Popular Post kscarbel2 Posted February 11, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted February 11, 2016 Heavy Duty Trucking / February 10, 2016A custom Mack Granite snow plow model outfitted with all-wheel drive was built for Somerset Township, Penn., to deal with hilly terrain and windy roads in the area, Mack announced. The OEM is using it as example of how it can spec trucks to meet customer needs.Mack took a Mack Granite model originally built as a 4x2 and spec’d a factory-installed all-wheel drive system, 11-foot front snow plow and an aluminum body and salt spreader. The truck is powered by a Mack MP8 engine with 455 horsepower.Somerset Township is located just over an hour southeast of Pittsburgh and maintains 123 miles of roads that must be plowed after each snowstorm. The township required a truck that could deal with the hills, twists, and turns of its roads as well as the snow, limiting its options.Somerset’s local Mack dealer Legacy Truck Center worked with Somerset to take their desired specs and develop a solution through Mack’s Customer Adaptation Center, where it was assembled.Somerset took delivery of the truck in late 2015 and it is currently in service.“When we began the process of ordering a new truck, it quickly became clear that we wouldn’t be able to do what we had in the past,” said Randy Beistel, Somerset Township supervisor. “Mack stepped up to the plate. We worked closely with our local Mack dealer, Legacy Truck Center, and we built the truck we needed.”. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post 85snowdog Posted February 11, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted February 11, 2016 Thanks for the article KS. Find it interesting.Its like a 2015 version of an RM 3 Quote Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackdog2 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Here in Connecticut there been a large increase with ten wheeler s even though the state does the state bid for equipment and materials the towns been leaning towards Mack with some first time users some are buying complete units and some are buy cab and chassis 250k +. But when i pull in with my vintage fleet they always start small talk with a inspection of the trucks. Some towns are still using 70 s & 80 s .The only reacquiring problem is the double frames . Quote Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kscarbel2 Posted February 11, 2016 Author Share Posted February 11, 2016 Except we didn't have to go around our elbow to get to our arm in building a 4x4 plow chassis like Volvo just did, at the "Customer Adaptation Center" (translation into truck English.....the Mod Center). No, we built our custom-built RMs on the assembly line, just as Scania builds their all-wheel-drive spec'd chassis today. Go figure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamsterGrrrl Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 That's the problem... Volvo wants to run ccokie-cutter trucks down the assembly line and discourage low volume options by making them expensive after-assembly "mods". This jacks the price of options like dual front axles and all wheel drive up to the point where hardly anybody buys them, and the resulting low volume is used by Volvo to justify their predilection for cookie-cutter trucks. I was looking at our DOT's bids on trucks recently and noticed that dual steering axles were around a $10,000 upcharge on Western Star, but cost 2 to 3 times that on Mack and other brands. Clearly Daimler's Western Star has figured out how to do "flexible mass production", and Volvo hasn't! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex g Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Wow that RM means business Sent from my SM-G386W using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freightrain Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Just like any car/truck manufacturer. You can't have a checklist like you did back in the 60-70's. Ordering just what you wanted. Today you buy what the factory will supply as a package. You get version "A" or "B". Period. No "add ons" or modifications. It costs too much to have all those added parts laying around for the low volume that they would use. The typical "just in time" ordering of parts from suppliers. The OEM doesn't want a pile of stuff laying around. They want to order it the day before and have the supplier bring the day they need it. I see this in the injection molding industry that I've been in for the last 30 yrs. We deal with OEM suppliers and this is a common story. Quote Larry 1959 B61 Liv'n Large...................... Charter member of the "MACK PACK" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kscarbel2 Posted February 11, 2016 Author Share Posted February 11, 2016 Just like any car/truck manufacturer. You can't have a checklist like you did back in the 60-70's. Ordering just what you wanted. Today you buy what the factory will supply as a package. You get version "A" or "B". Period. No "add ons" or modifications. It costs too much to have all those added parts laying around for the low volume that they would use. The typical "just in time" ordering of parts from suppliers. The OEM doesn't want a pile of stuff laying around. They want to order it the day before and have the supplier bring the day they need it. I see this in the injection molding industry that I've been in for the last 30 yrs. We deal with OEM suppliers and this is a common story.I won't speak for every global truckmaker, but customers can still spec a Scania, item by item. And we make money.In the US market though, we all know there's a lot of truth to what you're saying, particularly in the light vehicle segment. Volvo is Sweden's "penny pincher" (e.g. they use Delphi fuel injection). I'm expecting Martin Lundstedt to change this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtymilkman Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 It's all about bottom line and appeasing the stockholders. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57 bcr Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 It's all about bottom line and appeasing the stockholders.You got that right! Al Quote IF YOU BOUGHT IT, A TRUCK BROUGHT IT..AND WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH IT, A TRUCK WILL HAUL IT AWAY!!! Big John Trimble,WRVA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41180 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 The town I live in here in Vermont has a 79 RM awd its getting pretty crusty so they specced a granite awd and a freightliner awd . the Mack was 24k more than the freightliner . they ordered the freightliner . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackdog2 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 The town I live in here in Vermont has a 79 RM awd its getting pretty crusty so they specced a granite awd and a freightliner awd . the Mack was 24k more than the freightliner . they ordered the freightliner .Our town did that several years ago !!!!!!! Last two where Mack cab &chassis 10 wheeler Freight shaker picks up leaves it cant multitask on hills plowing &putting down sand salt @ the same time so its on light duty it was a waste of money.normally they spec some thing that Mack only has so they can justify the extra $. 1 Quote Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Blais Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Nice looking truck, that plow sticks way out in front of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamsterGrrrl Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Volvo is basicly trying to set up their line to build trucks at the rates seen in pickup and car assembly plants. What Volvo hasn't figured out is at those line rates of 50 to 60 trucks an hour, one plant could supply the whole North American class 8 market. So to succeed in class 8, you have to customize your trucks to customer's demands. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gicknordon Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 (edited) To be fair, most of the awd system is installed on the line at Macungie. They only have to install the front driveshaft after it come off the line. That is the way they did the AWD Granites while I was there in 2014. Macks are still highly customizable. I saw such a wide range of options and trucks just in the few months that I was at the plant. Edited February 11, 2016 by gicknordon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gicknordon Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kscarbel2 Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share Posted February 12, 2016 Fabco front driving axle and transfer case. I assume Volvo cancelled legacy Mack transfer case production.(http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/40601-can-anyone-explain-difference-between-tc15-and-tc25-transfer-cases/) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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