PORTLAND, OR. Mack Trucks said it has built its 100,000th truck equipped with the GuardDog Connect telematics system, which monitors a truck’s critical fault codes that could lead to unplanned downtime.
Roy Horton, director of product strategy, made the announcement on July 8 at the start of a multi-day media event to showcase Mack’s ongoing efforts to expand its on-highway presence in the western United States with its flagship Anthem model. (Editor’s note: Additional coverage will be published in the coming days.)
GuardDog Connect, a proactive diagnostic and repair planning solution, was initially launched in 2014. It is also the technology that allows for over-the-air software and parameter updates.
“From its launch with truck No. 1 to now reaching 100,000 activations, Mack GuardDog Connect has proven itself to be an incredible tool to protect and maximize our customers’ uptime,” said Jonathan Randall, Mack’s senior vice president of North American sales and marketing.
GuardDog Connect aims to reduce unplanned downtime by proactively monitoring a truck’s fault codes. If a potential issue is detected, GuardDog Connect sends a notification to agents in Mack Uptime Center. In many cases, this action takes place before a driver realizes there is a potential problem. OneCall experts quickly diagnose the issue and, based on its severity, determine the best plan of action.
Should a repair be required, proactive repair scheduling and parts confirmation is initiated, all while the truck remains on the road. In addition, all stakeholders, from the driver to the designated customer contact to the dealership, are kept up to date through the ASIST service communications platform.
GuardDog Connect is standard on all models equipped with Mack engines. It monitors critical fault codes in Mack engines and aftertreatment systems, and Mack mDRIVE automated manual transmissions.
Mack Trucks is part of the Volvo Group.
