ORLANDO, Florida—Mack Trucks is expanding the number of electronic control units (ECUs) enabled for Mack Over the Air (OTA) updates in the Mack Anthem, Pinnacle, and Granite models, the OEM announced here at American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council’s (TMC) 2023 Annual Meeting.
And to simplify and offer a more comprehensive bundled suite of services, Mack Trucks also announced during TMC that it will offer Mack Premium Service Contracts to help increase uptime for small- and medium-sized fleets.
See also: More TMC 2023 coverage from Orlando
Prior to Mack’s latest enhancement, key powertrain ECUs were able to connect remotely to allow diagnostics and receive over-the-air parameter changes and updates.
With the new configuration, the instrument cluster, vehicle ECU and body builder modules join the engine, transmission, and aftertreatment control modules in their ability to be connected via Mack OTA technology.
The additional control modules available for remote updates enhance fleets’ ability to maximize uptime, the OEM noted. What once required an in-person visit can now be done remotely to more ECUs and at a time most convenient for the customer.
“This gives fleets unparalleled control,” Stu Russoli, Mack Trucks highway product manager, pointed out during a TMC press conference. “If I’m running down the highway and I want the best fuel economy, I can have it set up that way. If I want to change a route, I can ask for a parameter that gives me better performance instead of better fuel economy.”
Mack OTA updates are free for the first two years of ownership and can be extended by subscription after that period. OTA connectivity is a feature of Mack’s fully integrated telematics platform, Mack GuardDog Connect. Customers also have access to Mack OneCall, Mack’s 24/7 customer support, and Mack ASIST, Mack’s web-based service management program.
Mack began offering driver-activated OTA updates at the end of 2020, and more than 57,000 trucks are enrolled to date, the company noted.
Mack aims to simplify fleet maintenance management
Premium Service Contracts offer dedicated maintenance management with a single point of contact at local dealers to manage the scheduling of maintenance; upfront parts and labor costs offering cost consistency; adaptive maintenance optimized based on each customer’s unique operations allowing for improved vehicle health; and consistent repair and maintenance through Mack Certified Uptime Dealers.
Mack Premium Service Contracts aim to prevent unplanned downtime events as a result of a 74-point inspection, noted Patrick Brown, Mack Trucks services and solutions strategy manager.
"The adaptive maintenance model takes vehicle operations data like fuel consumption, idle time, miles driven, and hours, and feeds it into a proprietary regression model," Brown explained. "The output of the regression model allows us to help forecast when the next service event should be based on when the truck is being run."
Information is then sent to a dedicated fleet manager at the dealership, who will schedule maintenance directly with the fleet. Fleets will also variable payment options to choose from.
"This boils down to two things: ensuring uptime is maximized and ensuring we are supporting the customer bottom line," Brown said. "All parts and labor will be pre-indexed upfront so the customer has complete visibility of what they will be paying throughout the contract."
Eligible vehicles for the Premium Service Contract are those that are powered by Mack engines with fewer than 150,000 miles. Preventive maintenance, adaptive maintenance, and fleet management by the dealer are included.
The Mack Premium Service Contract is available for normal-duty applications in 100,000-mile increments, while Mack heavy-duty Premium Service Contracts are available in 50,000-mile increments.
