Before new truck launch, Mack automates OTA connectivity updates with fleet uptime in mind
As it celebrates a rare American business milestone, Mack Trucks is enhancing its over-the-air capabilities with two automated advancements to help fleet managers increase vehicle performance and reduce administrative tasks.
Along with these technological advancements, OEM leaders confirmed what Mack Trucks' social media accounts began teasing this week: a new Mack truck. The company’s LinkedIn account declared in all-caps: “Something wicked is on its way” in April.
The new automated software deployments via “AutoSend” and “Self-Service Parameter Updates” will update Mack connectivity software in less than 30 minutes and without drivers having to wait for back-office approvals. The latest updates make it easier for customers to keep their fleets fully optimized through Mack's Over The Air service, Nicole Portello, Mack SVP and chief digital officer, said during a February 24 virtual press conference.
“We know that this optimizes fleet performance,” Portello said. “We know that this drives fuel efficiency. It drives safety as well. All of this we do to make sure that our customers have the most uptime. They have the least unplanned downtime as well.”
The new connectivity advancements are Mack’s latest steps in streamlining fleet management for the 21st century, eliminating manual processes, and helping fleets get more from their vehicles with less effort. “This is all kind of driven around this ecosystem of a connected truck—a truck that's updated with the latest software performs better and has less downtime,” Portello added.
Mack Trucks is celebrating its 125th anniversary since it was founded by two brothers in Brooklyn, New York. The OEM, part of the Volvo Group, is gearing up to launch a new highway truck in that New York City borough this spring.
On its X account, Mack Trucks posted a "Blair Witch Project"-like video of someone trying to capture a glimpse of something at Mack’s fenced-in “test site” that ends with these words across the screen: “Mack can neither confirm nor deny the existence of the roomiest, most comfortable highway truck they’ve ever built … for now.”
“This is a monster, monster year for Mack for a lot of different reasons,” Jonathan Randall, president of Mack Trucks North America, said Monday. “First and foremost is we're celebrating 125 years of innovation. There's not many companies that actually get to celebrate 125 years of existence—never mind relevance in an industry.”
See also: History of U.S. heavy-duty truck OEMs
Volvo Group CEO Martin Lundstedt used his keynote address during CES 2025 earlier this year to tease the big year for the bulldog brand. “Mack Trucks, which literally built the United States, is turning 125 years this year,” Lundstedt said on January 8. “I can tell you that there will be great news coming along this year for Mack Trucks, and we are investing more than ever in the United States.”
Randall said Volvo Group’s planned investments within North America are “in the billions of dollars for the Mack brand … We’re incredibly proud to have earned that investment, and we’re very excited for it to hit the ground running and actually start reaping the rewards.”
How Mack’s new automated updates improve its connected vehicle offerings
While Mack prepares to launch a new highway truck in the coming months, the OEM is highlighting the company’s continued focus on combining innovative technology with advanced vehicle design. The new features are built upon Mack’s established Over The Air service, which was launched in 2017.
Mack’s new automated software deployment strategy, AutoSend, will become standard for customers with trucks equipped with Driver-Display Activation, Mack’s in-cab digital interface that enables drivers to review and install software updates directly from their truck’s dashboard display.
See also: Trucking's AI outlook: What solutions await in 2025
Available through Mack’s Integrated Uptime subscription service, AutoSend is part of the Mack OTA service at no additional charge. Driver Display Activation capability comes standard on most Mack-powered trucks built since December 2020. This proactive approach allows updates to be completed in 30 minutes or less, according to the OEM, ensuring fleets maintain optimal performance with minimal disruption to operations.
“These enhanced connected vehicle capabilities demonstrate Mack’s ongoing commitment to providing insights and support that help our customers perform at their best,” Randall said. “By automating and simplifying the software update process, we’re helping customers maximize their return on investment and better serve their own customers while reducing the administrative burden of fleet management.”
Additionally, Mack is introducing Self-Service Parameter Updates through its Mack Connect customer portal—the company’s comprehensive fleet management and uptime solutions platform—in the second quarter of this year. This will allow fleet managers to create and deploy custom parameter profiles directly from Mack Connect.
This feature enables customers to manage critical vehicle settings such as road speed limits and idle shutdown parameters without requiring assistance from Mack’s Uptime Center, the company’s command center that provides around-the-clock vehicle monitoring and support services.
“The future of fleet management lies in connected vehicle technology, and these new features represent a significant step forward in that evolution,” Portello added. “With AutoSend and Self-Service Parameter Updates, we’re giving customers unprecedented control over their vehicles’ performance while ensuring they have immediate access to critical software improvements. This is about delivering technology that works as hard as our customers do.”
Regardless of fleet size, streamlining the update process has significant advantages, as it doesn’t require a truck to be taken out of service.
