Bullheaded

We have dumb axle laws here. I would much rather run a tri-drive with a 17 or 18 foot box. Big axle spreads and giant long trucks......for no good reason.

21 foot. That's what we run up here. Mine has 48 inch sides but I run sideboards, so it is 60 inch, same as the tailgate height.

Interesting......no DD15? I wonder if what my salesman told me is true? He told me Detroit wants to discontinue the 16 litre motor just as Volvo/Mack has done, and they want to again make the DD15 the flagship engine.

No, that's what the new Canadians order. They buy the low side boxes so the truck can't be loaded as much. They also weld steel plate from the top of the front of the box, sloped down towards the back to the floor. Wouldn't do you any good if you had to axle weigh though. If they just quit working cheap they wouldn't have to mess with all this.

I better trade my half ton pickup for one if that is the case, LOL

A friend sent me this. Pretty odd. An Ontario spec VNX dump truck. I actually think it looks better than the VHD vocational model. But it will be problematic with that T-Ride rear suspension and the Ontario mandated SPIF lift axle. Air ride works much better with the self equalizing SPIF axles. https://www.visiontruckgroup.com/truck/details/id/112

First I gotta say, I'm not really a big Anthem fan. I HATE the headlights and the hood side intake vents. And those hood mirrors. But I do think the grill and hood shape would work well on a vocational truck. But what I wanted to discuss here is, have you noticed there some seems to be a LOT of hype about them for their fuel efficiency? They seem to be getting more praise in the long haul world than the new Volvo's. So what's everyone think? Are they really that good? Are they really more aerodynamic than all the others? I just find it really odd that Volvo has killed Mack in the heavy haul and construction world, and yet are allowing Mack to shine on the highway front.

I want that in a new International!! I wonder if we will start seeing any of this Scania goodness in the Internationals as they move forward in this merger?

Could be, but my last couple trucks were brand new. I just found I got more uneven wear than I ever did with the rubber block trucks. It's a lot easier to get wheel spin with air ride which don't help. i'm running 46,000 FL Airliner. Sometimes I'm my own worse enemy too. I tend to have a heavy foot. And that causes a lot of heel and toe wear.

Thanks KS. Not sure how educated I am, LOL, but I've just been lucky enough to drive a lot of new trucks of all brands on and off the highway over the last 35 years. I've gone back to dump trucking and have been running air ride suspension the last several years. But I miss this Haulmaax and Chalmers rubber block. Air ride has the edge when it comes to traction in sand, and it doesn't "washboard" the haul roads and hills like spring and rubber trucks, but when you have very uneven ground you can't beat walking beams or Camelback or M-Ride. There's times where I have to lock the rear ends up and play with the air dump valve to gain traction with the air, and the Haulmaax would be able to walk right through it. I also see more irregular tire wear with air ride in my application. But here in Ontario we have this regulation called SPIF. It requires a self equalizing, steering lift axle. And in order to equalize the weigh distribution with rubber block or springs it uses load cells just like a weight scale to measure deflection. And they just aren't proving reliable. Air pressure seems to work a lot better. So I stick to air ride.

Yep, I'd sure like to try one as a dump truck.

Lots of people don't like these Workstar/HV's, but my friend has a couple and he got me to drive one back to town for him one time. A dump truck with 20 and 46 axles on rubber block. It rode really nice and was comfortable. His are Cummins powered. They got a really bad rep because of the original Maxxforce engines. And underhood space is bad. I'll say it again though, the new HX is the smoothest, quietest new truck I have ever driven. And I've tried all the north American trucks. I also liked the Haulmaax rear suspension. I had that in my 05 Paystar. Lots of articulation and traction and a good ride. (Though Chalmers was still a bit better.) Only problems I had with it were these bolts kept coming loose. Once I replaced them with good frame bolts, never touched them again.

That sheet of chrome plywood on the front has to go though! LOL Put a real truck bumper on it and it would look good.

Exactly. Our city is just starting to replace their plow trucks with Western Star 4700's to replace the Freightliners and Internationals. And surprisingly they went with Cummins engines in them. So goes to show, they still get a lot of Cummins customers. Edit: And sad to say we have a Mack dealer in town and they have made ZERO effort to sell a Mack plow or dump truck to the city. City even has Freightliner garbage trucks. That just seems wrong! LOL.

You wouldn't think so since they are the only one so far other than Autocar to offer the Cummins X12 in their Freightliner and Western Star trucks. They offer Cummins in every class side by side with their Detroit's.

Unlessd you get the International MV (Formerly Durastar)...they have the 6.7 Cummins. The CV and Chev 5500/6500 get the Isuzu built Duramax.

You can't really talk prices though. That seems to be so regional. Like how you say Ford is cheap. Not here. I can get a Pete or KW cheaper. Ford is about the most expensive of all medium duties I have looked at.

I remember when those were all built in Oakville Ontario Canada. it was quite the sight driving by the factory and seeing a couple of those big M Series parked along the fenceline.

Man, I wish i was rich. I would buy it all!! I love that Superliner though.

I have never been around an Isuzu, but a friend in New Zealand runs one and has sent me pics. He too said they are a very reliable truck and the biggest seller over there.

Will be interesting to see how they make out, but it will be a hard road. Here are a few things I have noted because I have shopped medium duty trucks hard. I've had reps from Mack and other manufacturers tell me at trade shows that Hino's are dead reliable and they don't know how they make any money because they never break. That's something to hear from competitors. I like the KW T series. They are the most big rig like, and have very good fit and finish and build quality with good components. But small cab and no crew cab option from factory. Freightliner is ok, pricing very competitive, all cab options such as extended with seat or bunk and crew cab. But they can be electronics nightmares. Lots of modules I have had fail. The International Durastar is one that can be a plain, uncomfotable, underpowered fleet truck, or they can be optioned up not too bad. But where Chev/International CV and Ford rule, and why they are hard to beat....they are the most luxurious as they use high end pickup truck style cabs and interiors. They also offer extended or crew cabs. They also offer factory four wheel drive in a from that is not overly high or big size-wise. And they offer more power and torque ratings. And gasoline engines. And huge dealer networks. Hard to beat that.

I agree RoadwayR....they need a gasoline option. All the school bus companies and ambulances around here have gone back to gasoline engines over the last year. The new diesels are too costly and unreliable.

How did this one slip by you guys? I saw it announced in the trade mags before I saw it here. You Mack guys are slipping! Hahahaha. You know, I HATE the Anthem, but I like this as a medium duty. This is the first Mack that has interested me since the mid 2000's.

Send the bill to the EPA and the government for forcing this crap to market, that is doing NOTHING to save the environment. We could all be driving reliable trucks that get 10 MPG right now if it wasn't for this crap.

And how do you keep that coe plow/sander so pristine condition when it is likely in salt all winter? My new 2020 looks like crap already from the salt. LOL