Mack introduces 16,000-lb front axle

MONTREAL, Que. — Mack Trucks today announced availability of a proprietary 16,000-lb front axle on its Pinnacle axle back and axle forward models.

The new offering was announced at ExpoCam, and is geared towards flatdeck and heavy haul carriers in regions that allow heavier front axle weights.

“Our 16,000-lb front axle improves performance with the same legendary durability and reliability that Mack pioneered,” said Roy Horton, director of product strategy for Mack Trucks. “It’s designed significantly heavier so that our customers can improve their efficiency by transporting more payload at one time.”

Mack has been espousing the benefits of vertical integration for more than 100 years, and is selling more trucks adorned with gold bulldog hood ornaments, indicating the truck has a Mack engine, transmission and axles.

Dayle Wetherell, vice-president, Mack Trucks Canada, gave a corporate update, and indicated Mack’s market share is growing after reaching 8.8% in the US and Canada last year. He also said dealer inventories have been reduced and orders have been strong so far this year. Mack’s projecting the market to reach 215,000 units this year, down from 243,000 last year.

Wetherell said Mack dealers have made significant investments into their facilities, specifically in Quebec City, Montreal, Laval and Chilliwack. Mack is also investing US$84 million into its Lehigh Valley operations.

Roy Horton, director of product strategy, said Mack’s success is in part due to an strengthening dealer network. Six Canadian dealers have become Certified Uptime Centers, a program that was inspired by Vision Truck Group in Ontario. There are 88 Mack Certified Uptime Centers across the US and Canada. By adopting best practices, they’ve reduced diagnostic time by 70%, repair times by 21%, check-in times by more than 40 minutes, and have improved shop efficiency by 24%.

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James Menzies is editorial director of Today's Trucking and TruckNews.com. He has been covering the Canadian trucking industry for more than 24 years and holds a CDL. Reach him at james@newcom.ca or follow him on Twitter at @JamesMenzies.


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