kscarbel

The Super-Liner concept above being developed by Brockway would have been introduced in 1978. However due to labor unrest and other issues, Mack elected to close Brockway in the summer of 1977. With the economy down at the time, a small truckmaker like Brockway struggled. Also, greater government regulation resulted in challenging higher R&D costs for Brockway (i.e. FMVSS121 anti-lock brakes). Brockway was the definitive east coast truck. They built a heavy truck. The Super-Liner concept was an attempt to enter the lighter west-coast market, but a quick look at this prototype's heavy front spoke wheels shows this was no more a west coast truck than the Diamond Reo Raider. Mack took over the Super-Liner design concept and evolved it into a true lightweight west coast truck.

Compare the 1978 Brockway 760 Super-Liner prototype with the Mack New Zealand RB below (Only NZ had this model). .

Always interesting to see a Mack Western with the optional Farr air cleaner. Clearly a Hayward production because of the white steering wheel. And note the optional 2-person "bench-style" passenger seat. With the externally-mounted Luberfiner owing to the NTC350 engine, a sharp looking truck. With an aluminum frame (RL), this truck has possibilities.

A Hayward (Mack Western) example. Rough but rare.

Mack LJ (diesel) Location: Mérida, Venezuela

A few more real Mack trucks in Venezuela.

Real Macks, DM-800s, on the job in Venezuela.

MR all-wheel drive 8x8, custom built by Simard Suspensions in Quebec, Canada. (Ingress and egress still under development)

There are two aspects here. First, a truck produced by Volvo Trucks North America with a Mack nameplate, in my opinion, is certainly not a Mack truck. Second, while you're talking heavy vocational specs, I'm talking about the entire production range as a whole. Let's talk about your vocational examples. There's a Volvo chassis, with Volvo wiring, fuel tanks and other Volvo global components. Then there's the Volvo engine (D11, D13 or D16). Then we have a Mack or Eaton tranny with the Mack front and rear axles you mentioned. It's a mixed bag of components assembled for you by Volvo. No sir, that's not a Mack truck. Rather, that's a Volvo-produced chassis with a few legacy components they acquired from the Mack purchase. ("Mack air ride" is actually designed and produced by Hendrickson, a great American company) Now let's discuss the higher volume on-highway line-haul tractors. Today's Pinnacle, by Volvo Trucks North America, typically does not have a Mack tranny or rear drive axles. We're talking about a Volvo truck chassis with Volvo wiring, fuel tanks and other Volvo global components, a Volvo D11 or D13 engine, Volvo I-Shift or Eaton transmission and Meritor drive axles. The only legacy Mack components are the front axle, and the cab and hood. So to answer your question, the two Mack spec examples you provided are NOT Mack trucks. Mack Trucks Inc. no longer exists. Volvo Group, of Sweden, purchased Mack Trucks in 2000. Your two examples are Mack-branded products from Volvo Trucks North America that currently have a Volvo content (by component value) of 50 to 80 percent. And when the US version of the new Volvo global cab arrives, that figure will rise to 70-100 percent. My friend, your thought process is intriguing indeed. I regret your incorrect perception that a Volvo D11/D13/D16 engine or I-Shift transmission produced at a North American Volvo Powertrain facility, by virtue of its US manufacturing location, is no longer Swedish (I'm sure Volvo President Olof Persson would be surprised by your thought as well). Irregardless of manufacturing location, the D11/D13/D16 engines and I-Shift transmissions (rebadged as mDrive) are products of Volvo Group. Perhaps you should take a trip to Gothenburg, Sweden and enlighten yourself. I never said Volvo's engines were bad (although certainly not the best). Many truckmakers have produced solid engines over years. Personally, I always preferred Mack designed engines, an integral part of the "pedigreed" drivetrain. The unique and superior qualities of the Mack drivetrain made the company an American success story for 100 years. Now, it is utterly humiliating that Mack, the greatest name in trucks, has become a Swedish success story. Sadly, Volvo immediately chose to terminate independent Mack engineering with the closure of Mack Truck's Engineering, Development and Test Center in Allentown, and take on all future Mack-branded truck development at Volvo's Greensboro R&D center. Yes, Volvo engineers designing Mack-branded trucks. Because Volvo NEVER understood the meaning and value of Mack Trucks in America, Volvo had ZERO interest in allowing Mack Trucks to continue. In the truck industry, Volvo is the epitome of "divide and conquer". The end of Mack Trucks under Volvo ranks as one of the greatest business tragedies in American history. In 2000, Mack had minor issues (At any point in time, what truck maker doesn't?). But Mack was still a solid company. In fact, Mack was arguably more solid than Navistar is today. And yet, Volvo immediately engaged their ignorant plan to shut down Mack Trucks and absorb the rest (principally the brand name) into Volvo Trucks North America. Along the way, Volvo had the audacity to state otherwise, but their onward actions were inconsistent with their lies. . If you're pleased with the Mack-branded trucks produced by Volvo Trucks North America, my friend, that's all that matters. Send Volvo a letter expressing your appreciation. Vad Volvo har gjort, minska Mack till ingenting, bör vara ett brott.

