New Mack celebrates heritage, looks to future

Mack Trucks introduced the new Pioneer highway truck in Brooklyn, N.Y., a few miles from where the company started 125 years ago. (Photo: Chad Elmore)

Following the official introduction of the Mack Pioneer highway truck during an event at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, Mack Trucks hit the show circuit. It displayed a vintage Mack AB tractor at the New York International Auto Show in New York City and then headed west for the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in Anaheim, Calif. It was at that event in late April where the company officially announced that a battery-electric version of the Pioneer truck was in the works.

This year, Mack and the New York Auto Show both commemorated their 125th anniversaries. Four years after the New York Auto Show opened in November 1900, brothers Gus and Jack Mack displayed the first Mack Brothers bus at the event. The truck company was founded in Brooklyn in 1900, and its first vehicle was a bus.

This 1909 bus on display during the reveal of the Mack Pioneer in Brooklyn, N.Y., was said to be the oldest known operational Mack vehicle. (Photo: Chad Elmore)

“What it comes down to with Mack is the brand,” said Doug Maney, curator for the Mack Museum in Allentown, Pa., who helped organize a display of historic Mack trucks for the Pioneer launch in Brooklyn. “The world has certain brands that everybody knows worldwide, and for Mack that brand was built by its innovation and reputation.

“Mack led the way in the transition from light-duty vehicles to heavy capacity trucks. Mack has consistently been an innovator in the industry by offering industry-leading designs across all aspects of heavy-duty trucks. The long list of patents issued to Mack through the years, as incorporated into dependable, long-lasting vehicles, have established their position as a world-renowned icon.”

Mack Trucks has long supplied trucks for the military. This 1940 NM was on display during the Pioneer reveal. The truck uses a 707 cu. in. Mack EY gasoline engine. (Photo: Chad Elmore)

Body in white

When Mack unveiled the Pioneer to drivers and dealers in early April, the company called the truck its most aerodynamic and driver-focused highway offering to date. The company said the Pioneer represented the future of the company’s highway offering, with a design that embodied the brand’s reputation for durability.

“This was a huge project,” said Vince Lokers, specialist chief designer at Mack Trucks, who designed the interior of the Pioneer. “Usually, we have a legacy body to work from, but this was an all-new body in white, which is a dream come true for a designer. I probably won’t have another chance in my career to do an all-new body in white with an all-new dashboard.”

The development of the truck began as the new Mack Anthem truck was introduced in 2017, with the design team reaching out to fleets and truck drivers.

“Professional drivers inspired every aspect of the Pioneer’s interior design,” said Lokers. “We reached out to our dealer network to understand pain points and day-to-day nuances, which helped us develop unique features that make a real difference in driver comfort and productivity.”

During an event for dealers and customers, several vintage Mack trucks were staged throughout a building at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, including a 1916 Mack Model AC truck. (Photo: Chad Elmore)

Inside the truck

For power management for the driver, the truck includes dual inductive charging stations – one for the driving position and another in the living environment – eliminating cable clutter, to ensure devices remain powered throughout the journey. Driver comfort innovations include a push-button start and a flat-bottom steering wheel that allows for easier entry and exit.

Throughout the cabin, Mack integrated metal handles and extrusions at all interior touch points, which the company said delivers a refined tactile experience that reinforces its robust engineering and attention to detail.

“We have high ambitions to grow in the highway market, and just being competitive wasn’t enough,” said Fernando Couceiro, vice president of highway trucks at Mack. “We needed to be leaders. This is really what we are doing with the Pioneer. We’re taking it to a leading position with three strong elements: safety, fuel efficiency and driver comfort.”

The Mack Model RW Superliner, on display during the introduction of the Pioneer in Brooklyn, was introduced in 1977. The company built a limited number of Super-Liner II Magnum trucks in 1985. It used a Mack E9 diesel engine rated 500 hp. (Photo: Chad Elmore)

Battery power coming

During ACT Expo, Mack announced that a Pioneer battery-electric vehicle (BEV) was on its way. The truck will be equipped with a new Mack e-axle and will be powered by Volvo Group’s Proterra batteries.

Regardless of power choice, the exterior of the Pioneer has a bridge design in the grille while headlamps are integrated with the trim.

“We really wanted to refine the attitude from where we were at with the Anthem. We started with themes,” said Lukas Yates, expert chief designer at Mack Trucks, who designed the exterior of the Pioneer. “The front view is the most striking as it’s very dominant. This is much more fun than automobile design because the truck presents an imposing shape that’s got a lot of really good proportions. We want our customers and the public to see Mack as a very confident, strong truck as it’s going down the highway.”

The design of the Pioneer drew inspiration from Mack’s heritage and other industries, too, such as construction equipment.

“What makes Mack unique is that we capture function first, then form,” said Yates. For example, he noted, “The steps are designed with enhanced grip treads and teeth with a non-slip edge – a first for Mack. Openings in the steps allow snow and ice to fall through, preventing buildup, while the extended width gives drivers more secure footing.”

In what Mack Trucks called an industry first, a dedicated and patent-pending ELD (Electronic Log Device) mounting plate provides secure placement for essential compliance equipment, while a holder accommodates iPad tablets and similar devices. “When you open the door, you have a strong Mack branding plate and on the right side you can see the ELD plate, where you can mount monitors to it and pass a cable through to the electronic log device drivers are using,” said designer Vince Lokers. “Whenever we presented it to executives or people who came into the studio, even from different countries, they loved it and it clinic’d really well.” (Photo: Chad Elmore)