Is Volvo Good Or Bad For Mack Trucks?

[Barry]

Welcome to BMT, Mack Guy! It's great to have you aboard! Any input you can give us will be appreciated...I can tell you that the members here really love their Bulldogs and they just don't want to see them put out to pasture. I hope you can participate in many discussions and hopefully you can use some of our members' comments and ideas to help strengthen the product! I'd also like to encourage other Mack employees to join the forums so they can see how much pride and passion Mack Truck Enthusiasts truly have...

[mackboy]

welcome aboard nice to have you here on bmt the world wide MACK forum whit people from the hole world how loves there MACKTRUCKS greetings from europe ,the netherlands

[bulldog man]

GUY TO BMT Glad to have ya hear .

Barry pretty much summed up my thoughts & feelings on the brand

as i & my family have ran 's for years & i get my name from my pride & joy as i & my family have called him "olddog" cause the 1964'B422T Single axle tractor Was the oldest & most pulling truck in our fleet (gear ratio in rearend in 6:14 top speed 49m.ph. ) when my granddad passed in apirl of 05' it was the 1 truck out of small fleet of 5' i was able to able to save BECAUSE "OLDDOG" IS TITLED IN MY NAME the others along w/ our heavy equipment was sold due to my granddad didnt have a will . & probate court made us liqidate everything . out 5 trucks 4 of them was 's the other was 1 of other favorite makes & models that THE SWEDS Done under A G.MC. Brigadier w/ a 318 Detroit & 13spd on double frame , 44k rockwell rears & 14k f/a on walking beams . we alsoliked Autocar but never liked the Volvo motor . we had a few ole DK MODELS W/BUTTERFLY HOODS W/BigCam "Hummin " Cummins

I'm currently working for a couple friends of mine 1 who used to sell us our truck tires another who was my granddads right hand man for 30+ years but both of them know i want to be back on my own & i had to crawl before i was able to walk again & my friend that i currently work for will defintly be there when i needc them & probably late this year or earlynext year i will be back out there w/ a TRACTOR OR triaxle Dump bucket .& im not want nothing later than a 95 model (perfer a DM , SuperDog , or a R model ) i want a mechanical motor something simple i can work on myself .

Sorry to ramble on but just had to give a littlebackground on myself as ya can see excavating & trucking runs in my blood & ill never get it out hell, iwouldnt try to get dirt work & trucking out my blood cause id go nuts if i wasnt rond them

Again welcome TO BMT

LATER Yall

[mudslut28]

The new Mack engines are better in every way than our legacy product: better performance, better torque delivery, and better fuel economy. I think you will be impressed by our 11 liter and 13 liter offerings when you check them out at:

That right theres funny...I dont care who you are. Dont need to check out a website I haul with them every day....my "old" E7-400 will eat the 405's lunch with ease on power and mileage...sorry to be the voice of dissent but I haul with 6 new Granites everyday. The only advantage they have over my E7 would be the engine brake. You can race your website all you want but we put the 30-40 tons on em and do it everyday. BTW...My "old" E7 now has 17000 hours on it and has never been touched either and still does it to them. The 405's seem to be decent motors but lets not build them into something they arent here....it does everyone involved a disservice.

[HK Trucking]

The Mack Guy wrote:

The new Mack engines are better in every way than our legacy product: better performance, better torque delivery, and better fuel economy. I think you will be impressed by our 11 liter and 13 liter offerings.........

It is what it is: A camouflaged Volvo engine.

WV Dog Lover wrote:

The 405's seem to be decent motors but lets not build them into something they arent here....it does everyone involved a disservice.

Amen.

Certainly one thing they aren't is a Mack engine.

[fullfuel01]

first of all, would Volvo ever do something great??

[RRJordan]

Good, sincere points have been made in this discussion. It may also be interesting to consider the status of Deere and Caterpillar, which at least at one time were thought to have qualities that are so appreciated in Mack.

[granitefan713]

It seems everyone here sees the fuel tank half empty.

[JST]

*DELETED by JST*

Edited April 21, 2007 by JST

[fjh]

Hello gents,

I am very new to this forum but I am now here and I will try to answer questions you might have about our merger with Volvo. Please also respect the fact that I will only be able to share information that I am allowed to share publicly.