Jim, It's always good to hear your thoughts. I personally felt that the tie-up with The Signal Companies was a win-win situation, and so did Mr. Zenon C.R. Hansen. Like all Mack employees, I was initially quite concerned about Renault's plans for Mack, that is until we were able to see that Renault has no intention of taking the Mack out of Mack (as Volvo has), and also learned what a wonderful leader Elios Pascual was. While your thoughts are different, I genuinely enjoy hearing your views. But your belief that "Mack still lives on" is, sadly, just no more that wishful thinking on your part. Mack Trucks is no more. It was sold to Volvo Group. Now, Mack is little more than a nameplate on a North American market Volvo heavy truck chassis. Perhaps, you'll realize this when the new cab arrives. As someone that was involved with Mack their entire life, I share the sadness of every career Mack employee. Frankly speaking, we used to work for the best US truckmaker and a global leader. If you don't believe that Mack Trucks no longer exists, head up to 2100 Mack Boulevard in Allentown and see for yourself. But I can tell you ahead of time, the store is closed, However, you can find the nameplate at Volvo Trucks North America, the Swedish company that purchased Mack. The nameplate is indeed still around (albeit on a Volvo chassis with Volvo global components), but the company is not. I'm not going to support Volvo and the Swedes. I look out for the USA, the greatest country in the world. What Volvo has done, reduce an American icon to a mere shell of its former self, should be a crime.

The salaries to Volvo employees (I can't rightfully say Mack employees) at Greensboro, Hagerstown and Macungie certainly support the local economies in their area. My point is, the business unit profits at Volvo Trucks North America go to Volvo Group in Sweden, supporting that country's economy rather than our own. I get that some parts are shared, and I dont like it a hole lot either. But when i look at a new Granite going by I see a Mack only front axle, hood/bumper, cab and interior, heavier frames, mack rear axles riding on camelback suspension and a T300 transmission. Seems to me I about named all the major things that make a truck so I dont really agree that it is only a rebranded Volvo. I've never been to the engine factory either but i'd wager alot of them working there are the same mack engineers that were designing engines when volvo bought them ten years ago. The Titan is totally unique and the cabover garbage trucks are about as Mack as they ever were with no volvo counterpart. So thats how I feel when I think about Mack even if others dont! You mentioned a Granite, a vocational model which has a greater chance of being built with Mack axles and transmissions (The I-Shift isn't approved yet for vocational trucks in the US market). Prior to the introduction of the Volvo I-Shift in the Mack-branded chassis, did you know the majority of Mack-branded trucks were built with Eaton transmissions rather than Mack transmissions? You're arguing for Volvo while they're actually shunning legacy Mack components in favor of the I-Shift and Eaton transmissions. The typical Mack Pinnacle is not built with a Mack transmission or rear drive axles. Can a Volvo truck chassis with a Volvo D11/13/16 engine, Volvo I-Shift or Eaton transmission, Meritor drive axles, Mack front axle, and legacy Mack cab and hood that is produced by Volvo Trucks North America be considered a Mack Truck? No my friend, absolutely not. In the days of Mack Trucks, the standard spec was a "pedigreed" drivetrain. In addition to a Mack-designed engine, the standard transmission was a triple-countershaft Mack "Maxitorque" transmission, and the drive axles were Mack dual-reduction bogies (the best transmissions and axles in the world). However Volvo chooses to promote Eaton (manual transmissions) and Meritor drive axles. It's not a Mack truck, but of course Volvo bought the Mack brand and can do as they like. I'll bet that I like the Mack T300 triple-countershaft "Maxitorque" transmissions even more than you. But Volvo doesn't. That's one reason Volvo cancelled Hagerstown's plan to create an AMT version of the T300. In Volvo's "perfect world", every Mack-branded truck would have the Volvo I-Shift AMT. Never mind that a single-countershaft transmission will never be as durable as a triple-countershaft transmission. I'm glad the Mack brand has a severe service tractor like the Titan, although I don't care for its pimp car trim. I much prefer the Australian Titan, and the Trident (One wonders why Volvo doesn't bring the Trident to the US market). The Mack MR has soldiered on since its introduction in 1978. Under Volvo, rather than invest in a much needed all-new cab and chassis replacement for the MR, they dragged their feet and finally introduced the hideous looking Terrapro in 2007. Certainly this low-cost, modest refresh of a nearly 30 year old truck, notable only for its tacky new appearance, has done nothing to impress the refuse industry. The MR (Terrapro) is long on the tooth now in terms of technology - the refuse industry would welcome a game-changing new refuse chassis that would revolutionize the business in the way the MR did in 1978. However Volvo has no desire to invest in that direction. Expect a new model featuring a low-mounted Volvo global cab on the Volvo chassis in the future. Historical note - The Mack MR was introduced in 1978, in response to Crane Carrier Corporation's "Centurion" launched in 1974. Mack President Henry J. Nave was so impressed with the industry-changing Centurion, the first vehicle of its kind designed specifically to meet the needs of the refuse industry, that he ordered Mack engineers to study and surpass it.

