INDIANAPOLIS. Mack Trucks announced it is bringing its uptime solutions to customers with Mack legacy vehicles. Working with Geotab, Mack said it now offers connectivity for older Mack vehicles that are not equipped with its GuardDog Connect telematics hardware. Mack made the announcement here at The Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.
Phillip Swaim, Mack’s director of network fixed operations, said Geotab’s Go device will be integrated with Mack OneCall to route vehicle information to Mack’s uptime centers. If an issue is detected, Mack OneCall agents will evaluate and provide the customer’s designated contact with information through Mack ASIST, an online communications and service management portal, he explained. Repair scheduling, as well as parts and service bay availability, are also confirmed, while the truck is still on the job, he noted.
“Mack models are not only built to work, but they’re built to last,” Swaim stressed. “That’s where the Geotab partnership comes in.”
Mack’s uptime support is managed through the Mack Uptime Center, located near Mack headquarters in Greensboro, NC. Mack’s GuardDog Connect service contact for legacy vehicles, which includes the Geotab vehicle tracking device, will be available for order through Mack dealers beginning May 1, 2017 and is compatible with all model year 2011 and newer Mack vehicles equipped with Mack engines.
Mack Granite models, OTA
John Walsh, Mack’s vice president of global marketing and brand management, mentioned that Mack’s Granite models are available with the 11-liter Mack MP7 engine or the MP8 engine for those requiring additional power. “With up to 425 horsepower and 1,560 lb.-ft. or torque, the MP7 is ideal for weigh-conscious applications such as concrete mixers,” he noted. “The 13-liter MP8 engine delivers up to 505 horsepower and 1,860 lb.-ft. of torque.”
Both engines are paired with the Mack mDRIVE HD 13-speed automated manual transmission. The mDRIVE HD 13-speed includes one low-ratio creeper gear enabling jobsite startability, while maintaining on-road fuel efficiency. A 14-speed mDRIVE HD with two low-ratio creeper gears is also available and is ideal for low-speed maneuvers such as curb pouring.
“The mDrive HD offers better fuel economy, less weight, and better performance,” explained Tim Wrinkle, construction product manager. “With the 13- and 14-speed creeper gears, we were able to offer two trucks in one. You have a dump truck able to set up the highway for driver speeds, then you can start-up the creeper gear once you’re on the job site. So you really have two trucks in one.”
All Granite models come standard with GuardDog Connect, Mack’s integrated, factory-installed telematics solution.
In addition, Mack introduced the next step in its uptime strategy with Mack Over The Air (OTA), Mack OTA is built on GuardDog Connect telematics hardware to deliver software updates directly to customers with minimal interruption to their operations. Two categories of software updates are available via Mack OTA, one for powertrain components, and the other for vehicle parameters like road speed limits.
OTA will be available on all model year 2018 Mack models equipped with GuardDog Connect and Mack’s greenhouse gas 2017 engines.