First, let me present myself. I am a product features manager for Mack Trucks and I am located in the truck capital of the world: Allentown, PA sitting here at the Mack Trucks headquarters. I set feature targets that you all enjoy and appreciate in your Mack. My most important responsibility is perhaps keeping our Mack brand a Mack truck is supposed to be. We strive to live up to our Mack promise: Built Like a Mack Truck.

Let me tell you a little bit more about our Volvo merger. You might all be aware of the fact that most truck manufacturers in the world (much like the car manufacturers) have merged or purchased each other to create economies of scale for more efficient and cost effective production solutions. Therefore, Mack could not survive on its own without having a partner. Renault was the first one in the group and we are now 3 brands strong between Mack, Renault and Volvo.

I realize that Volvo might have done some mistakes with the White and GMC brands in the past. But I assure you that our group has learned a great deal from that experience. I think you will appreciate to know that Volvo AB values the Mack brand so much that they have invested millions of dollars for our Hagerstown facility where we now manufacture proprietary Mack and Volvo engines using shared technology. As some of you mentioned, our old engine was no longer competitive enough to pass EPA regulations and was simply outdated.

With our new engine platform, we are now not only able to meet stringent EPA regulations, but we are also able to offer your a wider horsepower offering while keeping the legendary MAXIDYNE, ECONODYNE and MAXICRUISE offerings. The new Mack engines are better in every way than our legacy product: better performance, better torque delivery, and better fuel economy. I think you will be impressed by our 11 liter and 13 liter offerings when you check them out at: http://www.macktrucks.com/default.aspx?pageid=1359.

Please keep posting about your concerns and I will try to answer the best I can.

I know this is a bit late and an old post but ,I have to say that the Volvo engine does look to be a decent power plant Mack guy!THIS IS THE ONLY UPSIDE TO MY COMENTS.

Having said that MackGuy ,I have worked, on , for and around Mack trucks for most of my working life 30 years OR SO ,as well as the volvo stuff fords kw PETES and the rest to some degree!The truck we sell now is a Volvo with a mack cab! DON'T KID US, THE volvo people have KEPT NONE, of the Good mack IDEAS ,NOT ONE! THE dog on the hood and the cab is all thats left.You take the cab off the frame its a volvo frame ,engine and abunch of jobber parts. SORRY its for the most part the truth I was once a proud mack guy now I work on Volvo stuff ,I have less kinder words for it but won't use it here!These Guys could have at least kept some of the simple Ideas and used them`NOT ONE did they keep! SO FAR ONLY THING I SEE that I MILDLY like is the engine IMPRESS me with some good old simple MACK stuff ont the rest of the truck ! Mack diffs mack trans mack built tough frames suspention yada yada!

Sorry had to rant!

l

[rodperformance]

hi my name is roderick this is my first reply currently i have a dm685sx 1973 i did the engine last week it was factoryfit from1973 so I guess i'll have to wait 34years to see if volvo trucks are as tough as our beloved bulldogs still new times brings new technology lets hope for the good not for the bad like fuel economy less pollution and more money in our pockets thats whats all about .I went to my local mack dealer and i saw the rear ends they where macks on the new granites so theres something left from mack still in2007 we got camelback suspensions as a legacyof how strong our trucks are lets hope they keep building strong trucks for the future see ya later from puerto rico the place where for a 100 trucks buildt 90 are macks

[HK Trucking]

Here's what you get when you look up Mack powertrain facilities at macktrucks.com:

http://www.macktrucks.com/default.aspx?pageid=198

Mack powertrain

Mack engines are designed and manufactured at this 1.5 million-square-foot facility in Hagerstown, MD. The TC15 transfer case, rear engine power take-off and Mack Maxitorque ES T300 series transmissions are also produced at this facility.

Volvo Powertrain North America

13302 Pennsylvania Avenue

Hagerstown, MD 21742

301-790-5400

Note that it says"Volvo" Powertrain North America.

Kinda removes all doubt as to where this is going, doesn't it?

[fjh]

Here's what you get when you look up Mack powertrain facilities at macktrucks.com:

http://www.macktrucks.com/default.aspx?pageid=198

Note that it says"Volvo" Powertrain North America.