Rick, I very much understand where you are coming from. You speak from the heart with a passion for Mack that was bred from your family's long time connection to the former Mack Truck Company. But the point is, there is no more Mack Trucks to be proud of. The company no longer exists. It was sold to Volvo in 2000, who wanted the brand name and market share. Having performed pathetically in the US market since 1974 (when they introduced the F86US), Volvo later decided on a strategy to buy out the American competition (White, GMC and finally Mack). The Mack logo on what amounts to a North American market Volvo truck is NOT symbolic of the Mack Truck Company, nor it's legendary products that you and I were once associated with. The Mack Truck organization no longer exists. Mack is described by Volvo Group as a Volvo brand, and that's exactly what it is, under Volvo Trucks North America. Today's truck is a Mack-branded Volvo, a very sad reality. I resent anyone calling that a Mack Truck in my presence. That would be an insult to all of us previously affiliated with the Mack Truck Company. Why should Americans go support their Mack dealer in the sale of Mack-branded Volvo trucks? In other words, why should Americans support Volvo, whose North American profits leave our country to support the economy of Sweden? This is the painful reality of the situation. And looking deeper, why is America unable to compete in our own domestic truck market? We are the greatest nation in the world, and yet we have allowed our trucking industry to be sold out to and controlled by the Europeans. If our industrial might and abilty for cutting edge innovation is now resigned to history, we should all take lessons in humility. If any US truckmaker deserved to survive, and under US ownership, it was Mack Trucks, the only US truckmaker that was "part of the language". The only vertically integrated heavy truckmaker (from the 1950s on) in America (which inherently allowed Mack Trucks to offer, I feel, the best heavy truck in America owing to the company's integrated "balanced design" philosophy).

While so many ABs (produced from 1914 to 1936) had solid rubber tires, its interesting that yours had pneumatic tires. Whether it left the factory with that option or was converted later, it's a plus. But it's difficult to come up with a figure based on your limited information. You haven't presented any information on the condition of the drivetrain. If it's a static display of sorts and the drivetrain has never been delved into under your ownership, that important aspect is as much a mystery to the prospective owner as it is to you. If, for example, your AB had been restored by someone respected (e.g. Pfahl Mack Restorations), then the receipts and documentation on the work done would very much help to determine the value while clarifying its mechanical state without question. Without knowing more, I agree with Yarnall that a guess is $25,000 (plus or minus $10,000 depending on the condition of the drivetrain).

You're right, the driver's side is part number is 9QT59302. They used to be available thru the aftermarket as well as OEM Guardian brand thru the Mack system. Watts shows 2 in stock. If they don't, get a large glass shop to check with their auto glass supplier. http://www.wattstruc...windshields.php You can't cut one because it's not flat. And the MH windshield isn't remotely close in shape.

I hear you. And yes, the Volvo D16 will give you solid performance. But if I could put you in the seat of a Scania R Series (with a 16.4L 730hp V-8) or MAN TGX (with a 16.2L 680hp V-8) , you'd be impressed even more. Volvo's termination of Mack product, including the 16.4L E9 V-8 (rated up to 610hp in truck applications*), was a slap in the face to genuine Mack engineering and an insight of things to come. * 700hp (TRM 700-100 tank transporter), 750hp (AMX-30 B2 main battle tank), 900hp and 1,000hp versions for military applications - dual stage Garrett turbocharging on both exhaust manifolds, 4 turbos total. There's no question that the European truckmakers build outstanding products. But the issue here is: Why are America's truckmakers losing their ability to lead? When a legendary American truckmaker, indisputably a global icon and representative of our country's most prominent companies, falls into the hands our European economic rivals (and make no mistake about that), we need to begin asking ourselves some hard questions. Twenty-five years ago, the US truckmakers were superior to their European peers. Now, the European truckmakers have purchased six of our truckmakers and dominate the U.S. domestic truck market. Only Paccar and Navistar remain (and the latter on shaky ground). No one lost sleep when England's truckmakers faded into history. But now we are talking about the United States of America. Our great country was once a global powerhouse that redefined the meaning of industrial might and engineering excellence. Was the American corporate management at our defunct truckmakers inferior to that of the Europeans? Are the Europeans now better at business than we are in our own country? Has humility replaced national pride? Americans have a typically American way of running the store, actually quite different from the European business culture. However at the end of the day, in our unique American way, we used to lead. Now, over half of the heavy trucks on the road in America are produced by the Germans and Swedes. Should we Americans all stick our heads in the sand and allow the Europeans to take over our truck industry? No big deal? Wrong - This is a very big deal.

