Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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CCJ Test Drive: MACK PINNACLE Premium highway truck, automated transmission form a dynamic duo BY STEVE STURGESS utomated transmissions are making inroads in the North American truck market. More than 40 percent of Mack Pinnacles now feature the company's mDrive, an automated 12-speed that is smart and slick. That was particularly evident after my 700-mile March haul in the driver's seat of a Pinnacle, grossing nearly 80,000 pounds with a loaded flatbed. From Louisville, Ky., we crossed rugged West Virginia mountains to get to Mack's Customer Care Center in Allentown, Pa. I shared the driving with David McKenna, a 32-year Mack veteran. A The Pinnacle has been through the National Research Council wind tunnel in Ottawa, Ontario, where it delivered a 6 percent gain in fuel savings. The combination of aero improvements and intelligent mDrive transmission with the new selective cata- lytic reduction (Mack calls it ClearTech) emissions-reducing technology could offer fuel savings greater than 12 percent over previous highway models. And there's a newer introduction – a low-rpm cruise package called the Super Econodyne. Gearing so the truck cruises at 65 mph and 1,160 rpm means another potential 2 percent gain in economy for the right applications. The test vehicle The Mack Pinnacle I drove featured the Mack MP8 at its highest rating: 505 hp with 1,760 lb.-ft. of torque. It's the 13-liter version of the overhead camshaft en- gines developed to meet 2010 emissions regulations. Though the MP8 is basically the same engine as the Volvo 13-liter, the Mack has its own personality – in this case, the Econo- dyne profile, which long has been part of the Mack brand. A feature of this profile is EconoBoost, an on-demand torque boost when full throttle is held for 3 seconds; the engine adds as much as 200 lb.-ft. The test-drive Mack Pinnacle had a 13-liter MP8 engine at its highest rating – 505 hp with 1,760 lb.-ft. of torque – and pulled a loaded flatbed test trailer weighing nearly 80,000 pounds. at any speed from 1,300 rpm. It takes an intelligent transmission to account for that, which is why the mDrive has to be different from Volvo's I-Shift. In its Mack persona, it has all- new programming to match it to the Mack engines, which have far different power and torque curves. Adjusting to this vehicle was no problem, because the seating provides an excellent view over the sloping hood, and the well-placed mirrors complete the comprehensive visibility. Once on the freeway onramp, I hit the throttle to get up to speed – a simple task with the automated transmission. I dialed in the cruise control and sat back to enjoy the ride. The mDrive doesn't just respond to the engine – it drives it. Gears are se- lected according to road conditions; the transmission even has an inclinometer so that it knows if the truck is going up ➡ Frame: Mack, 266-by-90-by-8 mm MACK PINNACLE AXLE BACK SPECIFICATIONS ➡ Engine: Mack MP8 505C 13-liter; 505 hp, 1,760 lb.-ft. torque ➡ Engine brake: Mack Powerleash ➡ Transmission: Mack mDrive tMD 12AO automated mechanical 12-speed ➡ Wheelbase: 233 in. ➡ Front axle: 12,000-lb. dual taper-leaf suspension ➡ Suspension: Mack 40,000-lb. air-ride ➡ Fifth wheel: Fontaine air slide ➡ Seats: Mack Ultra-Leather ➡ Interior: Grand Touring ➡ Other: Mack 70-in. midrise sleeper; roof fairing, skirts, side extenders; exterior sun visor; heated motorized mirrors; 160-amp alternator; Borg Warner on/off fan clutch; gear reduction starter; Davco 482 fuel/water separator 34 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | JUNE 2012 overdrive ➡ Rear axle: Mack S40C, 40,000-lb., 3.25:1 ratio