Kinda removes all doubt as to where this is going, doesn't it?

No kidding! Volvo land here we come!

[bulldog man]

soon all OUR BELOVED will be a V*LV* W/ A On the hood & a Damn slanted lined across the grill

What a bunch V*LV* Puts out & tries to feed us die hard folks V*lV* IS FULL OF

Just mop yall

yall have a goodone

[mackdumper]

Sad to say that although they'll probably keep the name, Mack quality and toughness (which is where the reputation came from) has already suffered. It appears Volvo bought the company for the dealership network and to eliminate competition (remember White/Autocar/GMC?). Autocars were at one time incredibly tough durible vocation trucks that Volvo turned into a whimpy girlie truck and then eliminated. At least when Mack had Brockway they kept building and improved a great brand known for toughness that could make you money. A few years ago I was pulled over with my B model by a trooper looking for red fuel. He summed up what has happened very well when he remarked about the age of the "B" still working, looking good and making money compared to his new patrol car - "Our parents sure built things better than we do, look at this car, brand new and it's falling apart, what a piece of s##t!". So it is going, that in the name of lighter weight, more speed and government regulations Mack is becoming like it's competitors thanks to Volvo, a throwaway truck that the bean counters like, zoom zoom zoom and then in the crusher for whatever isn't made of plastic. I just wish that so many older trucks weren't exported where they'll be working for years to come unlike the plastic throwaways we've got here. Bob

wow rsmartyn you've just shown me the light! the idea is to go over to all them south american countrys and buy up all the mack cabs/axles engines/transmissions and chassis/rears anything and everything . HMMPH I WONDER hmmm could it possibly work somehow or another? i think i smell wood burning?

Edited August 4, 2007 by mackdumper

[granitefan713]

Just realize, that even if Volvo decided to built Mack's the way they were many many years ago, the cost of them would be outrageous, owners would never get the payload out them that is demanded in today's economy. It wouldn't pay for them to "stand out" from the competition. If they were to build Macks out of all steel like they did in the past, few large companies would buy them due to the cost. Its better for Mack to built trucks like the rest of the country to remain competitive. I've rode in a 2008 Mack GU713 quad axle dump with 24 tons in it, and it pulled like it was empty. I was VERY impressed with this truck, even though it was apparent Volvo had its design it in. (It had a 415hp MP8 engine and a Mack 10M transmission)

[Pete]

Do you think Volvo's purchase of Mack Trucks a good thing or do you think Volvo will end up destroying the Mack Brand? Lets hear your thoughts on this subject, but please...keep it civil!

My employer has new Macks pulling 132,000 gross that seem pretty good.

But here in Canada they trail Western Star in sales and are losing some of their former stangle hold the mixer market to WS.Mack dealers have Volvos on their lots except in places that there were already Volvo dealers.

It does'nyt look good to me.

Pete

[EM6285]

I think that the VOLVO Group will get rid of the all true MACK truck. Just see how now our beloved MACK truck is becoming a "Generic Truck" like the other truck brands. Soon the days of an all MACK built truck will be gone.

Did you read the last issue of BullDog Magazine ?

I was shocked when I read about MACK trucks offered with other non MACK drive train components. A MACK teamed up with Eaton, Fuller, Rockwell, Allison , Meritor etc... ?

I am getting confused and now I am in the point of beleiving that the new MP7 engine family is in real statement VOLVO engines disguised as a MACK product.

It is so paifull to see our MACK getting VOLVORIZED little by little to the day the MACK brand will no longer exist.

They can say that MACK merges with VOLVO for the good of both companies. But at what cost ?

Good bye to the all true MACK Diesel Engines.

Good bye to MAXITORQUE transmissions

Good bye to Camell Back suspension

Good bye reliable MACK R /RD /DM /DMM /DMMX / CS /Mid Liner /CL 700 Elite.

I hope this VOLVO-MACK thing ends up like the Daimler Chrysler group erger and MACK kicks out Volvo for the good of the brand.

MACK TRUCKS has the capabilities of surviving on its own.