Caterpillar 18.1-liter C18 ACERT 700hp 1,900 l.b. (2,576 N.m) @ 1,300 rpm

Quoting Mr. Brian O'Shaughnessy, CEO of Revere Copper Products (the oldest industrial company in the U.S.), "We all need to wake up and understand the forces of foreign economic mercantilism that are waging an economic war against us." It is humiliating that America has become so non-competitive in heavy truck design that we no longer have the ability to compete and lead in our own domestic truck industry. One by one, American truckmakers have been bought out by European rivals. It is not in America's economic interest for the Swedes and Germans to dominate our country's truck industry.

Hagerstown ended production of the E9 V-8 in 2003. Volvo took over Mack in 2000. You're right, the CL was introduced prior to Volvo in 1992, to replace the RW-700. I'm just saying that, personally, I preferred the appearance and capabilities of the RD-800 and RW-700 (depending on application) to the CL. The CL did the job, but the bulbous nose was bland (like you said). While these three models were lower volume models for specialized applications, I never had a price complaint - just very pleased customers. A company is only as good as its leaders. Look at the mess that Navistar is in now. Ustian arrogantly refused to listen to his engineers about EGR. Now, finally, he's gone. Navistar just borrowed a billion dollars, but at their present cash burn, not to mention the additional expenses inherent to getting them back on track, I expect that billion to be expended within 12 months. Then what? Merge with a relatively weak Oshkosh (military vehicle sales are in a cyclical downturn and both McNeilus and JLG are not money makers), or sell out to Volkswagen? It's very difficult, unfortunately, to find high capability leaders back-to-back. Please read my post about Marc Gustafson. Tragically, he was VP of sales and marketing from 1992 to 1996 - he was dictating the future product plan. But he didn't know as much as he thought he did......and made some bad choices. Mack President Ralph Reins (1989-1990) was another typical modern young CEO that came in, with no trucking experience, and departed abruptly (with a golden parachute), but not before leaving a mess for career Mack employees to clean up. In any event, you are right that Mack made mistakes in the 1990s. Of course it is easy to look back, but there were significant issues during the 1990s including Gustafson and the Volvo takeover that seriously derailed Mack from a better path. Mack was an altogether different and unique truckmaker. Mack was the only vertically integrated U.S. heavy truckmaker. There were two kinds of truck customers, the ones who accepted the "assembled truck", and the ones that believed they kept more money in their pocket by running Macks with the company's proprietary (and darn near indestructible) drivetrains. Companies like Overnite and BFI chose Mack trucks for the reason that Mack trucks allowed them the highest possible earnings. You feel that most truck customers don't care if Volvo's Mack-branded trucks use Volvo chassis and drivetrain components. I respect your opinion. And if it were any other American truck, you might get me to agree. However, I feel Mack's traditional customer base does care very much about this point. The thought process of Mack Trucks and Mack customers was always quite different from that of the assembled truckmakers and their customers. Mack engineering and the company's superior pedigreed drivetrain sold the truck. Mack's competitors, candidly speaking, all at one time or another admitted their envy. But now, ironically, the Mack-branded vehicle has become an assembled truck, using outside components. Volvo closed the Mack Engineering, Development and Test Center, in favor of transitioning to Volvo global market components. Volvo engineers now design the Mack-branded trucks for North America. This is an insult to everything that the Mack name stands for in our great country, and to every individual who dedicated their life to Mack Trucks. What Volvo has done, reduce a global icon to a mere shell of its former self, should be a crime. Customers have always wanted reliable and cost competitive trucks. Nothing new there. And Mack trucks always represented the best value combined with unrivaled durability. Mack did not offer the lowest initial purchase price, but factoring in life cycle costs, the Mack truck ultimately offered the lowest cost of operation. As they say, Mack means a lot of things to a lot of people. Mack was in my life for four decades. I never enjoyed life more. We all knew we were involved in something exceptionally great, and it showed in our confidence and the quality of our work. Mack people, from east coast to west - no other truckmaker ever had a higher caliber group of individuals. Mack Trucks, unlike any other truckmaker throughout U.S. history, had a soul. Mack was not a brand. Mack was a legend. Mack was a family, of employees and customers. For customers, Mack was a feeling. For Mack employees everywhere, Mack was a way of life. Nobody ever said "built like a Freightliner, or International". No other U.S. truck brand ever became a household word. Mack Trucks, the legendary US truckmaker that for a century put the world on notice that it was at the forefront of heavy truck development and symbolized the greatness and might of America, no longer exists. Volvo wanted and found the means to acquire the Mack brand and disassembled the company. Now, the decapitated Mack brand is no more than a Mack emblem on a disposable low-quality truck built around Volvo components. When I look at a (U.S.-built) Mack truck at the dealers, I'm disgusted with what Volvo has done to a once great American truckmaker. The new Macks on the lot are rusting from front to back within a month (I suppose the lack of primer paint and paper thin coat of paint adds to Volvo's bottom line). The shoddy way the wiring and air piping are plumbed along the chassis is an embarassment. No, such construction is not indicative of a Mack truck.

