april2023 - 32

SPOTLIGHT ON
Mack Trucks gets digital
upgrade, adds new
maintenance contracts
The new Mack Premium Service
Contracts aim to help increase uptime
for small- and medium-size fleets.
By Cristina Commendatore
M
ack Trucks is expanding the
number of electronic control
units (ECUs) enabled for
Mack Over the Air (OTA) updates
in the Mack Anthem, Pinnacle, and
Granite models.
To simplify and offer a more
comprehensive
bundled
suite
of services, Mack Trucks also
announced during TMC that it
will offer Mack Premium Service
Contracts to help increase uptime
Mack Trucks
for small- and medium-sized fleets.
Prior to this, key powertrain ECUs
could connect remotely to allow
diagnostics and receive over-theair
parameter changes and updates.
With the new configuration, the
instrument cluster, vehicle ECU,
and body-builder modules join the
engine, transmission, and aftertreatment
control modules in connecting
via Mack OTA technology.
The additional control modules
available for remote updates
enhance fleets' ability to maximize
uptime, the OEM noted. What once
required an in-person visit can now
be done remotely and to more ECUs.
" This gives fleets unparalleled
control, " Stu Russoli, Mack Trucks
highway product manager, pointed
out during a TMC press conference.
" If I'm running down the highway
and I want the best fuel economy,
I can have it set up that way. If I
want to change a route, I can ask
for a parameter that gives me better
performance instead of better fuel
economy. "
Mack OTA updates are free for
the first two years of ownership
and can be extended by subscription
after that period. OTA connectivity
is a feature of Mack's fully integrated
telematics platform, Mack
GuardDog Connect. Customers also
have access to Mack OneCall, Mack's
24/7 customer support, and Mack
ASIST, Mack's web-based service
management program.
Mack began offering driver-activated
OTA updates
single point of contact at local dealers
to manage maintenance scheduling;
parts and labor costs for cost
consistency; adaptive maintenance
based on each customer's unique
operations, allowing for improved
vehicle health; and consistent repair
and maintenance through Mack
Certified Uptime Dealers.
Mack Premium Service Contracts
aim to prevent unplanned downtime
due to a 74-point inspection, noted
Patrick Brown, Mack Trucks services
and solutions strategy manager.
" The adaptive maintenance model
takes vehicle operations data like
fuel consumption, idle time, miles
driven, and hours, and feeds it into
a proprietary regression model, "
Brown explained. " The output of the
regression model allows us to help
forecast when the next service event
should be based on when the truck
is being run. "
Information is then sent to a fleet
manager at the dealership who will
schedule maintenance directly with
the fleet. Fleets will also have variable
payment options.
" This boils down to two things:
ensuring uptime is maximized and
ensuring we are supporting the
customer bottom line, " Brown said.
" All parts and labor will be pre-indexed
upfront so the customer has
complete visibility of what they will
be paying throughout the contract. "
Eligible vehicles for the Premium
in 2020,
and more than 57,000 trucks are
enrolled to date, the company noted.
Mack aims to simplify
fleet maintenance
management
Premium Service Contracts offer
maintenance management with a
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32 Fleet Maintenance | April 2023
3/20/23 11:16 AM
Service Contract are those that
are powered by Mack engines
with fewer than 150,000 miles.
Preventive maintenance, adaptive
maintenance, and fleet management
by the dealer are included.
The Mack Premium Service
Contract is available for normal-duty
applications in 100,000-mile increments,
while the Mack heavy-duty
Premium Service Contracts are
available to customers in 50,000mile
increments.
http://www.genuinehutch.com
april2023

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