The trucking industry is a major cog in the wheel that keeps the world moving. As fuel prices surge and better technology becomes available, the trucks we depend on evolve with the times. Mack has spent nearly a decade perfecting its long-haul trucking formula, and it’s time to show it off to the world. I’m in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to check out and drive the new Mack Pioneer and the Mack Anthem. What would you like to know?
As many of our readers know, one of the goals I have in life is to take command of as many vehicles as possible. I’ve had the privilege of controlling everything from a diesel-electric locomotive and a transit bus to supercars and a couple of planes. Yet, despite coming from a family with a history in trucking, I have never driven a semi-tractor. Thanks to the folks from Mack, that’s going to change, at least for a sliver of time, anyway.
I’ve been rather obsessed with learning about the evolution of the American semi-tractor. For longer than a century, there has been some incredible engineering hidden in plain sight; engineering that has made the modern world of logistics possible.
One of the most fascinating branches of big rig development is aerodynamics. In several decades past, trucks were giant bricks that averaged 5 mpg, but that was okay because diesel was cheap. Then, the infamous 1970s struck, with the decade’s oil crises, economic turmoil, and general unease. The price of diesel climbed sharply, and that put the trucking industry into a tough spot. A trucker might spend more than a quarter of their operating expenses on fuel, and fuel cost increases eat into profits.
The trucking industry had a clever way to fight back against increasing fuel prices. If fuel is going to be more expensive, then the truck itself needs to be more efficient to offset those increases. Just like how the oil crises of the 1970s dramatically reshaped cars, trucks had to adapt.
From that point forward, aerodynamics became a critical component of truck design. Truck manufacturers were obsessed with squeezing a mile per gallon or two more out of their rigs, and that spirit continues today.
Mack, which is a subsidiary of Volvo, says that it began developing the Pioneer back in 2017, and the truck was built around both comfort and efficiency. Along with a car-like profile and light materials, the Pioneer even sports digital rearview mirrors, all in the pursuit of fuel economy. According to Mack, the Pioneer gets 11 percent better fuel efficiency than Mack’s previous-generation long-haul truck.
Mack has also loaded the truck down with tech, including over-the-air updates, app functionality, and even a hot air blower to keep the LED headlights defrosted.
For regional haulers, Mack has launched the Anthem, and its whole mission is to be the more maneuverable truck than the Pioneer. Mack says that a key differentiator between the Anthem and the Pioneer is the Anthem’s “shorter bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) length of 113.5 inches compared with the Pioneer’s 125.5 inches.”
Mack also says that the Anthem is easier to see out of than previous Mack regional trucks and gets 10 percent better fuel economy, too. This increase in fuel economy, Mack says, can be good for $5,000 in fuel savings per year, depending on variables. Mack says the siblings are pretty close to each other in overall design. Even the interiors are the same, except that the Anthem can’t get the big sleeper that’s reserved solely for the Pioneer.
Sadly, I won’t be able to take these rigs out on the highway, as I do not have a CDL yet. Instead, Mack will be taking a handful of journalists through its museum, through its showroom, and out onto Mack’s private test track. Out there, we’ll be taking rides and doing some drives.
This is a whole new experience for me, so you can bet I’m going to tell you exactly what it’s like to climb into the modern versions of the sorts of trucks my dad used to drive some 25 years ago. I also plan to give you plenty of nerdy trucking history, as well as hopefully a deep dive into how a modern truck is designed. We’re even going to punch out a YouTube video!
Here is where I turn things over to you. This is a pretty unique opportunity for the Autopian and me, so I want to have some fun with it. What would you like to know about these rigs or Mack? Is there anything I should do while I’m here?
Top graphic image: Mack
The actual MPG number and if it has any sort of electrification?
Ask them why they got rid of the cool names like Maxidyne, Maxitorque, Thermodyne, etc…
What is the thermal efficiency of the engine?
Is there a NG pilot ignition option?
What tricks, besides aero are they using to improve fuel efficiency? Cylinder deactivation? Hit and miss? Water injection? Hybridization for city/mountain trucks?
Well, thanks to Jalopnik, we all now know how to use that power divider switch, right?.
https://www.jalopnik.com/2190405/semi-truck-power-divider-inter-axle-differential-explained/
Let us know if those switches work as described, okay?
Damn the old site that old site “shall not be name” is really dead. Also a quick glance a that article ummm the trucks I work with if you try and activate PDL while in movement you know what it does? Nothing because well yeah modern electronics are there for a reason so you cannot mess things like that up. Also depending on the spec some PDL’s will turn off over a certain speed.
Read the comments on that article. They’re not very complimentary. 🙂
Hmmm I wonder who the Anonymous Person is haha but yeesh that site just needs to be brought back like old yeller already then again most sites are just going to get scooped up by media companies and just push out AI slop for the AI slop response Google gives you now.
I have two questions one have you driven any current competitors to Mack/Volvo? If so how do they compare? (As I stated below I know how most the brands compare to one of the brands as I have sat in all of them to compare to my companies products hah)
B/c of the era in which we live, is Warner Brothers now totally jerky about the Yosemite Sam mudflaps or are they still cool with them?
A fun thing to describe for folks who haven’t experienced it, is the feeling of 1500 ft/lbs between 1000-3000 rpm. A bobtailed semi truck, especially a single axle, with a 10 speed and lots of gear skipping is FUN! I assume that these new ones are automatic, but if you get a chance to wheel a stick, do it. Cowboy shifting ain’t hard, it’s all timing and confidence, but pulling it off makes you feel like a superhero.
Manual is still offered as an option. For the POS’ I do R&D for we have our sister brands engine and trans and said trans is a 14 speed automated manual (so manual converted to an auto) we also offer Allison automatics and eaton stick shifts of current products. The trucks we are currently working on for a future product though only have our in house trans with possibly plans of bringing back the Allison and Eaton but priority right now is our combined power train combo and cummins here in the coming months.
Side note we have the sister of these Macks, a Volvo, for benchmarking and yeah they are a night and day difference from ours and shows how far behind we are from the competition haha.