I appreciate your thoughts. I'm sorry if you perceive that I am repeating myself. But you can always exercise your freedom to skip over my posts. I was thrilled to see the Mack top-mounted dual reduction carrier evolve with the C150/151 series. But in addition to Mack’s patented automatic power divider (inter-axle lock), please realize that driver-controlled inter-axle and inter-wheel (differential) locks were always Mack factory options. That's not new. However, since Volvo only promotes the Mack carrier in vocational trucks, it will continue to see low sales volume. When Mack Trucks was in business, 99 percent of on-highway Mack chassis were built with Mack carriers. Their strength and durability were a key customer attraction. All the successful on-highway Mack fleets (e.g. Overnite) had pedigreed drivetrains. But Volvo decided not to promote the Mack carrier across the board, in both the on-highway and vocational segments. Volvo still offers the Mack triple-countershaft Maxitorque transmissions (the best transmission in the world). However, Volvo once again doesn't promote it so production is limited. You'll typically see an Eaton. In 1985, for example, it was rare to see a vendor transmission in a Mack. In any model, on-highway or vocational, Mack maxitorque transmissions were the standard spec. Simply speaking, Mack promoted the "Mack" truck, the Mack pedigreed drivetrain because it was superior. My friend, to put a gold bulldog on a Mack-branded truck with a Volvo D11, D13 or D16 engine should be a crime. Talk about misleading the customer. The ASET engines were bad. Since that happened under Volvo, you should ask them why. You also complained about the lack of high horsepower Mack engines. While you have Volvo on the line, ask them why they snubbed Mack engineering and terminated production of the E-9 V-8 engine rather than allow Mack engineering to upgrade it to meet evolving emissions requirements or design a big-block pedigreed Mack 6-cylinder engine. I respect your personal opinion that it is "no big deal" for Mack-branded trucks to use Volvo chassis modules, engines, transmissions and other components. Perhaps, you purchase a Chevrolet or GMC truck, depending on which dealer has the lower price at the moment. Hey, it's the same truck. No big deal, right? But I personally have a different thought, that today's Mack-branded truck with Volvo components is not a Mack Truck. No veteran Mack employee would disagree. Despite the carry-over (and soon to be replaced) cab and hood, it’s mostly Volvo (Volvo chassis, engine, transmission, ect.). A Volvo engine, with software programming for Mack-branded Volvo trucks, is still a Volvo engine. I'm glad Mack has the Titan tractor (although it's not selling). Personally I preferred the RD-800 for severe service on-off road and the heavy-duty RW-700 series Super-Liner for on-highway heavy hauling (The CL-700 series wasn't attractive). I would like to have seen Mack bring the Australian market Titan (and Trident) to the US. I don't care for the pimp car trim style of the US market Titan.

