USA / Sweden – Specialty truck builder, Mack Trucks, headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina (part of the Volvo Group) has entered the Class 6 and 7 medium-duty truck market in North America with the launch of the new Mack MD Series. Serial production of the Mack MD Series is to begin in July 2020 at a new purpose-equipped plant in Roanoke Valley, Virginia – see separate article in this issue.

The Mack MD Series is an all-new model range built in 4x2 configuration specifically for medium-duty applications. The MD Series cab design of the MD6 and MD7 models feature a short bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) measurement of 103 inches, which Mack Truck claims is an industry best. Mack has matched the bold look and styling of the Mack Anthem, its highway model, as a basis for the grille and hood design on the MD Series. The Mack MD6, a Class 6 model, has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 25,995 pounds, and the MD7, a Class 7 model, has a GVWR of 33,000 pounds. The new vehicles, said Mack, will meet the needs of trucking applications requiring dry van/refrigerated, stake/flatbed, dump and tank truck vocations. Mack pointed out the MD6 model does not require a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to operate for non-hazardous payloads. The Mack MD Series will be supported by Mack’s extensive dealer network.