Mack Fortifies, Enhances a Traditional Strength With New Granite Series

Looking to significantly expand its current position as the number one supplier of heavy-duty vocational vehicles in North America, Mack Trucks, Inc. has raised the bar once again with the introduction of the new Mack Granite(TM) series of vehicles. The new trucks are targeted to solidify traditional Mack strengths, as well as generate new opportunities in various geographical and vocational market segments.

"With the new Granite series, Mack has a truck that thoroughly addresses the demands of today's customers for sharp styling, operator-friendly features, and up-to-date electronics and technology," said Kevin M. Flaherty, Mack senior vice president - sales. "Yet, with all that is new and exciting about the Granite platform, we haven't forgotten the qualities that have kept us on top of the vocational market for decades - the strength and dependability of the Granite will continue to set the standard for the industry."

With a variety of configurations available, the Granite product line covers the complete spectrum of vocational market needs, including everything from a cost-effective basic specification truck for fleets, to the growing need for strong and weight-efficient construction trucks, to a high-end premium vehicle for owner operators.

The new Granite chassis is perfectly suited for a variety of applications, including dump, refuse, mixers, and vocational tractor applications such as the hauling of lowboy trailers.

The Granite Bridge Formula(TM) truck was introduced in March as a lightweight, yet highly durable option for those areas of North America where vehicles must conform to strict bridge formula weight regulations. It will continue to be an important weight-focused product in the growing Granite family.

Operator Influence

"Vocational truck drivers continue to gain a stronger voice in establishing purchasing criteria," said Flaherty. "With the Granite series, we've delivered all the features today's drivers demand - especially when it comes to interior comfort, visibility, and easy cab entry and exit."

Customers can choose from three interior trim packages - Contractor, Select or Premier. All share several new enhancements. Chief among these is a newly designed cab that offers a generous amount of leg, head and belly room. Additional cab improvements include a new construction-specific air ride cab mounting system, new padded steering wheels and the ergonomic repositioning of pedals and controls to ease overall vehicle operation. All interiors also have been designed to resist dirt with easy-to-clean materials and fabrics.

A new dash panel, which houses up to 14 gauges and up to 21 standard and customized switches, further contributes to the driver-friendly features of the Mack Granite cabs. All gauges are flush with the dash for excellent visibility. Optional dash upgrades include a wood grain finish for the Premier model, and bright finish gauge bezels for the Select and Premier models.

A new Mack "Visibility" door on the Granite truck affords operators an enlarged viewing area, with a right side peep window available as an option. In addition to the better visibility features of the new doors, the enlarged glass area permits better light penetration to create a more inviting, comfortable work environment.

The large windshield and contoured hood on the Granite provide best-in-class forward visibility.

Today's drivers - even more demanding than those of just a few years ago - also require plenty of storage space. "Here again," added Flaherty, "Granite series trucks will score well with operators."

Taking into account the individual needs and budgets of all operators and owners, the Granite truck offers a variety of storage options. These include sturdy pockets integrated into the interior door panels and the rear cab wall. An overhead storage compartment (Select and Premier models) above the windshield serves as a neat, handy area for the storing of personal items such as sunglasses or wallets. For individuals requiring additional storage space, two options are available - a passenger seat with a built-in storage compartment at the base of the seat, and a separate center console.

Step spacing on the Granite has been designed to maximize ground clearance and provide easy access to the cab for the operator.

Simplified, Efficient Body Installations

Another new addition to the Granite series is the Body-Link(TM) electrical interface. The Body Link concept utilizes an industry standard electrical plug system to create interfaces both outside and inside the cab. The system simplifies the work of body installers by allowing them to pre-wire body equipment and plug into the chassis when mounting without splicing chassis wires or cutting holes in the cab panels. Consequently, the Body Link interface promises faster and higher quality body installation, regardless of application.

Body Link offers 21 electrical pins for connection to standard electrical circuits such as remote throttle, clean power, and direct communication with the electronic control unit of Mack's V-MAC(R) (Vehicle Management and Control) system. Additional electrical pins are customizable to specific customer preferences relating to body controls, body lighting or lift axles.

The mounting locations of chassis components such as air reservoirs and battery box systems have been standardized forward of the rear of the cab across all Granite model variations to further enhance body installations. These placements result in a clean frame rail, which provides for clean body installations.

Granite series vehicles also may be ordered with an increased selection of air capacity specifications to accommodate auxiliary lift axle installations, even multi-axle combinations. Even the placement of the exhaust system helps simplify body installations. Because the system is cab-mounted, extra space is created between the cab and body to ease the mounting of auxiliary equipment. Where body clearance is not a concern, a traditional stanchion type exhaust mounting is available for tractor applications.

Host of Power Choices

The Mack E-Tech(TM) engine is standard on the Granite truck. The E-Tech engine is available in horsepower ratings ranging from 300 to 460. With fuel efficiency and performance two of its cornerstone features, the Mack E-Tech engine is a six-cylinder, in-line electronically controlled diesel engine.

The Cummins ISL Series engine, rated at 310 to 330 horsepower, also is available as an option. The lightweight 9-liter ISL has full authority electronics and a high-pressure fuel system.

Also standard is the new line of Mack Maxitorque(R) ES transmissions, which offer a host of speeds (5,6,7,8,9,10,13 and 18-speed designs), gear ratios and PTO options to satisfy all vocational assignments.

Sophisticated Electronics

The V-MAC electronic vehicle management and control system is also an important part of the Granite lineup. V-MAC electronics allow operators to precisely control PTO speed and body status, while simultaneously providing important information such as trip summaries and histograms, driver logs and maintenance records. The V-MAC system affords owners and truck operators the option to program more than 100 vehicle management functions. The system also allows for monitoring and controlling important engine and vehicle performance standards, such as road speed limiting, lower gear road speed limiting, idle time and cruise control.

With V-MAC, truck operators can tap into the intelligence capabilities of the optional Mack Vehicle Information Profiler (V.I.P.), which is easily reviewed on the new dash panel. The V.I.P.(TM) system is a sophisticated yet easy-to-use display center that effectively ensures that the truck is running profitably and efficiently by allowing drivers to monitor vehicle information to optimize fuel economy, react to problems promptly, and schedule timely preventative maintenance service.

Still Tough

With all of its driver-friendly features, the Granite series cab has sacrificed nothing in terms of strength. In fact, extensive testing has verified that the cab is the strongest ever made by Mack. A new back-of-cab crossmember is huck-bolted to the chassis to meet the strength requirements of construction applications.

Providing the muscle to the Granite series are full-height frame rails from front to rear. They are available in a 3/8-inch thickness, or a 5/16-inch thickness with a 1/4-inch inside channel reinforcement.

A variety of Mack wheelbases, axle configurations, transmissions and carriers are available on the Granite truck, including rear tandem options with up to 65,000-lb. capacity. Optional components may be specified from leading suppliers in North America.

Granite vehicles are now available for purchase. Manufacturing is taking place at the Mack assembly facility in Macungie, PA. Dedicated to quality, reliability, and total customer satisfaction, Mack Trucks, Inc. has provided innovative, forward-thinking products and services to its customers worldwide for a century. Mack is one of North America's largest producers of heavy-duty trucks, in addition to major product components; the company also markets a line of medium-duty diesel trucks across North America. MACK vehicles are sold and serviced in more than 45 countries worldwide.