One reason for the downfall of Mack Trucks was a traitor named Marc Gustafson. His father, a dedicated Mack man, had established several dealers in Florida. His father's credentials allowed him the chance in 1992 to join Mack Trucks in Allentown, fast tracked to vice president of sales and marketing. But the son, unlike his father, had no integrity or loyalty for Mack. During his four short years at Mack, he was plotting with the ruthless Swedes at Volvo to conspire against Mack. Gustafson abruptly left Mack in 1996 to become CEO of Volvo Trucks of North America. He betrayed Mack and used his privileged insider knowledge against Mack Trucks to help orchestrate Volvo’s takeover. Unlike the thousands of career Mack veterans across America, Gustafson only cared about his own personal advancement. He was no team player. Note the time period, 1996. This is when Mack lost momentum and direction. At Volvo, Gustafson convinced Volvo Group that with his insider knowledge, he could deliver Mack Trucks into Volvo’s hands. Renault-appointed Mack President Pierre Jocou responded quickly and took a hard stand against Gustafson’s defection (see below). But Volvo then used its relationship with Renault (the result of their merger negotiations) to ease the legal battle against Gustafson. Volvo succeeded in replacing the pro-Mack Mack President Pierre Jocou with the pro-Volvo takeover Mack President Michel Gigou. This is why Pierre Jocou's tenure as Mack president, which began in March 1995, ended prematurely in November 1996. From December 1996 thru July 2001, Gigou was merely minding store while the Volvo takeover of “the greatest name in trucks” was being negotiated behind closed European doors. Ironically, after Gustafson used his 4 years at Mack to stab the company in the back, he only lasted 4 years as CEO at Volvo Trucks of North America. And then just one year as head of American LaFrance under Freightliner (talk about a big step down). It would seem his inability to be a long-term team player caught up with him. If he’d been a 100% committed Mack man in the same way as Zenon C.R. Hansen, Mack Trucks might very well today still be an independently operating truckmaker under Renault (who from 1983 had been a very reasonable partner). Mack Trucks Sues Former Executive, Says Marc Gustafson Took Company Secrets With Him To His New Job. October 01, 1996 | by ELLIOT GROSSMAN, The Morning Call Mack Trucks Inc. has sued the new president of rival truck manufacturer, Volvo GM Heavy Truck Corp., accusing him of taking company secrets when he left Mack two weeks ago. And Mack has won at least a partial victory in Round 1 of the legal battle involving Marc Gustafson, a former Mack executive vice president. Chief Judge Edward Cahn of the U.S. District Court in Allentown issued a temporary restraining order Friday, forbidding Gustafson from participating in any Volvo sales and marketing activities or from disclosing any Mack sales and marketing information at Volvo. But Mack wanted Gustafson blocked from working for Volvo -- or any Mack competitors -- for at least a year. Mack also asked for damages to be awarded at a trial. At a hearing next Tuesday, Cahn will more deeply delve into the case so he can issue a permanent order. Gustafson served as Mack's executive vice president for sales and marketing for four years until he resigned Sept. 19, effective that day. He then went to work at Volvo GM Heavy Truck headquarters in Greensboro, N.C. Mack sued him last week in Lehigh County Court. But he asked that the case be heard in federal court, and Mack did not object. Mack claims that Gustafson is violating his contract with Mack. In the contract, according to Mack, Gustafson promised to not disclose any confidential Mack information outside Mack. "It would be impossible for him to ignore his knowledge of Mack's business plans as he considers Volvo's business plans and its competitive strategies," according to Mack's lawsuit. For example, the suit claims, Gustafson has knowledge of Mack secrets about its costs and pricing structures. This information, which Mack uses when bidding on large orders of trucks, is known only to select individuals at Mack. Since Mack and Volvo often compete for such orders, Volvo will have an unfair advantage, according to Mack. Also, Gustafson's knowledge about products being developed by Mack will enable Volvo to take steps to respond to Mack's new products before the products are announced publicly, Mack claims. Before filing the suit, Mack President Pierre Jocou sent a letter to Volvo's chairman, asking him to not employ Gustafson, at least until the two sides resolve Mack's concerns.

Mr. Neiweem, I couldn’t agree more. Mack customers were indeed dedicated down to their core. No other truckmaker ever had a customer base as loyal as Mack Trucks. The phrase “Built Like a Mack Truck” became a part of the American language without any advertising, symbolizing the strength, ruggedness and reliability of cutting edge Mack engineering, a company hallmark from the time the Mack AC was developed under legendary Mack chief engineer (and vice president) Alfred Masury. Mack’s integrated “balanced design” drivetrain philosophy played a key role in the company’s success. Each component was perfectly matched, allowing it to compliment the characteristics of the other components for maximum horsepower utilization, load-carrying capabilities and longevity. With total control over design and production, Mack drivetrains provided customers with the ultimate in performance for reduced operating costs. Mack efficiency translated into greater fuel economy, driver productivity and resale value complimented by reduced component wear, maintenance and downtime. But tragically, the plug was indeed pulled on Mack, when Renault sold its RVI truck unit (which included Mack) to Volvo in 2000. I always preferred that Mack remain independent, or at least U.S. owned. I will say that Renault to a significant extent allowed Mack to operate independently. But Volvo from day one demonstrated that they had no such intentions. They closed Winnsboro and relocated on-highway production to Volvo's New River Valley plant, and began building Macks on Volvo chassis. Expressing their intentions quite clearly, Volvo symbolically closed Mack headquarters in Allentown and moved those functions to Volvo headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina. And, Volvo closed the Mack Engineering, Development and Test Center, passing on its duties to the inferior Volvo R&D facility in North Carolina (some 400 miles away from Macungie). I see little chance of Deere or Cat owning Volvo Group in 10 years (or Siemens acquiring Paccar). But America indeed has an extremely dire situation. "Global economy" aside, a country with a healthy economy able to tolerate cyclical dips requires a diverse industrial base. We've all but lost it. Twenty-five plus years ago, our great country was the world leader in nearly every industry. Today, we only have two notable industries, aircraft (Boeing) and automobiles. If we don't quickly "reset" the direction of U.S. industry, I shudder to think about the state of the U.S. economy in another 25 years.

