southern California in La Mirada. “We order the frame, suspension and drivetrain correctly spec’ed for the intended application. For example we offer customers four different spec transfer dump truck designs, each built to be the most efficient in its operating niche.”

Gordon offered California as an example. “In areas like Northern California, where many dump truck owners are paid by the hour, we would spec for heavy-duty durability and use the Granite model. In southern California, where tare weight is important, many of our vocational offerings are built on the Mack Pinnacle highway tractor. With the Pinnacle chassis we can use the lightest components available. Our newest Pinnacle transfer dump chassis, when matched with a Superlite Superior Trailer Works™ transfer unit, will haul 28 tons of material compared with 26 tons for the competition.”

Another example of how Mack serves the Western market is the New GEN II spec for super dumps. “GEN II offers the highest RBM frame rating in its class, which is very important in high stress boot-a-load applications,” Gordon said. Other major GEN II innovations include the switch to lighter wheel/tire combinations and the addition of the WABCO integrated vehicle tire pressure monitor system. The GEN II option gives a Granite super dump operator greater capacity, maneuverability and peace of mind.

The desire to do whatever it takes to make the customer’s business profitable extends all the way up to the corporate level.
“The customer is the foundation of our business,” said Pat Meehan, vice president of Mack’s Western Region. “We know they are not in business to own trucks. They’re in business to profit from them. So we manufacture as much truck as it takes to get the job done right.”

Integrated design
In addition to tailoring vehicles for the Western market, what sets Mack apart from the crowd is the way its trucks are designed.

“Where our competition joins components from various suppliers and calls it a truck, we can build the powertrain as well as the vehicle, from engine to transmission to axles,” Meehan said. “We can also integrate vendor components to create lighter-weight systems.”

When a Mack truck comes off the assembly line, it’s ready to work. Take the new Pinnacle. All of Mack’s highway tractors — including daycabs, sleeper cabs and the premium Rawhide model — offer a competitive advantage with higher productivity and payload and lower overall operating expense than any previous offering.

Everything about Pinnacle is advanced, from the V-MAC® electronic control system to the ergonomically designed interior. The light-yet-strong Advantage™ chassis represents a milestone in truck engineering while Pinnacle’s new engine provides the power to get the toughest jobs done without sacrificing fuel economy.

Granite uses the same innovative electronics and powerplant, built on the rugged Cornerstone™ vocational chassis.

Lighter-weight engine
The MP7 uses cooled exhaust gas recirculation and a variable geometry turbocharger to deliver unmatched horsepower and low-end torque. The 11-liter, 700 cu. in. unit offers peak horsepower of 325-405 HP with peak torque of 1,260-1,560 lb. ft. It’s also more than 140 pounds lighter than previous Mack engines.

For bigger jobs, the MP8’s 13-liter design delivers ratings from 415-485 HP matched to torque levels of 1,540–1,700 lb.-ft.

Both the MP7 and MP8 come in three families to cover all application needs: Econodyne® (1,200–1,800 rpm) for less-than-load applications, MaxiCruise® (1,200–1,950 rpm) for rolling interstate and full-load applications and Maxidyne® (1,200–2,100 rpm) for severe-duty conditions.

Outstanding service
Given the bare-knuckle competition in the trucking industry today, Mack is determined to keep an owner’s trucks running nonstop. The Mack warranty program includes on-highway coverage as well as a variety of protection plans for other applications. When the original coverage expires, the Bulldog Protection Plan takes over with one of the most flexible extended warranty plans in the industry.

Emergency roadside assistance is available 24/7 in the U.S. and Canada for the first 12 months of operation through the Mack OneCall CompleteCare Center. OneCall provides a network of Mack employees trained to diagnose and troubleshoot situations around the clock.

Larger organization
Mack Trucks is a member of the Volvo Group, a publicly held company headquartered in Gothensburg, Sweden. Volvo’s business areas include heavy trucks, buses, construction equipment, marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace and financial services.
Mack’s world headquarters are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Granite line of vocational trucks is manufactured in nearby Macungie. The company’s highway products are manufactured in Dublin, Virginia. Mack engines are designed and manufactured at it’s powertrain facility in Hagerstown, Maryland.

TEC of Southern California (www.tectrucks.com) is an affiliate of CDTOA and is listed in the Affiliates directory. Based in La Mirada, Ian Gordon can be reached at (714) 715-6625. You can see Mack products and speak with its representatives October 21-22 at the Construction Truck & Equipment Expo/Truck Show Latino

(Rev 2/06)