VOLVO TRUCKS SUCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bulldog man]

I think that the VOLVO Group will get rid of the all true MACK truck. Just see how now our beloved MACK truck is becoming a "Generic Truck" like the other truck brands. Soon the days of an all MACK built truck will be gone.

Did you read the last issue of BullDog Magazine ?

I was shocked when I read about MACK trucks offered with other non MACK drive train components. A MACK teamed up with Eaton, Fuller, Rockwell, Allison , Meritor etc... ?

I am getting confused and now I am in the point of beleiving that the new MP7 engine family is in real statement VOLVO engines disguised as a MACK product.

It is so paifull to see our MACK getting VOLVORIZED little by little to the day the MACK brand will no longer exist.

They can say that MACK merges with VOLVO for the good of both companies. But at what cost ?

Good bye to the all true MACK Diesel Engines.

Good bye to MAXITORQUE transmissions

Good bye to Camell Back suspension

Good bye reliable MACK R /RD /DM /DMM /DMMX / CS /Mid Liner /CL 700 Elite.

I hope this VOLVO-MACK thing ends up like the Daimler Chrysler group erger and MACK kicks out Volvo for the good of the brand.

MACK TRUCKS has the capabilities of surviving on its own.

VOLVO TRUCKS SUCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IN 4 Words : AMEN PREACH ON BROTHER !!!!!!!

[HK Trucking]

I am getting confused and now I am in the point of beleiving that the new MP7 engine family is in real statement VOLVO engines disguised as a MACK product.

The MP7 and MP8 are Volvo engines with Mack specific programming in the ECM.

IMHO, Mack is headed for extinction just like all the other brands of trucks and heavy equipment that Volvo has "acquired" in the past.

[RC51]

Volvo only aquired Mack to gain market share,and to crack Mack's almost exclusive monopoly of the refuse business.As far as an earlier post saying "give the Granite a chance",I don't know.Since I started repairing trucks,I always gravitated towards Mack,but since around the late '90's,I have lost faith.I'm seeing problems that never were heard of in Macks.Not just electronic gremlins,I mean big blow-ups,turbos,Camshafts....Deja Vu,dropped valves,noisy/slacky,hard shifting transmissions,bull gears and ring and pinions with poor hardness,the unit pump E-7's are always on the hook.Sad to see,but the way it is.I long for the T-676/X-107 days again

Edited September 11, 2007 by RC51

[HK Trucking]

Sad to see,but the way it is.I long for the T-676/X-107 days again

Don't we all!

Or better yet, the ENDT673 - TRQ7220 days!!!!!

[RC51]

Yeah I hear ya,but I don't miss bending over fat B-61 fenders,or having wrestling matches with starters or compressors,whilst working on steelnose DM-6's.Al

Don't we all!

Or better yet, the ENDT673 - TRQ7220 days!!!!!

[bulldog man]

thats why i wont own A Over a 2001 Model im just waiting this coming winter out.

Already got the work lined up then spring time im looking for a SuperDog, DM , Or R model Tractor w/ a wetkit & dumptrailer or Triaxle dump .

I want the ole E6 Or E7 or E9 Purebreed Motor & either 2 stick 6 spd or Airshift 2060(6spd), 2070(7spd) or 2080 (8spd) Or 12spd & 44k camelback

NOT SOME DA** VO** Made JUNK

BYW Herb watch the video of ya driving the RB Model brother thats music to my ears is that a 350 Mack i hear under the hood ?

later yall

"aka" bulldog

[HK Trucking]

thats why i wont own A Over a 2001 Model im just waiting this coming winter out.

Already got the work lined up then spring time im looking for a SuperDog, DM , Or R model Tractor w/ a wetkit & dumptrailer or Triaxle dump .

I want the ole E6 Or E7 or E9 Purebreed Motor & either 2 stick 6 spd or Airshift 2060(6spd), 2070(7spd) or 2080 (8spd) Or 12spd & 44k camelback

NOT SOME DA** VO** Made JUNK

BYW Herb watch the video of ya driving the RB Model brother thats music to my ears is that a 350 Mack i hear under the hood ?

later yall

"aka" bulldog

That's an E7 400 mechanical with a T2130 Mack 13 speed. Straight pipe of course!!!!