Business First / April 29, 2002 Westport Axle Modules, Components and Logistics Inc. started in 1986 as Westport Axle Inc., selling pre-manufactured front axles to Ford's Louisville truck plant. Westport Axle is a subsidiary of Brazilian manufacturer MTP (Metallurgical Tubes Precision) SA, under holding company Brazil Group (Grupo Brasil). Westport Axle's manufacturing and distribution facility on Westport Road is 5 minutes from Ford’s truck plant. At Westport’s facility, brake components are added to front and rear axles manufactured in Brazil by SIFCO, another subsidiary of Grupo Brasil. The axle and brake assemblies then are trucked on a just-in-time basis to Ford. In addition to Ford, Westport Axle distributes Brazilian-built axle assemblies to Dana, Arvin-Meritor, McNeilus, Oshkosh, Monaco Coach Corp. and Workhorse Custom Chassis. Westport Axle added 20,000 square feet to its leased facility, which is now 110,000 square feet, to accommodate a new axle contract for Ford Econoline vans. Westport Axle also sells bumpers and grilles to Ford and is bidding on contracts for mirrors, shock absorbers and wheels. Another sizable contract could come by way of Mack Trucks. Westport Axle is in negotiations with Mack for a contract that would provide 250 front and rear axles per day.

It's a pleasure to hear your thoughts. You are absolutely right, Zenon C.R. Hanson was a leader, a visionary and an amazing salesman. And Zenon knew how to seize the moment with Walter May and Win Pellizzoni putting the finishing touches on the Maxidyne. (The 1969 Bulldog Airlines crash was a tragic loss of Mack talent. One can only wonder how it affected the future. From that point on, Mack never allowed a large group of engineers and/or executives to take the same aircraft) Yes, there were times when other companies considered buying Mack Trucks (eg. Chrysler, Paccar), and Mack at its height bought out other companies as well to support the company's growth. The rollercoaster effect, the high and low business cycles, are the nature of the market. We all know here that Mack Trucks was no ordinary company. If Mack was to be sold, I would have liked the new owner to invest in Mack and restore the company back to greatness. Mack Trucks, incomparable among US truckmakers, was worth saving. Arguably, Renault did just that. However, with my experience at Volvo and Scania, I knew from the start that Volvo was going to shut down Mack as a company and merge it into the Volvo world. Personally, I have a very serious problem with that. I didn't lose sleep when GMC and White disappeared. But now, the Mack Truck company, arguably the most significant truckmaker in US history, no longer exists. It's merely a group of offices within Volvo's headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina. When you contact your Mack service or parts representative, his e-mail address is JohnDoe@volvo.com. And please, ask your Mack service or parts representative what happens at regional meetings when they stand up and tell the Swedes that their changes are not in the best interests of Mack Trucks, the distributors and the customers. Please, ask them. The Volvo people arrogantly like to do all the talking, and are very poor listeners (How could a Mack veteran possibly know more than the Swedes?). The trucks produced now with the Mack nameplate incorporate North American market Volvo chassis, engines and transmissions (Volvo I-Shift). If a person likes Volvo components, that's fine with me. Volvo builds a reasonable truck. By all means, go to the Volvo truck distributor and place an order. You mention Mack rears. Never been anything better. But sadly, a high percentage of Mack trucks today are built with vendor rears (Volvo has a biased relationship with Meritor). When you purchase a Mack truck, you expect a "Mack truck", built with Mack-designed pedigreed components. If Volvo actually understood the significance of Mack Trucks, they would have demonstrated that by revitalizing the company rather than taking it apart. They intentionally chose the latter. Under Renault, I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mr. Elios Pascual in the way he entered the picture and led Mack. He had the Hansen spirit. But his two French successors were short-timers who didn't have the understanding and enthusiasm for Mack as Pascual did. Mack suffered. Volvo had an opportunity to rebuild Mack and benefit from the massive capability of a healthy Mack Truck company. But, Volvo preferred to immediately start taking the company apart and make it a nameplate on what are for the most part Volvo global components (How do you like those meaningless Volvo "global" part numbers?). The soul of Mack Trucks is gone. Volvo has shut down "the greatest name in trucks". So, if you want to buy a Mack branded heavy truck with a Volvo D13 engine, Volvo I-Shift tranny, Volvo chassis (the Volvo design shared with New River Valley) and Meritor rears, by all means go ahead. But for the record, that's not a Mack truck. We absolutely do live in a global economy. No argument. But as Americans, would we be happy if Ford, GM and Chrysler, our last surviving carmakers, were all sold to European and/or Asian carmakers? I am proud that our great country has for over 100 years led the world in innovation. Just over 60 years ago, at the end of WW2, Europe and Japan were in rubbles and we were the industrial might of the world. If the United States, the greatest country in the world, no longer has the management and engineering expertise to have its own world class truckmakers, then we all need to do some very serious reflecting. Speaking for myself, I don't want Europe profiting from our country's trucking industry. A country as great as ours should be able to lead in the truck industry, as we had for so many decades before. We are Americans.

August 21, 2012 | The Morning Call Christian Jones supervises a heavy-duty truck chassis assembly line at a new plant in Upper Macungie, where Westport Axle makes parts used to build Mack Trucks. The Kentucky company opened the plant on Boulder Drive in June and currently employs about 250 people. It expects to grow to 500 people in coming months. The Westport plant is located at Allentown's Bridgeworks Enterprise Center, in the former Mack Trucks Plant 4* in south Allentown. (* Mack Plant 4, built in 1926 to assemble truck chassis and paint truck bodies, was closed in 1984) Average production-line wages at Westport Axle in Upper Macungie will be between $15 and $16 an hour and workers will receive benefits, said Allen Fink, the company's director of operations. The Valley's gain represents a loss for Lancaster County, though. Westport Axle is doing work for Mack Trucks that was previously done by Lancaster Preferred Partnership, which will close its Lancaster plant next month, putting over 200 people out of work. Many of those workers are now carpooling here from Lancaster County. That will reduce the plant's economic benefit to the Lehigh Valley as some workers take their paychecks out of the area. "A bunch of us from down there got hired up here," said Lancaster resident Garth Bates, 41, who worked for three years at the Lancaster plant . "I have plans to move up here eventually — if all goes well." At the plant Tuesday, Mack truck chassis crawled along an assembly line while workers used air wrenches to tighten bolts. The chassis are taken to a Mack Trucks assembly plant nearby in Lower Macungie Township. Westport Axle has a similar plant in Virginia that makes truck chassis for Volvo AB, the corporate parent of Mack Trucks.

I'm not making a comparison between the MX range and any other engine. I'm simply saying it's a solid modern engine that has been proven in markets around the world. However if you want to compare the 12.9L MX to the 12.8L MP8 (the rebadged Volvo D13), you'll find them quite comparable in performance. Why do I have such distaste for Volvo? Because the Swedes have taken a once great American icon and reduced it to a mere shell of its former self. Volvo only wanted the Mack nameplate. That became painfully obvious when Volvo closed Mack's world headquarters and R&D center and transferred those functions to Volvo HQ in Greensboro, North Carolina. And, Mack Truck's Hagerstown plant became a "Volvo Powertrain" facility. To understand Volvo, it helps to have an understanding of the global truck industry. Volvo is battling Mercedes-Benz (Daimler), MAN and Scania. It's a competition amongst the European truckmakers. The US truck market is involved because that added sales volume decides the outcome of the battle. Volvo wanted the Mack, White and GMC nameplates to grow stronger in their battle with the other European truckmakers. Freightliner likewise purchased Freightliner, Sterling and Western Star for the same reason. And a recent development, Volkswagen has expressed interest in purchasing Navistar. Many Americans aren't aware that VW has controlling ownership of MAN and Scania. While MAN and Scania are extremely good, they have no North American presence. Buying Navistar would allow VW to battle Volvo and Daimler in the North American market. For the first time, the 3 major European players would be fighting over and dominating the US market. And I can tell you, it will be ruthless. But the saddest result of all would be that America would be down to just one truckmaker - Paccar. Volvo could care less about what Mack Trucks has always stood for. Volvo has been focused from day one on creating the North American Volvo truck with a Mack nameplate. And with the arrival of the new cab, they will have accomplished that. If you like Volvo trucks, I think that's great. By all means, go buy one (or more). But what Volvo has done, shut down the greatest name in the American truck industry and moved to producing what amounts to Volvo trucks with Mack nameplates, ought to be a crime. In our great country, in which trucking figures so prominently in our history, it is unbelievable that all the trucks on the roads of America today, with the exception of Paccar and Navistar, are produced by the Germans and Swedes. It is humiliating that America no longer has the ability to compete and lead in our own domestic truck market. If you want to buy a Volvo with a Mack nameplate, and you realize that's what you are doing, please by all means go ahead. But of course, it's just that - a Volvo with a Mack nameplate. It is not a Mack Truck. Thanks to Volvo, that legendary American truck company that once set the benchmarks for others to follow is just a memory.